The startup and innovation ecosystem celebrates 10 years of VivaTech in Paris. Inria Chile showcases the Franco-Chilean startup and AI ecosystem in Paris.
Date :
Changed on 26/06/2026
Created in 2016, VivaTech is the annual event dedicated to technological innovation and startups, bringing together more participants from France and around the world in Paris each year. It is also an opportunity for public institutions, companies, research organizations, and startups to showcase their advancements in disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and to create and strengthen strategic cooperation networks.
In 2026, Inria Chile was present at VivaTech for the fourth time, highlighting the latest milestones of the Franco-Chilean ecosystem and reinforcing its international positioning.
In 2026, Inria Chile was present at VivaTech for the fourth time, highlighting the latest milestones of the Franco-Chilean ecosystem and reinforcing its international positioning.
Santiago on the map: the Franco-Chilean startup ecosystem labeled La French Tech Santiago by the French government
From June 17 to 20, 2026, in Paris, VivaTech, Europe’s largest event dedicated to innovation, technology, and startups, exceeded 200,000 visitors from over 165 countries. To celebrate its 10th anniversary, VivaTech expanded its scale: more space, more innovations, and more inspiration, solidifying its status as a must-attend global event in technology and innovation. At VivaTech 2026, over 4500 exhibitors, 61% of them international, presented their innovations, with more than 15000 startups also participating. From figures like French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to AI pioneer Yann Le Cun and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, VivaTech is the unmissable event in the global tech ecosystem, one in which Inria Chile has participated since 2022.
On the eve of VivaTech, it is tradition for La French Tech to host the Community Summit of French Tech Capitals and Communities in Paris, bringing together national and international tech ecosystems. On June 16, the Community Summit took place at Sopra Steria’s offices in Paris, and for the first time, it included "La French Tech Santiago", a new international community, the first in Chile and the fourth in Latin America, that brings together the Franco-Chilean startup and innovation ecosystem. The community, currently in its structuring phase, aims to position Chile as a regional hub for French startups and a new gateway to the Southern Cone. It was represented by Nayat Sánchez-Pi, Director of Inria Chile and the Franco-Chilean Binational Center for Artificial Intelligence, and Director of La French Tech Santiago since its creation in June, who attended alongside David Lequain, President of La French Tech Santiago.
What is La French Tech?
In 2013, France launched “La French Tech”. The French Tech Mission is the government body responsible for implementing public policies targeting startups and unifying the French startup ecosystem, both in France and internationally. Today, La French Tech has established itself as one of the world’s most dynamic innovation ecosystems and as a brand for French innovation and startups through its red rooster.
La French Tech comprises nearly 18000 startups of all sizes, representing over 450000 jobs. The tech world is as dynamic as it is diverse, spanning all sectors, from industry, healthcare, and digital to ecological transition and even agriculture. In 2025, these companies raised €5.8 billion in funding, primarily in artificial intelligence, deeptech, healthcare, and green technologies.
La French Tech in numbers
France now has:
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Over 35 unicorns (tech companies valued at over $1 billion)
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Over 3,500 deeptech startups
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Over 1,100 AI startups
The French Tech network relies on:
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19 Capitals and 28 French Tech Communities in France
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78 international Communities across 57 countries, contributing to the global projection of French innovation
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17 new international communities labeled in 2026, including La French Tech Santiago
Inria Chile and French Tech Santiago: an obvious relationship
La French Tech Santiago also participated in VivaTech. During the event, Inria Chile organized a visit for its representatives to Inria’s booth, where they discovered the institute’s initiatives and the startups supported by Inria Startup Studio in France. They also met with Inria’s Chairman and CEO, Bruno Sportisse, and Deputy Director of Innovation, François Cuny, to discuss the goals and roadmap under development for La French Tech Santiago.
For Inria Chile, the only Inria center outside France, operating in Santiago since 2012, supporting French Tech Santiago was a natural step. As a spearhead of Franco-Chilean bilateral cooperation in digital technology and AI, Inria Chile drives cutting-edge research, technological innovation, and knowledge transfer. For 14 years, it has collaborated with universities, companies, startups, public institutions, and international organizations to address the challenges of the digital revolution and highlight Chile’s position as a regional hub for the digital sector and AI.
As proof of this strategic bilateral cooperation, Inria Chile also operates the Franco-Chilean Binational Center on Artificial Intelligence, established under the Strategic Cooperation Agreement signed in November 2024 by Chile’s Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge, and Innovation and Inria, in the presence of Presidents Emmanuel Macron (France) and Gabriel Boric (Chile) in Santiago. The mission of the binational Center is to strengthen Franco-Chilean cooperation in AI by driving and developing ecosystems in research, training, innovation, and entrepreneurship in AI. The center acts as a geostrategic bridge, connecting European excellence, led by France, Europe’s AI leader, with Latin America’s dynamism, with Chile as the regional hub.
Additionally, Inria Chile, together with the French Embassy in Chile, leads a program that propels Chilean science- and technology-based startups toward international expansion. This is the Trophée Startup, an initiative that, since its creation in 2020, has enabled 12 Chilean startups to internationalize and immerse themselves in the French ecosystem through an acceleration and support program. It provides companies with the resources and guidance needed for successful internationalization, from Chile to the heart of Paris.
Verbatim
One of the central missions of Inria Chile and the Franco-Chilean Binational AI Center is to strengthen the bilateral artificial intelligence ecosystem, positioning both countries as hubs of excellence in research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. We drive mutual technological and economic appeal: we help Chilean startups scale in France and facilitate access for French and European companies to the Latin American market through Chile. Our support and integration with La French Tech Santiago, solidified during the activities in Paris in June 2026, is a natural step that will undoubtedly accelerate the internationalization of innovation in both directions.
Auteur
Poste
Director of Inria Chile / Director of the Franco-Chilean Binational Center on Artificial Intelligence
Inria at VivaTech 2026: the key milestones marking the event’s 10th anniversary
In this 10th-anniversary edition of VivaTech, marked by a strong European dimension, Inria highlighted its academic and industrial alliances that shape robust European technological ecosystems.
Several activities marked those four days at VivaTech, among the most notable are:
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Internationally, with the announcements of Binational Centers with Germany and India, designed on the model of the Franco-Chilean Binational AI Center:
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With Germany: A Binational AI Center with DFKI and another with Fraunhofer Gesellschaft to expand AI initiatives for industry, with a stronger technological focus.
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With India: A Franco-Indian Binational Digital Center coordinated by Inria on behalf of France, under an agreement with India’s Ministry of Science.
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In the area of innovation, with the signing of:
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A strategic alliance with cybersecurity firm Wallix to develop the next generation of sovereign AI in cybersecurity.
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A partnership with the VYV Group to advance AI in healthcare.
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On the impact of AI on software engineers in the era of generative AI, with the workshop "From Coding to Prompting: Are We Still Developing Software?" on the evolution of the software development profession and the importance of the experience of software engineers in a context where AI facilitates code generation, but system design remains complex.
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On the participation of women in technological and digital professions with the TechPourToutes (Tech for all) initiative coordinated by the Fondation Inria.
At VivaTech, a selection of research projects, industry collaborations, and startups emerging from Inria and supported by Inria Startup Studio took center stage at Inria’s booth and those of its many academic and industrial partners (Université Paris-Saclay, Hauts-de-France Region, Orange, La Poste, and Caisse des Dépôts). These projects showcased Inria’s collaboration with industry to accelerate the adoption of research-driven innovations.