GuideXpress has been selected directly by the Italian Trade Agency / Agenzia ICE to take part in VivaTech 2026, one of Europe’s most important events dedicated to startups, technology, and innovation, scheduled to take place in Paris from June 17 to 20, 2026, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
The selection represents a significant achievement: according to the startup, more than 90 innovative companies applied, and only 44 startups were chosen to be part of the Italian Pavilion. This figure is also confirmed by VivaTech’s official page dedicated to ITA, which indicates the presence of 44 innovative Italian startups within the Italian Pavilion.
For GuideXpress, this is an even more special milestone: it is the first time that a startup from Valle d’Aosta has been selected to participate in VivaTech as part of the Italian collective organized by the Italian Trade Agency.
VivaTech, short for Viva Technology, is considered the largest European event dedicated to startups and technology. Every year, it brings together startups, investors, major companies, institutions, media, and innovation leaders in Paris to present the most promising solutions in artificial intelligence, sustainability, mobility, tourism, digital transformation, and emerging technologies.
The 2026 edition will mark the event’s 10th anniversary and will take place over four days, from June 17 to 20. According to I3P, the 2025 edition recorded over 180,000 visitors, 14,000 startups, and 3,600 investors — numbers that clearly show the international scale of the event.
Being present at VivaTech means connecting with one of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems in the world. For a startup, it is not just a showcase: it is a concrete opportunity to meet investors, industrial partners, public institutions, potential clients, and international operators.
For GuideXpress, participation is particularly strategic because the startup offers a scalable and international solution: a platform that uses GPS and artificial intelligence to transform every place into a personalized, multilingual, automatic audio narrative. It is an idea that responds to an increasingly central challenge for cities, tourist destinations, and cultural institutions: making tourism more conscious, less superficial, and more connected to the history and identity of territories.
GuideXpress was born with a clear vision: to go beyond the traditional model of the tourist guide and create a new intelligent narrative layer that activates while people experience the city.
In an increasingly fast-paced form of tourism, where places often become mere backdrops for photos and videos, GuideXpress aims to bring stories, historic shops, social fabric, and territorial identity back to the center of the travel experience. Its promise is simple yet powerful: you walk, and the city tells its story.
The selection by the Italian Trade Agency for VivaTech 2026 therefore represents an important recognition not only for the startup, but also for Valle d’Aosta’s innovation ecosystem. Bringing a company born in Valle d’Aosta onto an international stage such as VivaTech shows that even smaller territories can generate technological projects capable of speaking to the global market.
GuideXpress’s presence in Paris will be an opportunity to present a new idea of tourism: no longer just visiting, quick consumption, and social media content, but a conscious, accessible, and personalized experience.
At a time when many European cities are questioning overtourism, visitor flow management, and the enhancement of cultural heritage, solutions like GuideXpress can offer a concrete contribution: helping visitors truly understand the places they pass through.
The selection for VivaTech 2026 therefore marks an important step in the startup’s journey: from Valle d’Aosta to the heart of European innovation, with the goal of helping people listen to what contemporary tourism often forgets — the authentic voice of places.
