The VivaTech Innovation of the Year acknowledges and celebrates exhibiting startups at VivaTech 2026 that showcase outstanding innovation, advanced technological capabilities, and significant potential to revolutionize their respective industry.
TechCrunch will curate a shortlist of the top 30 candidates, appoint a jury member to help select the final top 5, and participate on stage at VivaTech on June 17 alongside the full jury during the final award presentation.
Five finalists will have the opportunity to pitch on the VivaTech stage on June 17, gain introductions to venture capitalists, enjoy exclusive networking with jury members and achieve high visibility across VivaTech marketing channels.
On June 19, TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield Director Isabelle Johannessen will serve as the master of ceremony at the VivaTech Startup Prizes, where the winners will be announced.
The VivaTech Innovation of the Year winner will also secure a place in the highly competitive Start Up Battlefield 200, with potential eligibility to present at TechCrunch Disrupt, held in San Francisco, CA in October 2026.
- Finalists’ Pitch Session at VivaTech – June 17
- VivaTech Startup Prizes – June 19
About VivaTech
VivaTech accelerates innovation by connecting startups, tech leaders, major companies and investors responding to our world’s biggest challenges.
Each year, over four exciting days in Paris, VivaTech creates Europe’s biggest technology and startup event, exploring the most disruptive topics in tech with world-premiere demos, launches and conferences in a collaborative ecosystem. This is where business meets innovation. Join us for our tenth edition of VivaTech 17-20 June 2026.
