New Caledonia showcased its growing innovation and technology sector during its fourth participation in Viva Technology 2026, Europe's largest startup and innovation event, held in Paris from June 17 to 20.
The New Caledonian delegation brought together eight startups and 16 institutional and private-sector partners under the New Caledonia Pavilion, which was designed to promote the territory's technological capabilities, investment potential and entrepreneurial ecosystem to a global audience.
Organizers expanded the pavilion's footprint from 50 square metres to 70.5 square metres for the 2026 edition, allowing the creation of dedicated spaces for startups and businesses, as well as a new area focused on promoting New Caledonia's attractiveness to investors, partners and international stakeholders.
The 2026 delegation also broadened participation criteria to include seed-stage and acceleration startups alongside established companies developing innovative technology products through intrapreneurship initiatives.
Officials said the participation aimed to strengthen New Caledonia's international profile, support emerging industries, create business opportunities and foster partnerships with investors and innovation ecosystems worldwide.
The startup delegation featured Firetracking, a software platform designed to detect wildfire outbreaks; Testeum, a participatory testing platform; Watom, a developer of digital serious games; Ops Insight, an artificial intelligence-based aerospace compliance platform; Spirit, a payment solution for French Pacific territories; Santeo, a health education and prevention platform; So'Bloo, an AI-powered business management solution; and Digibar, a digital management platform for bar associations.
The delegation was supported by 16 partners from the public and private sectors, including government agencies, business organizations, financial institutions and tourism promotion bodies.
Several New Caledonian startups participated in presentations and networking activities during the event. Prior to the official opening of VivaTech, Firetracking and Testeum delivered pitches at the booth of TotalEnergies, highlighting their innovations in safety, environmental monitoring and technology testing.
On June 18, delegation members joined the "French Tech Connect Overseas & Indian Ocean" side event, which brought together startups, investors, corporations and innovation partners from French overseas territories and the Indian Ocean region. The event provided opportunities to strengthen partnerships, expand networks and explore funding prospects.
The delegation also took part in the VivaTech 2026 international pitch competition on June 20 and participated in a session promoting New Caledonia's investment and business opportunities at the stand of Business France.
Officials said the territory's participation reflected ongoing efforts to develop New Caledonia's technology ecosystem, attract international investment and position the Pacific territory as an emerging innovation hub.
