PARIS (The Gignomist) — Europe’s largest startup and technology event, VivaTech, unveiled the winners of its 2026 Startup Prizes during its flagship conference at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, which attracted more than 200,000 attendees, 14,000 startups, 4,000 partners, and 3,600 investors from around the world over four days.
The mega event spotlighted advancements in artificial intelligence, deep tech including quantum cybersecurity, health and longevity, sustainability, climate tech, and the future of work. Global leaders, interactive exhibitions and open innovation programs connected startups with major corporations and investors to tackle pressing global challenges.
High-profile keynote speakers included Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch, AI researcher Yann LeCun, Alibaba co-founder Joe Tsai, ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet, LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, and Chanel Global CEO Leena Nair. French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the main stage on AI governance and digital cooperation.
Five major awards recognized standout contributions during a dedicated ceremony:
Female Founder Award
The Female Founder Award went to Dr. Liz Dennett, founder and CEO of Endolith. The company uses engineered microbes and adaptive optimization for cleaner, more efficient recovery of critical minerals such as copper from low-grade ores.
Dennett previously served as CTO at Cemvita and held roles at AWS, Wood Mackenzie and Biota Technology. “One thing I’ve learned as a founder: The people who choose this path tend to find each other,” she said.
Liz Dennett is more focused on scaling Endolith’s platform and delivers real value from molecule to market.
AfricaTech Award
AfricaTech Award was presented to Ahmed Yahia, CEO and co-founder of SURGiA. The platform leverages AI-powered procurement, IoT inventory management and embedded financing to strengthen healthcare supply chains across Africa and the Middle East, addressing counterfeit supplies and access barriers for hospitals and clinics.
SURGiA’s ecosystem connects verified suppliers, offers capacity-building programs, and includes embedded financing. Ahmed Yahia says he is on a mission to build scalable, trusted, AI-enabled supply-chain systems that strengthen healthcare accessibility, safety, and resilience, especially in underserved and remote regions.
Innovation of the Year
Innovation of the Year honored Karim Boussetta, founder and CEO of HODOR. The Paris-based company provides an identity and permission engine for AI agents, enabling secure, auditable access to SaaS applications with centralized monitoring and policy enforcement.
Boussetta brings experience from Moonfare, PIMCO and Goldman Sachs. He holds a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Security Studies.
HODOR supports over 35+ SaaS and infrastructure connectors including Linear, Stripe, Postgres, Supabase. Logs every action taken by the AI in real-time, allowing teams to audit interactions and monitor behavior from one place.
Tech for Change Award
Tech for Change Award recognized Fanny Giannou, founder and CEO of Alithea Bio. The biotechnology company specializes in HLA-presented peptide characterization and AI-driven solutions for target validation, off-target toxicity prediction and precision immunotherapy.
Giannou, who also won the Women TechEU 2024 award, has expanded the firm’s international reach and revenues while building one of the world’s largest HLA peptide databases.
Fanny Giannou holds a master’s degree in International Economics and has more than 15 years of experience in international business development. Before founding Alithea Bio, she held strategic and management roles at several multinational companies.
Next Startupper Challenge
Next Startupper Challenge award was presented to Sasha Ovalle, founder and CEO of AssisTech Foundation (ATF), for SmartShower.
The accessible smart home solution targets inclusivity through IoT technology. A Rice University sophomore, Ovalle has secured patents, grant funding and accelerator spots including Amazon AHEAD and 1752vc Launchpad.
AssisTech Foundation’s accelerator selects the most promising startups from thousands of applicants annually, offering hands-on mentorship, operational guidance, and access to a robust network of 850+ investors and industry leaders.
The VivaTech 2026 awards are supported and supported by partners including Forvis Mazars, Deloitte, TechCrunch, JCDecaux, IRIS, SISTA and others.
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