Deadline Date: March 23, 2026
The we are_ Startup Challenge is an initiative designed to accelerate innovation and scalability within French creative industries by supporting startups that are transforming how culture is created, distributed, and experienced.
The challenge focuses on accelerating the evolution of cultural, creative and digital industries by empowering creators, reinventing content distribution, enhancing audience engagement, and transforming business models through technology. It welcomes solutions that rely on AI, immersive experiences or digital platforms, and requires projects to demonstrate a functional MVP, strong user experience, and the ability to integrate easily into existing cultural and creative ecosystems. Selection criteria include being a French-based startup from early-stage to growth or scale-up with a clear ambition to scale; being incorporated less than 8 years ago with fewer than 100 employees; presenting a clear value proposition that addresses real needs in cultural, creative and digital industries; demonstrating positive and measurable economic, social and/or environmental impact; showing strong potential for scalability, international reach, export or cultural influence; and having a strong and committed team with complementary skills and relevant experience.
The challenge is led by we_are, a growing community of 1,600 members who believe in the power of French Creative Industries. This community brings together decision makers, corporate leaders, venture capitalists, startups, and artists, all united by the ambition to build bridges between industries such as music, cinema, fashion, luxury, tech, live entertainment, and video games.
Its broader mission is to evolve French Creative Industries and promote them both in France and on the international stage. By encouraging collaboration across sectors, the initiative seeks to strengthen connections between traditional creative fields and emerging technologies.
Innovation in the creative industries is transforming the way art is created, consumed, and shared. Through the integration of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and digital platforms, artistic expression is being reinvented while new business models are emerging.
This fusion of tradition and technology opens new opportunities for creators, making culture more accessible and interactive while redefining how audiences engage with content. The Startup Challenge aims to identify and support solutions that can meaningfully contribute to this transformation and scale within existing cultural and creative ecosystems.
For more information, visit VivaTech.
