VivaTech has long been known as Europe’s leading tech and startup trade show. And yet 2026 was a special year: Germany was the event’s official “Country of the Year,” and VivaTech also celebrated its 10th anniversary. This combination gave the German innovation scene in Paris—including the MediaTech Hub Potsdam and startups from our ecosystem—special visibility in Paris over the course of four days.

Germany Takes Center Stage at VivaTech 2026

A key reason for the German delegation’s appeal was the impressive representation of the tech scene under the umbrella of Startup Germany—both visually and thematically. The combined presence of numerous industries, ranging from MediaTech to Finance to MedTech, as well as the momentum generated by startups, hubs, networks, and partners, demonstrated just how diverse and interconnected the German innovation ecosystem has become.

We would like to take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to the de:hub initiative, which, together with many partners, made this visibility possible and once again highlighted the importance of coordinated ecosystem efforts on the international stage.

The MediaTech Hub Potsdam in Paris

The MediaTech Hub Potsdam was represented in Paris alongside other digital hubs from the nationwide network and startup teams from the MTH Accelerator. Among those in attendance were: Gretchen AI, EINBLIQ.IO, kisszu, and Graphrs.

For us, VivaTech was once again this year, above all, a place for exchange. Where else could that happen better? With around 14,000 startups, 4,000 investors, and 5,000 speakers, we had more than enough people to talk to.

Naturally, VivaTech also features a wealth of panels, pitches, demos, and networking events. Artificial intelligence remained the dominant cross-cutting theme this year. The focus was less on visions of the future and much more on concrete applications, integration into existing processes, and scaling.

We especially remember the delegation’s visit to the famous Station F, an evening event at the Klein Wenner law firm, and Startup Germany Night. At the latter event in particular, we could really feel the passion with which founders and key players from Germany are driving the digital transformation beyond their country’s borders.

We’ll be back!

We’re taking many conversations, new contacts, and fresh ideas back with us to Potsdam—and, above all, the confirmation that Brandenburg and Babelsberg, with their startups and innovation leaders, are part of a pan-European trend that prioritizes a culture of real-world application over tech utopias.

Thank you, Paris—we’d love to come back!

Photo-Credits (Startup Germany Night): Inshorefilms