Building on the UK-France Tech: Bienvenue au Royaume des Audacieux reception held in March at the British Ambassador’s Residence, the UK will make its comeback to VivaTech from May 22-25 in Paris.
Six UK companies will be present on the UK pavilion throughout the event, including large companies like BT and innovative startups including OnePlan, AirCards and PolyAI.
Leading UK unicorns Quantexa and Synthesia will also be doing demo presentations at the pavilion, and there will be thought leadership sessions run by London & Partners, West Midlands Growth Company and Zebox.
On the agenda
The pavilion offers ample opportunities to network, with the West Midlands Growth Company holding an evening event and the British Deputy Ambassador to France, Theo Rycroft, hosting a networking reception from 3.30pm on May 23, offering visitors the chance to meet Theo and other like-minded entrepreneurs and investors in the space.
“It is fantastic that the UK is making a comeback to VivaTech as we roll out our Audacious Kingdom campaign in France,” says Theo.
“Please do visit our pavilion to meet with cutting-edge British companies and discuss with Department for Business and Trade colleagues on the opportunities in the UK’s thriving tech ecosystem worth more than $1T.”
UK companies will have the opportunity to proudly showcase their tech at the pavilion throughout the event.
Martin Bremner, head of Zebox UK, will host a fireside chat with guest speakers from the Manchester ecosystem, and BT France will demonstrate its new network-as-a-service brand, Global Fabric, which enables customers to boost performance, cost, security and sustainability.
UK tech unicorn Synthesia will host a demo of its software, which is used to create AI-generated video content, and UK unicorn Quantexa, an AI-powered data intelligence platform, will also be present.
A key moment in the programme will be a presentation from OnePlan, a Paris 2024 official supporter. Paul Foster, the company’s founder and CEO, will share new visualisations and take you behind the plan of this year's biggest global event.
Regional partners will also discuss the blossoming UK investment landscape – London & Partners is set to host a panel focused on scaling up in the UK, making the case for London as an FDI destination. French scaleup Bloomflow will take to the stage with UK companies to discuss open innovation and the UK’s burgeoning tech ecosystem.
The pavilion will also hold a panel looking at West Midlands’ growing innovation output, with French scaleups solidifying the region as a tech haven following their own successful opening of offices there, as well as a look at the dynamic Welsh tech ecosystem.
Open for business
The UK is a nation of creators, pioneers and inventors, with a technology sector worth more than $1T and boasts being home to 140 unicorns.
AI, in particular, is a booming sector – the UK now has more than 1,300 AI companies, representing a 600% increase in the number of firms over the last decade and a collective turnover of almost £1.47B.
This month, US-based AI startup CoreWeave announced a huge $1B investment in UK data centres. It also revealed its European headquarters are to be based in London as part of major expansion plans.
Wayve, the UK company developing AI technology to power self-driving cars, also closed a $1B fundraising round led by investment bank SoftBank – both representing significant acknowledgement of the UK’s standing as an AI powerhouse.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) supports UK and international companies to grow, export and invest across the Channel. In France, DBT has specialists based in Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon and the team is happy to speak to businesses interested in tech opportunities.
To find out more, visit the British Embassy at this year’s VivaTech, which takes place from May 22-25 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
The Commercial Department of the British Embassy in Paris provides support to French companies wishing to set up in the UK. Click here to find out more.
