Day 1 of Viva Technology 2025 in Paris was buzzing with innovation, investment and international attention — and Houston was at the center of it all.
In a first for the conference, Houston became the inaugural city to participate in the planning and design of VivaTech, the largest technology and innovation summit in Europe. More than 165,000 attendees from across the globe descended on the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles where Rice University and the Greater Houston Partnership co-led a delegation aimed at showcasing Houston’s dynamic startup ecosystem and global reach.
“It’s a remarkable moment where Rice shows the world that we are an entrepreneurial-, science- and engineering-based tech accelerator,” said Caroline Levander, Rice’s vice president for global strategy.
Throughout the day, the Houston booth saw a constant stream of visitors with Rice-affiliated entrepreneurs introducing their ventures to global investors, corporate partners and foreign dignitaries.
“I’m most excited about the conversations that are happening today and where they lead, more money for our startups, more connectivity for Rice in the Europe space, more visibility for Rice and Houston in Europe,” Levander said.
The booth drew attention from high-profile visitors, including NASA acting administrator Vanessa Wyche, who met with the team during a midday walkthrough. French President Emmanuel also Macron visited the conference and toured the floor.
“To greet the president of France at VivaTech, representing Rice and Houston, was an important moment for our city and the university,” Levander said.
The delegation’s meetings stretched across Paris and included some of the country’s top institutions including MEDEF and TotalEnergies.
“They see Houston as one of the cities of the future, and they’re backing that up with their resources and attention,” said John Cypher, GHP’s vice president of international investment and trade. “We saw a lot of potential for partnerships that could bring more international startups to Houston and connect founders to new European markets.”
VivaTech provided a prime opportunity to promote Houston not just as a global city but as a destination for innovation and investment.
“What we’ve seen right now is that we’re able to collide with so many different companies, so many different institutions, ministers from France, ministers from other countries,” Cypher said. “It’s been a great way to promote Houston and also attract a lot of business to Houston.”
The trade mission marks a major milestone for both the university and the city. For Rice, which opened the Rice Global Paris Center in 2022, it’s a chance to demonstrate how its research and entrepreneurship strategy intersects with international markets. For Houston, it’s a statement that the city’s innovation economy is ready to lead on a global stage.
As VivaTech continues, the Houston delegation will participate in high-level meetings with business leaders and public institutions across France, advancing the partnerships and momentum sparked on Day 1.