Ukraine Seeds Tech Bravery At Viva Tech 2022

15-18 of June, our team visited Paris to participate in Viva Technology, which acts as an influential global catalyst for digital transformation and startup growth. Every year VivaTech brings together, offline and online, business leaders, startups, investors, researchers, and innovators to ignite positive change in business and society.

The Viva Technology team with the local tech community presented a Ukrainian pavilion to support the country’s entrepreneurs and the resilience of the tech industry in wartime.

Within the conference, our team co-organized the side event “VIVA LA FRANCE ET VIVA L’UKRAINE!” dedicated to Ukrainian-French tech ecosystem cooperation and support during wartime as well as new horizons for partnership.

Viva Technology at a glance

• 3 professional days, on 15, 16 and 17 June and 1 day for the general public, on Saturday 18 June 2022
• More than 2,000 exhibitors, of which 1,700 startups on a 100% face-to-face model amplified by a digital brick
• More than 60 public players and international organizations including 30 countries represented through pavilions
• More than 50 challenges issued in top trending areas such as blockchain, the metaverse, AR/VR, Tech4good, the Future of Work, smart cities and mobility — 4500 participating startups, 70% of the entries received coming from abroad
• More than 500 innovations presented
• More than 300 inspiring speakers

For the second year running, VivaTech is revitalizing the online experience to make it more engaging, with the digital platform becoming free to access in order to enable visitors to enjoy the VivaTech expertise in a way that complements the face-to-face format, with live sessions, the discovery of innovations in 3D and in augmented reality, the VivaTech News programs and via virtual showrooms.

Viva Tech 2022 in numbers:

“VivaTech remains the go-to annual event which brings together the Paris, French and European tech scene in the one place. It’s great to get a download from the variety of founders and investors who attend every year,” — Mike Butcher, Editor-at-largeat TechCrunch

Six major themes for 2022 in the spotlight

VivaTech features many important new trends at the forefront of tech news during the four days of the event. This year, six major themes were covered:

• Race to Net Zero Emissions
• Mobility Rebound
• Future of Work
• Inclusion is a Mindset
• Web3 & Metavers
• European scaleups

Famous and influential speakers

Each edition of VivaTech brings together inspiring personalities who are shaping technology and the economy of today and tomorrow. This year, VivaTech hosted talks by Changpeng Zhao (Founder & CEO — Binance); Cristiano Amon (CEO — Qualcomm); Jimmy Wales (Founder — Wikipedia); Bret Taylor (co-CEO — Salesforce & Chairman of the board — Twitter); Ryan Rolansky (CEO — LinkedIn); Garry Kasparov (Avast ambassador); Yann LeCun (VP & Chief AI Scientist — Meta); Eric Schmidt (co-founder — Schmidt Future); Jared Spataro (CVP Modern Work — Microsoft); Tony Estanguet (President — Paris 2024); Robert Pittman (Chairman & CEO — iHeartmedia); Evan Spiegel (Co-Founder & CEO — Snap Inc); Vitalik Buterin (Founder — Ethereum); Thierry Breton (European Commissioner).

Dr. Sumbul Desai, VP of Health at Apple, on how tech is a necessity to improve the industry when used with purpose & direct way

Technology can scale healthcare in a meaningful way. It should be an enabler, whether achieving better personal health or more access to healthcare. We should not be using technology just for technology’s sake.

Tony Fadell, IPod inventor, IPhone co-inventor, Nest founder, Future Shape LLC principal & author of speaks on Tech for Society Connectivity and 5G

Before you go and commit a lot of capital and big teams, make sure you write the press release, at the beginning, so that you know what you’re making.

French President Emmanuel Macron

By 2022 in the European ecosystem, the numbers have been completely transformed. I remember setting myself a goal saying “25 unicorns by 2025,” we’re at 27.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was addressing Europe’s top tech entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders via 3D hologram, compelling the region’s most influential innovators.

It’s no longer science fiction that AI is now as smart as humans. These technological possibilities can change lives. They can simplify government to people’s relationship: no bureaucracy, no corruption.

Ukraine: brave to raise unicorns

During 15-18 of June 14, Ukrainian startups were presenting the innovation potential and startup ecosystem of Ukraine at the national pavilion with the motto “Ukraine Seeds of Bravery” at Viva Tech — meet the attendees:

• ClinCaseQuest — a simulation training platform for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.
• Fruittorg — a B2B agromarketplace, which uses artificial intelligence algorithms to meet demand, planning, quality assurance and the formation of the Internet of Things in the field of fruits and vegetables.
• Avocado AI — a SaaS solution for optimising stock and processes in the HoReCa industry.
• Lookerz.me — a SaaS solution for Fashion enterprise, which generates real time outfits, tags and similar items for Fashion eCommerce powered by ML without stylists.
• MISU — a health monitoring system & smart device which makes analysis of your health and gives you and with help of special algorithms builds a prediction before the onset of person’s critical situation.
• Mosqitter — a smart eco-friendly mosquito control system that protects people from mosquito bites outdoors.
• Elai.io — a text-to-video platform that allows users to generate video content with real humans from just text.
• INPUT SOFT — a SaaS platform for companies in the aviation industry — airports, ground handling companies and airlines.
• Akurateco — White-Label Payment Platform — a Payment Orchestration Platform, a brandable, white-label solution allowing users to own the end-to-end ready-to-use PCI DSS gateway.
• CASES — an EdTech and Social Network. On platform, users are offered the opportunity to get online training in specialties from the creative industries, find friends, like-minded people, mentors.
• fprojo — a project finance management SaaS solution for SMB B2B professional services companies.
• WheelKeep — an invisible security system that helps cycling enthusiasts to protect their bikes from thefts and enjoy the freedom of everyday cycling
• Cardio.AI^® — provides corporate cardiac checkups — end-to-end solution for 5-days remote cardiac monitoring with a single-use device.
• zeely.app — a mobile application (SaaS, Freemium) for business promotion with convenient marketing tools for non-marketers

Within the event, French President Emmanuel Macron visited the Ukrainian pavilion, met startup founders and alley of innovation projects — take a look at the video of a discussion with Dominique Piotet (video credit by Sergey Zubar, Fruittorg).

A side event of the Viva Technology conference, co-organized by a group of ecosystem partners, Viva la France et Vive L’Ukraine, brought together the French-Ukrainian business community, public institutions, and the foundations involved in helping the Ukrainian people.

Nataly Veremeeva, Director at TechUkraine, Board Member at Kyiv IT Cluster, and Ambassador at Tech Emerging Europe Advocates Ukraine was moderating the event.

The event began with comments from diplomats of France and Ukraine about the current situation, followed by a panel of experts discussing the role and insights of the Ukrainian tech sector during the war:

• Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Ukraine. (Ambassadeur Extraordinaire et Plénipotentiaire d’Ukraine en France) Vadym Omelchenko
• Deputy Director for Continental Europe, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (Directeur adjoint de l’Europe continentale, Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères) Sylvain GUIAUGUÉ (Silven Giyoge).

The Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, addressed the audience with an online welcome speech.

After started the panel discussion “Ukrainian Tech ecosystem before the war and now” with speakers from the Ukrainian and French ecosystems:

• Natalia Denikeieva, Head of Diia City’ project office at the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine
• Dominique PIOTET, CEO at UNIT.City, President of La French Tech Ukraine
• Ihor Markevych, advisor at Ukrainian Startup Fund)
• Kevin Markowski, Founder & CEO at Spitche, Board Member at La French Tech Kyiv and Barcelona

The panelists discussed the successes of the Ukrainian Tech sector, how the industry was affected by the war, what was the reaction of business to this new reality, implementation of the contingency plans, enhancing the government initiative Diia City, the first global cyberwar, and cyber defense sector, secrets of tech stakeholders resilience to war challenges, the future of Ukrainian tech and what are the opportunities for cooperation between France and Ukraine in this area.

The panel was followed by an overview of actions since the beginning of the war taken by the sponsors of the event Ensemble Ukraine, an organization of French Entrepreneurs helping Ukrainian businesses and people in these challenging times:

• Jérôme Lecat — Co-président Ensemble Ukraine, CEO at Scality, Ambassadeur de la French Tech

• Laura Calmore — Vice President Ensemble Ukraine, VP Corporate Affairs at Scaleway, former CMO of France Digitale.

#EnsembleUkraine is an initiative spearheaded by more than 50 citizens and tech entrepreneurs, including the founders of ProtegeTonSoignant, backed by France Digitale, the Galion Project, and the French Tech mission.
Great thanks for all you do for Ukraine in these challenging existential times!

Thanks to all partners: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ambassade d’Ukraine en France, Ministry of Digital Transformation, Diia City, Ukrainian Startup Fund, UNIT.City, La French Tech, La French Tech Kyiv, CEO Club Ukraine, EO Incubators, ICC Ukraine.

Panel afterthoughts by Nataly Veremeeva, Director at TechUkraine

Ukraine was very successful in Tech before the war and is showing unprecedented resilience not only in the military area but also in Tech after the war started. Since the beginning of the war 13 000 new IT companies and private entrepreneurs were registered in Ukraine.

It is in the nature of startups to overcome difficulties and do their best to survive. War is just another test to overcome. According to USF inquiries, even those startups that claimed to have a budget only for 1 month are still active and doing their pilots and prototypes after 3 months of the war.

Diia city is yet another instrument for the Ukrainian economy to survive and become even stronger than before. It is one of the most attractive virtual residencies in Europe, which was launched 2 weeks before the war. Surprisingly, the number of residents grew from 80 to 259 during the war, which means the majority of its current residents registered in Diia City AFTER the war started! We expect this tendency not only to continue but also to intensify since for Ukrainian and international establishments, that means not only lower taxes but also supporting the Ukrainian economy and filling its budget, which is needed to help the country survive.

France missed the first wave of Ukrainian startups, with 90% of the investment coming from the USA. It is not to miss the second wave. The opportunities for cooperation between our two countries are huge, and France is seeing and recognizing the innovative potential of Ukraine.

Ukraine is winning in the war by four factors: the strength of its spirit, innovation and tech-savyness, its horizontal structures, being a true blockchain nation, and the international multilevel support. And while the first three are our full responsibility, we are calling on France and other key players in the international arena to increase their support for us to do this final push against this dark force from the past that is attacking the future and civilization.

Help us let the future win and free the world from this threat from the east once and for all.

Support Kyiv-based TechUkraine team here.