How Québec startups turned VivaTech into a foothold in Europe

Draft & Goal, a Montréal company building AI-driven workflows and agentic systems for large businesses, arrived with Europe already in its sights. Co-founder and chief executive Nabil Tayeb said the surprise was how quickly the company’s pitch changed once it started talking to potential customers. European enterprise executives did not ask about the science behind AI. They wanted to know what it could do for their business, where it had been deployed, and what results it produced. That pushed Draft & Goal to focus on ready-to-use applications tied to specific business problems, clear returns, and faster deployment. Governance and safety also moved to the front of the conversation, with buyers asking about control, auditability, data protection, and responsible deployment. Tayeb said the company’s SOC 2, ISO 27001, and ISO 42001 certifications helped. “We have just set up shop in France now, and we are going to expand in Germany this fall,” he said. (For context on how AI agents are being deployed in enterprise, see OpenAI Rolls Out ChatGPT Work Agent for Complex Tasks.)

Reveal Life Science, a Montréal company developing an AI-powered surgical probe that uses light-based imaging to help surgeons identify cancerous tissue in real time, took first place in the OVHcloud Startup Challenge at VivaTech, beating 900 international candidates. The company also placed in the top 30 of the fair’s own Tech for Change competition. Co-founder Alexandre Triquet said the win helped open doors to selling to hospitals across Europe and connected Reveal with IRCAD, a prestigious R&D and training centre for surgeons in Strasbourg. “Several relationships initiated during the event are already evolving into concrete discussions that could accelerate our international growth,” Triquet said.

Tastet, a Montréal-based dining platform that relies on local experts to spotlight a city’s best places to eat, tested whether its model of personalization, AI, and human curation could travel beyond Canada. Founder Elise Tastet said Europeans quickly understood the platform’s range. “What Paris confirmed is that this approach resonates everywhere,” she said. The company left VivaTech with discussions underway in Rome, Milan, and Athens.

“What we’re seeing is Québec companies arriving in Europe with mature technologies and a clear commercial ambition,” said Richard Chénier, CEO of Québec Tech. “Our role is to help create the connections that turn those conversations into long-term business opportunities.”