At VivaTech 2026 in Paris, five prestigious startup competitions once again took center stage, honoring visionary founders and groundbreaking technologies. TechCrunch proudly partnered on the Innovation of the Year Award, recognizing the year’s most disruptive, creative, and promising startup
This year, Hodor earned top honors as Innovation of the Year and will travel to San Francisco this October to compete in the Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Joining Hodor will be People’s Choice winner Alithea, whose audience-selected victory also secured a coveted Startup Battlefield spot
This year’s landmark 10th edition of VivaTech welcomed:
- 200,000 visitors.
- 165 nationalities.
- 60 country pavilions.
- 15,000+ startups.
- 1,155+ speakers.
- 5 billion cumulative social media audience.
Innovation of the Year
TechCrunch’s spotlight award went to Hodor, recognized as VivaTech’s most innovative startup of 2026. As part of its prize, Hodor earned the opportunity to showcase its technology on one of the world’s biggest startup stages — Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco this October
Tech for Change Award
Recognizing startups using technology to solve meaningful global challenges, the Tech for Change Award honored Alithea Biotechnology for its impactful innovation. Alithea also captured the audience’s vote as this year’s People’s Choice winner, earning its own invitation to compete in Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 this October
AfricaTech Award
Celebrating Africa’s thriving innovation ecosystem, the AfricaTech Award recognized Surgia for its groundbreaking work and entrepreneurial leadership. Surgia’s mission is to become a unified supply chain tool for a growing number of African countries, with expansions planned for Kenya and Ethiopia
Next Startupper Award
The Next Startupper Award honored AssisTech Smart Shower for its entrepreneurial vision and commitment to solving real-world problems through innovation
Female Founder Award
Championing women entrepreneurs shaping the future of technology, the Female Founder Award recognized Endolith founder and CEO Liz Dennett for her leadership and groundbreaking innovation. Endolith might be familiar to Startup Battlefield fans, as the company’s mission to tackle the world’s copper shortage through microbes led it to a placement in the 2024 competition
From Paris to San Francisco
As part of the Innovation of the Year partnership, TechCrunch and VivaTech will welcome Hodor and Alithea to participate in Startup Battlefield 200 at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco this October, where they’ll join some of the world’s most promising startups competing on a global stage
From AI to deep tech to health, sustainability, and biotech, TechCrunch and VivaTech once again joined forces to spotlight the founders shaping what’s next
Together, Europe’s premier startup event and the global authority on startup ecosystems created a launchpad for breakthrough companies, connecting them with investors, customers, and the visibility needed to accelerate their growth
As VivaTech celebrated its 10th anniversary, the partnership underscored a shared commitment to discovering and elevating the next generation of world-changing startups
