Las Vegas, its casinos, its neon lights, its extravagances, its legendary evenings… It is in this setting which makes you want to do everything, except perhaps to work, that a hundred young French upstarts set out to attack from the “Sin City” strip. For the vast majority of them, the game will not be played around a blackjack table in one of the many hotels in Las Vegas, but at Eureka Park, the “Disneyland of startups”.
In this immense Venetian exhibition center, a total of 1,500 projects, defended by entrepreneurs from the four corners of the globe, will be presented. Consequently, you have to compete in ingenuity to succeed in the game. In Las Vegas, investors, distributors, corporates and other players who can prove very valuable in getting a company off the ground are crowding the aisles of CES. But you still have to succeed in arousing their curiosity to have the opportunity to do business with them.
In the United States, everything is business, but someone who gives you importance one day will not hesitate to abandon you for a profile that he considers better than yours the next day. It is therefore essential to carefully prepare your plan of attack and Frenchies must therefore be careful to adopt the codes of American business culture.
A great first for 80% of the French delegation
In detail, 100 French startups will take up residence at Eureka Park and around ten in the automotive pavilion at the Las Vegas Convention Center. In this continent, 80% of them will discover the excess of CES for the very first time. Three dominant sectors will be highlighted: health, greentech and mobility. All under the prism of artificial intelligence, which has now spread across all sectors of the global economy. The health sector alone represents a quarter of the startups present at the France Pavilion.
This sectoral approach, and no longer regional, seems more than logical to better catch the eye of visitors in the technological jungle of Las Vegas. “This year, we are innovating with a reorganization of our France Pavilion according to a sectoral logic for better identification of companies. Finally, we are focusing on some of the most promising sectors in which France is very efficient and recognized, in particular greentech and healthtech”rejoices Didier Boulogne, deputy general manager in charge of export at Business France.
Collective meetings with major clients
Once again, the government agency, which works for the development of French companies internationally, is at the helm to bring together the 12 regions that bring startups to Nevada and allow them to take maximum advantage of the opportunities. of the CES. In this context, Business France has set up a program to prepare them in advance, so as to put them in the best conditions to shine on the Las Vegas Strip.
The French participants at the American show were thus able to benefit from coaching sessions on fundraising, the art of pitching, understanding the specificities of the American market or even post-CES industrialization, as well as workshops focused on media, public relations, transport and logistics. At CES, having the best product is not enough: you have to know how to highlight it by developing well-crafted storytelling around the innovation presented. After all, who doesn't like stories that make you dream?
During the show, Business France will also play the role of facilitator to facilitate connections with players from around the world. Collective meetings with major clients, such as BMW Group, Mitsubishi Electric, Sony Innovation Fund and General Motors, are even planned. “For Business France, this CES represents a unique opportunity to anchor our primary mission: to promote the excellence of our technological ecosystem and open the doors to the international market”estimates Didier Boulogne. On average, the show generates 120 useful contacts for each startup that participates, but 40 to 50 really prove decisive upon arrival. And among these relevant contacts, some can open doors to fill the order book.
A new South Korean wave expected in Las Vegas
Once again, the French delegation will hunt in packs at Eureka Park. But the red rooster will have a lot to do to counter the South Korean tsunami which should once again sweep through Las Vegas. And for good reason, 1,031 companies, including obviously giants like Samsung and LG, will make the trip, compared to 772 last year. Among them, there will be 641 startups to defend the colors of South Korea.
The French will therefore have to show ingenuity and creativity to attract the attention of visitors. With 110 startups, the French delegation is a little smaller than in 2024 (135), but it nonetheless remains one of the largest at the show outside the United States. Of course, Maddyness will meet them at Eureka Park.
In any case, the years which preceded the Covid-19 pandemic, with more than 300 French startups sent to Las Vegas in 2018 and 2019, now seem a long way away. Just like Emmanuel Macron's memorable evening in January 2016 and the love story between the President of the Republic and French entrepreneurs. At a time when French tech remains on guard, against a backdrop of difficulties in raising funds and increasing bankruptcies, the French startups selected to make French Tech shine in Las Vegas will nevertheless have to display a conquering face to attract potential customers and investors who could change their destiny.
