HAPTICORE at VIVA Technology 2021

22. June 2021/Daniel Panek

XeelTech presents revolutionary haptic technology at Europe’s largest tech & start-up event

“Finally, a tech show you have to wear shoes for” – With this message, Viva Technology welcomed its visitors last week to the fifth edition of the largest trade fair for technology and start-ups in Europe. After months of virtual trade shows and canceled events, the Porte de Versailles in Pairs opened its doors to one of the first significant events of the year. In addition to global players such as Huawei, Microsoft, Renault, and Intel, we did not miss the chance to present our latest innovations to a worldwide audience.

“After the CES in Las Vegas in January still had to take place purely virtually, the opportunity to be able to present our latest innovation in person again to a broad audience was exhilarating. Our HAPTICORE technology for fully programmable haptic feedback is something that has never been seen before and has to be experienced firsthand. Therefore, events like Viva Technology are highly interesting for us,” says XeelTech COO Philipp Sachs.

VivaTech – the hybrid concept as a prime example for events in the new normal

Viva Technology welcomed 140,000 visitors from June 16 to 19, 26,000 of them in Paris, and another 114,000 participants via an online platform. With great social media engagement, the event reached more than 119 million people in 149 countries and generated 1.7 billion views. During these four days, visitors were able to marvel at more than 500 exceptional innovations, 1,400 exhibitors (60% of which were physical exhibitors), and 400 speakers from around the world, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

“The concept of the hybrid event – both physical on-site and virtual, shows how events can be held in the age of Corona with minimal risk. Every exhibitor and visitor on site had to present a negative Covid test upon entry, strictly controlled masks were mandatory throughout the show floor, and the nearest disinfection dispenser was never far away. In addition, the strong virtual component enabled us to reach people who could not make it to Paris. Be it because of the virus or for other reasons. So I think this concept will become a standard format in the next few years,” says Sachs.

XeelTech’s virtual pitch on the Viva Technology online platform allowed visitors not just in Paris but from all across the world to get an introduction to the revolutionary HAPTICORE technology.

The Viva Tech Team is also highly pleased with the outcome of this new event format. “We have reinvented ourselves and redefined the codes of Europe’s biggest tech and innovation event. We are particularly touched by the enthusiastic response from all the participants – it was so good to be together, at last. This new format further strengthens VivaTech for the years to come. We also salute the hard work of all the teams and thank our partners for their continued support,” said VivaTech’s General Manager Julie Ranty with Co-Directors Maurice Lévy and Pierre Louette.

More than just a chance to attract new customers

The goal of Viva Technology is to bring together start-ups and large companies to create the innovations of tomorrow and create and strengthen relationships between companies.

“Of course, Viva Technology provides an excellent platform to meet new customers. We are pleased about our new contacts and look forward to the projects that will arise from them. At least as valuable is the opportunity to exchange ideas with companies from all over the world. These exchanges create networks that will be valuable for us for years to come. Especially here, the French are one step ahead of us. Through their powerful start-up network, they organized several joint booths from different start-up organizations. We have many innovative companies in Austria but are rarely so strongly represented at events like these. I would like us to learn from our colleagues in France and generate more presence for Austrian companies at such key events,” Sachs said.

French President Emmanuel Macron at VivaTech in an opening-day discussion about European scaleups with CEOs, founders, and thought leaders.

The event has also proven itself as an exchange platform to discuss the responsibilities and opportunities for technology in Europe and the world and for discourse to strengthen the competitive position of the European market. Across many sessions, Heads of State, European ministers, and business leaders discussed how to scale up the European start-ups and technology to global competitiveness.

Start of series production in summer 2021

“Viva Technology again confirmed that there is no direct competitor product to HAPTICORE and the enthusiasm it creates for its applications as a stand-alone control element or as an innovative complementary solution to the touchscreen. Demand for our product is correspondingly high in a wide range of industries,” reports Sachs. Production will start this summer in Upper Austria. “We have already been able to win two customers from highly innovative industries for our technology. Now we are pleased to be able to start series production in a few weeks. However, this is just the beginning; in the long term, we want to establish our haptic sensation in a wide variety of industries – from cars to industry to gaming,” says Sachs.