I had the opportunity to attend VivaTech 2026 in Paris representing SEE UP, together with representatives of Serbia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia (PKS), and the Center for Digital Transformation (CDT). It was an intense few days filled with innovators, founders, investors, corporates, and countless opportunities to connect with the global innovation ecosystem.
My first impression was simply wow — the scale of VivaTech is difficult to fully appreciate until you experience it in person. With three enormous floors filled with companies, startups, technologies, and national pavilions, there was something new to discover around every corner. Serbia had an especially strong position, with our pavilion located alongside major national delegations such as Canada, Germany, and Spain, putting us right in the centre of the action and giving Serbian innovation significant visibility.
And yes, Paris was experiencing a heatwave during VivaTech. But with so much happening inside the halls, the weather quickly became an afterthought. There were simply too many interesting technologies, startups, ideas, and conversations to explore.
One of the highlights for me was reconnecting with Nicolò Joswig and the Startex AI team, as well as Cameron Shaw from PANIO Longevity — both part of the current SEE UP Accelerator cohort. It was great to see their progress firsthand and experience their presence at an international event of this scale.
I also had the pleasure of meeting Ana Hrustanović, Ambassador of Serbia to France, at the Residence of the Ambassador, with its incredible views of the Eiffel Tower. We discussed the importance of strengthening connections between innovation ecosystems and creating more opportunities for Serbian startups to connect with international markets.
One of my biggest takeaways from VivaTech was the quality of the people attending. There are not necessarily huge numbers of random passers-by moving through the exhibition. Instead, most people you meet are there for a reason — founders looking for investors and partners, investors searching for new opportunities, corporations exploring technologies, and ecosystem representatives looking to build meaningful international connections.
For me, this made the networking particularly valuable. The conversations were focused, relevant, and often immediately connected to potential partnerships, market opportunities, or future collaboration. I came back from Paris with a long list of new contacts and, more importantly, conversations I genuinely believe can turn into something meaningful.
Representing SEE UP and Serbia at VivaTech was also a great reminder of the importance of putting our ecosystem on the global map. Events like this create opportunities not only for individual startups, but for the entire innovation ecosystem to build bridges with international markets.
My recommendation for the next VivaTech is simple: if you are a founder, investor, corporate, or ecosystem builder looking for meaningful international connections and exposure to what is happening in global innovation — go.
Viva Tech, see you next year! 🚀
