European Solidarity in Startups and Tech at VivaTech

What happened at VivaTech?

The 2025 edition of VivaTech, held in Paris from June 14 to 17, was marked by a strong spirit of European solidarity. According to a report by Sifted, numerous founders, investors, and institutional representatives agreed that 'no one will do it alone' and that cross-border collaboration is the only way for Europe to compete globally in technology. Several concrete initiatives were announced: a €500 million pan-European co-investment fund led by the European Investment Bank (EIB), a shared talent platform called 'EuroTalent Hub' connecting startups with professionals across the continent, and mobility agreements for entrepreneurs that facilitate visas and work permits between member countries. Additionally, an 'innovation passport' was launched, allowing startups to register once and operate in all EU states, reducing bureaucracy. A relevant fact: according to Sifted, more than 200 startups from 30 European countries participated in the summit, a historic record.

Why is this important?

Historically, the European tech ecosystem has been fragmented by language, regulatory, and funding barriers. While Silicon Valley and China have huge, homogeneous domestic markets (the US with 330 million consumers and China with 1.4 billion), Europe has 27 distinct national markets, with 24 official languages and divergent regulations. This fragmentation has been costly: according to a 2024 Atomico report, Europe invests only 40% of what the US invests per capita in startups, and the brain drain to North America remains a problem, with 15% of successful European founders moving to the US. This movement at VivaTech represents a mindset shift: from competition between national ecosystems (like the classic 'France vs. Germany' in deep tech) to strategic cooperation. As an investor cited by Sifted notes, 'if we don't collaborate, we will continue to lose talent and companies to the US.' The geopolitical context is also key: with the growing tech rivalry between Washington and Beijing, Europe seeks to assert its digital sovereignty. The initiative recalls previous projects like the Horizon Europe program (€95.5 billion for R&D), but now with a more specific focus on startups.

Consequences for the ecosystem

In the short term, these initiatives could facilitate the expansion of European startups within the continent, reduce brain drain, and attract more institutional investment. For example, the co-investment fund could leverage private capital by a factor of 3x, according to EIB estimates. The shared talent platform has already registered 5,000 professionals in its first week, according to Sifted data. In the long term, greater integration could give rise to European tech champions capable of competing with Google or Alibaba. However, challenges remain: the implementation of harmonized policies clashes with resistance from national interests (e.g., France and Germany have different tax models for stock options). Additionally, the culture of risk-sharing remains weak: in Europe, venture capital represents only 0.2% of GDP, compared to 0.8% in the US. A historical precedent is the Galileo satellite navigation program, which took over a decade to unify member countries. Nevertheless, the atmosphere at VivaTech was optimistic: according to a survey among attendees cited by Sifted, 78% believe these measures will have a significant impact in the next three years.

What readers should know

The key message is that European solidarity in technology is not just rhetoric but translates into concrete actions. Entrepreneurs should actively seek partners in other European countries and leverage the new funding and talent mechanisms. For example, the EuroTalent Hub platform is already operational at eurotalent.eu. Investors, for their part, have the opportunity to diversify their portfolios at a pan-European level, accessing startups in sectors like AI, climate, and health that were previously out of reach. For the end user, this means more innovation and better products born in Europe, such as alternatives to US platforms in mobility (BlaBlaCar), payments (Klarna), or cloud (OVHcloud). However, a warning remains: bureaucracy and lack of coordination could dilute the impact. As one founder stated at VivaTech: 'We cannot afford to compete among ourselves when the real challenge is global.' The key will be execution.

As one founder stated at VivaTech: 'We cannot afford to compete among ourselves when the real challenge is global.'