From May 22nd (Wednesday) to May 25th (Saturday), 2024, CHITOSE Group exhibited as one of Japan’s leading startups at the prestigious VIVA TECHNOLOGY 2024 event in Paris, France. Representing CHITOSE were Chief Financial Officer Masayuki Imai, General Manager Masahiro Goda, Senior Manager Kuzo Katsuyama, and Manager Aiko Hayashi.

VIVA TECHNOLOGY is a world-class tech event held in Paris, France, that brings together companies from around the globe showcasing cutting-edge technologies in AI, sustainability, deep tech, and blockchain. Each year, the exhibit features speeches by the French President and CEOs of the world’s top companies. It also attracts numerous European and American institutional investors and venture capitalists. This year’s event was a vibrant hub of activity, drawing around 165,000 attendees, over 13,500 startups, and more than 2,000 investors. In this dynamic setting, CHITOSE Group showcased the MATSURI project, which aims to build a microalgae-based industry as a sustainable alternative to the petroleum industry.

Named as the Country of the Year 2024, Japan captured considerable attention, significantly increasing the flow of visitors to the booths of Japanese companies, leading to approximately 300 guests per day visiting the CHITOSE Group booth. Taking the opportunity to deliver a pitch on the main stage, Senior Manager Kuzo Katsuyama introduced CHITOSE and MATSURI, outlining the plans for future global development.

Moreover, Kyuzo Katsuyama had the pleasure of exchanging greetings with Mr. Kazuchika Iwata, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Mr. Kozo Saeki, Director of the Brussels Office of JETRO (former Director of the Biochemical Industry Division of the METI), who attended the Japan Nights, a networking event held on the eve of the exhibition. 

Through participation in VIVA TECHNOLOGY 2024, CHITOSE was able to connect with major companies in the cosmetics, aviation, and food industries, as well as financial institutions, not only in France but also across Europe and the United States. To discuss further collaboration, we visited the head offices of some of these companies during the exhibition. We will continue to promote the potential of algae and other biotechnologies to the world by fostering new connections and incorporating feedback from attendees.

Event Overview
Event name: VIVA TECHNOLOGY 2024
Date and time: May 22nd (Wed) – 25th (Sat), 2024, 9:00-18:00
Organized by: “Les Echos” French economic newspaper /  “Publicis” French advertising agency
Venue: Paris Expo Porte de Versailles Hall 1

Related information
[News] Members of the Embassy of France in Japan Visit the CHITOSE Microalgae Lab
[External] Viva Technology: 2024 Edition
[External] JETRO “Viva Technology 2024”