Demo Day 2025

On June 2, the Hélène Keller Garden in Paris hosted the very first Demo Day of the Louis Braille Campus.

With over 200 participants, 17 participating startups, and 8 passionate speakers, everyone came together with a shared goal: to advance inclusive innovation for people with visual impairments.

Throughout the day, the discussions were insightful, the demonstrations inspiring, and the interactions numerous, highlighting high-impact social projects led by dedicated entrepreneurs, organizations, and partners.

The participating startups

Demo Day provided an opportunity for several startups and organizations—whether incubated by or closely associated with the Campus Louis Braille ecosystem—to present their practical solutions for promoting independence, accessibility, and mobility:

• Artha
• EMVI
• Ezymob with Connect
• Feelobject with Virtuoz
• GiveVision
• GoSense with Rango
• IEyes with ICane
• IMDV with Ouicanne
• Eyes, as told by La Bavarde
• SeedGrowth with Navilens and Biped
• SonarVision

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Exhibitors dedicated to inclusive design and accessibility were also on hand to enrich the discussions:

• Dot Inc.
• Audio Description Portal - Ministry of Culture
• Reflextime Company
• Tactile Studio
• VILT and OpenText
• Vision vs. Reality

Speakers

The event, organized and introduced by Thibaut de Martimprey, Director of the Louis Braille Campus, was moderated by Mr. Anthony Drevet and featured several inspiring speakers:

• Ms. Chahra Louafi, Fund Manager at BPI
• Mr. Antoine Michel, Investir & Plus
• Ms. Lorraine De Varax, Tactile Studio
• Mr. Mergel Takam, Dot Inc.
• Mr. Christian Monjou, Speaker

The discussion was followed by a screening of a video filmed at the SightCity trade show by the Vision Réalité team, and concluded with remarks by Mr. Sylvain Nivard, President of the Valentin Haüy Association.

Partners in attendance

A big thank you to the Campus partners who support these initiatives and make these events possible:
, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Fondation Malakoff Humanis Handicap, Wavestone, VILT, Tactile Studio, and Dot Inc.

We would also like to thank Xavier Musca, President of the Louis Braille Campus, for joining us on this special day.

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Positive press coverage

Demo Day attracted significant media attention, which helped shine a spotlight on the startups and their practical innovations. The media highlighted the quality of the projects presented and the impact they can have on the daily lives of people with visual impairments.

Acuité, in particular, reported on the atmosphere of the day and the participants’ enthusiasm:

“The lawn and walkways were packed with people. Dozens of visually impaired and blind people from all over France had the opportunity to try out the innovations developed by the Louis Braille Institute” (Acuité).

In a second section, the publication highlighted several key innovations:

‍Rango, the smart device that turns a white cane into a connected assistant; Icane, a connected cane equipped with a voice assistant and safety features; and Virtuoz, a 3D tactile and audio model. These practical solutions have been praised for their ability to enhance users’ independence (Acuité).

France 24 highlighted the national significance of Demo Day, noting that “17 startups are developing innovative solutions for the two million blind and visually impaired people in France” (France 24), thereby underscoring the importance of these initiatives within the French tech ecosystem.

L’Express highlighted the role of artificial intelligence in certain solutions, quoting Robin Le Gal, co-founder of Ezymob:

“We’ve incorporated an AI algorithm that will analyze the image and identify key transportation infrastructure such as turnstiles, doors, and seats” (L’Express).

This technology enhances the daily experience of users of Connect, an app that provides guidance for public transportation.

Finally, Acuité – Profession has reintegrated Demo Day into the overall strategy of the Louis Braille Campus, highlighting its role as a European hub for inclusive innovation and its goal of making expensive assistive devices accessible by securing their recognition as reimbursable medical devices (Acuité).

In this way, the media helped highlight not only the event itself, but above all the participating startups and their practical solutions, demonstrating how Demo Day serves as a true springboard for inclusive innovation.

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What happens next?

This first Demo Day marks a turning point: the emergence of a collective momentum focused on action and collaboration. The next major event has already been scheduled: the celebration of the Louis Braille Campus’s second anniversary on November 14, 2025. This milestone will cement the Campus’s position as a key player in inclusive innovation.