Walking the halls of VivaTech, the technology and entrepreneurship fair that celebrated its tenth anniversary in Paris in 2026, is an experience that can easily dazzle any visitor. With over 200,000 attendees from 165 countries —including investors, analysts, entrepreneurs, regulators, and large corporations— the event gathered 15,000 startups. Many of them were seeking what every emerging company craves: funding. According to the organization's surveys, half of the startups that attended the previous year managed to close 25% of their annual business during the event days.

However, François Bitouzet, CEO of VivaTech, noted in an interview with ComputerWorld Spain that the fair serves more than just raising money: it is a space to get advice, inspiration, and connect with regulators, something many entrepreneurs do not have time for in their daily lives. The presence of figures like Jeff Bezos or the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, acts as a strong endorsement for the European ecosystem, sending the message that Europe has become a strategic hub for innovation. "They don't come for VivaTech; they come because the European ecosystem and its markets are interesting for them," Bitouzet stated.

The challenge of European technological sovereignty

Europe must strengthen its ability to compete with the United States and China without renouncing an open and global vocation. Technological sovereignty was one of the recurring themes of the debate, even mentioned in the opening speech. Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH and founding partner of VivaTech, highlighted the importance of European collaboration, especially between France and Germany —the guest country in 2026. "When France and Germany are on the same wavelength, all of Europe moves forward together," he assured. Karsten Wildberger, German Federal Minister for Digitalization and Modernization, added that the old continent must deepen its technological sovereignty to be able to choose suppliers and build deeptech. "Europe must move from slogan to practice," he stated.

In this debate, almost all interlocutors agree that it is necessary to support European startups, as they, together with investors, will truly build European sovereignty. It is, as institutions point out, a matter of "ambition and courage."

European and Spanish talent at VivaTech

Talent does not seem to be lacking, judging by what was seen at VivaTech. From orbital and lunar spacecraft for cargo transport to smart guitars, through all kinds of robots, various inventions vied to capture visitors' attention. The largest booth was for Germany, but Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Ukraine also had relevant spaces. Additionally, countries like Canada, India, Taiwan, Korea, and Brazil occupied their space, although there was no institutional representation from the US or China.

Among the Spanish startups, Aitaca stood out, which started working on child malnutrition and has developed computer vision software that recommends ring size without error. Nicolás Moreno, business development director, explained that this technology is vital for e-commerce of rings, reducing returns and improving sales predictions. Another startup, Agrolinera, specializes in intelligent management of livestock products, converting surpluses into clean energy and fertilizers. Gogoa, a spin-off from CSIC, has become the first European company to certify a lower limb exoskeleton for neurorehabilitation.

The scaling problem: lack of funding

"We have support from the European ecosystem, from the Basque government, we have attracted foreign talent, and yet we cannot attract investment beyond the product development phase," denounced Carlos Fernández, CEO of Gogoa. This complaint reflects a concern shared by many European startups: despite the talent exhibited, they encounter numerous problems scaling. From restrictions on going public to lack of private investment, US or Japanese investors are much more generous and daring when it comes to boosting or buying technological talent.

"We are 20 people at Gogoa, we don't lose money, but even so, they don't invest in us. We are a technological reference, but from a market point of view, we lack commercial potential," added Fernández. Juan Gutiérrez, CTO of Agrolinera, agreed: "The appetite for risk is greater in the United States; in Europe there is a certain risk aversion."

Development aid, but insufficient for scaling

There is no shortage of aid for creating technology companies or developing innovative products. Funds like those from CDTI or ICEX support allow, according to Nicolás Moreno, "to set up a leading company in Spain." Programs like that of the Madrid+D Foundation, in collaboration with the Single Window for Internationalization, brought 20 Madrid-based companies to VivaTech, coinciding with others supported by regional initiatives such as Acció from Catalonia. Jesús Rojo González, head of European Programs at Madrid+D, explained that they offer training, coaching, internationalization, and advice to access community aid like Horizon Europe.

However, the question remains: is this enough to boost the European ecosystem? Everything adds up, but the big problem lies in scaling after development. Funding rounds are small compared to the United States, and investors' risk appetite seems to play on a different stage. The latest edition of VivaTech has shown Europe's technological strength, but also its shortcomings, greater in the commercial area than in the scientific one. A period of reflection and necessary debate opens to deepen technological sovereignty: can European entrepreneurship attract the necessary interest to capture large investments?

At ForgeNEX, we believe the key lies in combining talent with virtualization and automation strategies that optimize resources, as well as adopting AI-ready infrastructures that allow efficient scaling. Advanced home automation and AI code review are just a few examples of how technology can boost productivity. But without adequate funding, European talent risks remaining just promises.

Original source: ComputerWorld. Analysis and adaptation by ForgeNEX.