When : Wednesday 17 June from 5:30PM to 10:30PM
Where : Parisanté Campus, Paris, France
Registration : https://luma.com/powokpvy
The 30 French Tech Communities of Europe are joining forces to organise a side-event during VivaTech:
Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Italy, Krakow, Kyiv, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Montenegro, Munich, Oslo, Prague, Sofia, Stockholm, Switzerland, Vienna, Warsaw, Yerevan, Zagreb
Partners :
Barcelona Partner, Orrick, Startup City Hamburg, SouthwestX
Network with the presidents and board members of the French Tech Communities of Europe. Meet business angels and investors from the best European VCs. If your french startup expands to other countries in Europe, or if you want to invest in France, this event is a great opportunity to network with the some of the most active tech ecosystem builders of Europe : The European communities of French Tech.
- 5:30PM : Opening Doors
- 6:00PM-6:30PM : Opening Remarks by Institutional Leaders
- Antoine Tesniere, Parisanté Campus Director
- Julie Huguet, La French Tech Director
- Benjamin Haddad, France’s Minister Delegate for European Affairs, attached to the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- 6:30PM-7:00PM : Awards Ceremony
- 7:00PM-10:30PM : Cocktail Networking
- 10:30PM : End of the Event
Here are the highlights from the La French Tech in Europe Vivatech side event at Parisanté Campus, on June 17th 2026. We were happy to welcome more than 500 participants from 57 countries.  Benjamin Haddad, Minister delegate for European Affairs Key takeaways : La French Tech in Europe The French Tech chapters are not just startup communities; they help project French and European influence by connecting innovation ecosystems across Europe.Tech is now geopolitical AI, quantum, space and green tech are not only about jobs or growth. They are directly linked to European sovereignty, strategic autonomy and national security.Europe needs a new “coal and steel” moment Haddad compares today’s tech challenges to the 1950 Schuman Declaration: Europe must pool strategic resources again, but this time around AI, quantum, space and greentech.Choose European Tech is the new coalition The initiative aims to encourage European companies and institutions to buy from, invest in and support European startups, building on “Je Choisis La French Tech”.Rules are necessary, but not enough Europe needs regulation to protect citizens and ensure fair competition, especially against hate speech, disinformation and risks to youth. But regulation must be paired with massive investment, public procurement and simplification.The EU must become easier for startups Haddad highlights the idea of EU Inc., or a “28th regime” of corporate law: a single, digital, 48-hour company creation system that works across all EU countries.Europe must mobilize its own capital European savings should be used to fund European innovation instead of flowing to US capital markets. This connects to the need for a stronger Capital Markets Union.European preference is no longer taboo Europe should support its own companies and industries, especially in critical infrastructure and strategic supply chains, just as other global powers do.Public procurement is strategic Governments and large European companies should become active customers of European startups, not just observers or regulators.The final message: sovereignty through innovation European strategic autonomy will not be built only by states. It requires a partnership between governments, startups, corporates and investors.  Congratulations to Qonto, winner of the Best European Expansion Award! This award was voted by the 30 La French Tech communities across Europe to recognize a French startup with an outstanding European expansion journey. The prize was received by Malte Dous, Managing Director for Germany at Qonto, and handed over by Benjamin Haddad. Malte Dous‘ speech key takeaways : Qonto was built from France, but with a European ambition from day one Malte framed Qonto not as a French company expanding abroad, but as a company designed to become European.La French Tech played a role in Qonto’s journey He explicitly connected Qonto’s growth story to the support and ecosystem of La French Tech.European expansion requires courage The acquisition of Penta in Germany was described as a bold and courageous move, especially because Penta was both a local fintech and a competitor.Successful expansion is not only market entry — it is integration Malte emphasized that the Penta success came from integrating not only employees, but also customers, with empathy.Germany was a key proof point The Penta acquisition seems to have strengthened Qonto’s confidence and ambition to grow further across Europe.Qonto is now a genuinely European company Qonto is live in eight European markets, with 1,600 employees and more than 80 nationalities.The internal culture is international, not purely French His anecdote about working in English — not French — showed that Qonto’s European identity is lived internally, not just used in branding.Qonto’s mission is focused on SMEs and entrepreneurs The core message: Qonto serves the 99% of businesses — small and medium-sized enterprises — that build Europe.The product promise is about removing friction “Taking bricks out of the backpack” means helping entrepreneurs save time and reduce administrative/financial burden.The strongest line: “build in Europe, for Europe” Malte’s message was optimistic: Europe is not just a constraint or necessity, but a great place to build — and even “fun.”  Later on, Alexandre Prot, co-founder of Qonto with Steve Anavi, posted on Linkedin: “Steve and I have a new roommate. The Best European Expansion Award from La French Tech has officially moved in. When we launched in France in 2017, building a truly European company was the right ambition. Today: 600,000 customers, 8 markets, 1,600 people of 80+ nationalities. SMEs represent 99% of all businesses in Europe. They are the backbone of the European economy. They deserve a financial platform built to match their ambition — one that works the same way across Europe. Not a local product copy-pasted. That’s the whole point for us. And it’s far from over. This one belongs to the 1,600 people building Qonto every day. Thank you La French Tech, Benjamin Haddad, and Julie Huguet.” Photo album Feel free to share / add / upload your photos : https://photos.app.goo.gl/m5rGU9jp5FSRuFEn9 30x La French Tech in Europe Here are the Linkedin pages of the 30 La French Tech Communities of Europe. Don’t hesitate to contact them if your startup is planning a European expansion, and follow their page to get informed about the many events they organise: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Italy, Krakow, Kyiv, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Montenegro, Munich, Oslo, Prague, Sofia, Stockholm, Switzerland, Vienna, Warsaw, Yerevan, Zagreb Thanks to our partners We would like to thank our partners, for their fantastic support: Barcelona Partner – Maxime Noell Orrick – Olivier Vuillod Startup City Hamburg – Yu Chen SouthwestX – Matthias Schmitz And a very warm thank you to: – Antoine Tesniere, director PariSanté Campus, and his team – Julie Huguet, director La French Tech, and the entire Mission French Tech Team Networking Platform If you want to keep in touch with the participants, our networking platform is still active for a few more days, more than 200 created a profile : https://matchmaking.mobivent.fr/event/la-french-tech-europe/ |
| A message from our partners : Startup City Hamburg is one of Germany’s most dynamic startup ecosystems, connecting founders, investors, and innovation-driven organizations across the region. At its heart are the Startup City Hamburg Guides – experienced entrepreneurs and ecosystem experts who offer hands-on support, insider knowledge, and tailored introductions. They help startups navigate the local landscape, tap into valuable networks, and accelerate their growth in a collaborative and future-focused environment. You can meet the team at VivaTech at booth 3F29, where they’re ready to support your next step into Hamburg’s startup ecosystem. Get connected with our startup guide :Yu Chen. Hamburg startups you can meet at Vivatech this year : elementarhy, COLIPI, MycoLutions, Nect, Planeteers, Time Teller, Lignopur, SupplyET, BrandPatrol, Spreat, Berking Theranostics, Aortex, Kolsetu, pickz ai risingSUD, the economic development agency of the South of France, supports companies in their growth, international expansion, and innovation journeys. At VivaTech 2026, we are proud to support a delegation of 40 startups from our region, highlighting the excellence and diversity of our ecosystem. Through dedicated delegation programs, we facilitate meetings between international startups, investors, and regional stakeholders via curated networking events, guided tours, and matchmaking sessions. Feel in this form to participate to our matchmaking program. Join us at the Région Sud stand to connect, explore opportunities, and discover one of Europe’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems. Discover our startups: View the booklet southwestX is the startup and innovation ecosystem for the southwest of Germany, connecting Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate with France, Luxembourg and the wider European Deep Tech landscape. As both a federally selected Startup Factory and de:hub for Artificial Intelligence, southwestX helps turn research excellence into scalable ventures through founder support, co-founder matching, incubation and acceleration programs, corporate innovation formats, and access to leading universities, research institutes, industry partners and investors. With a strong focus on AI, Deep Tech and cross-border collaboration, southwestX offers startups, corporates and researchers a practical entry point into one of Europe’s most promising innovation regions. To contact SouthwestX : hello@southwestx.eu |
