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VivaTech 2026: Québec’s tech ecosystem makes its mark internationally

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A record delegation of more than 70 exhibiting Québec startups, ten announcements and strategic partnerships with Europe

MONTRÉAL, June 22, 2026 /CNW/ – In Paris, from June 17 to 20, 2026, Québec reached a new milestone at VivaTech, Europe’s largest technology event. For the first time, the Québec ecosystem had a space of its own: a 140 sqm booth with a clear, distinct identity, following a well-received presence within the Canadian pavilion in 2025. Led by Québec Tech and the Centre d’excellence en efficacité énergétique (C3E), the delegation of nearly 100 companies, 70 of them exhibitors, produced 10 major announcements and partnerships, a sign of the growing pull Québec’s tech ecosystem holds for European players.

Tangible outcomes for the delegation’s companies

As in the previous year, the Québec delegation led to a series of agreements and major announcements with European partners, on top of numerous visits from executives at large French corporations. Highlights include:

Reveal Life Science won first place in the OVHcloud Startup Challenge among 900 international candidates, confirming the influence of Québec expertise in precision health and artificial intelligence.Reveal Life Science and Bioeureka rank in the top 30 of VivaTech’s Tech for Change competition, which recognizes 30 innovations with strong social and environmental impact.RegenEAU inaugurated its French subsidiary, RegenEAU France, at MovNtec, a French industrial startup hub, bringing to life the France-Québec corridor initiated by the Béthune-Bruay agglomeration.Two Québec companies specializing in sustainable energy resource management, Phaneuf and Soteck-CLAUGER, signed an agreement with Session-Pro, a French leader in ice rink management.Planivore, a Québec SaaS platform for strategic plan tracking, announced its establishment in France in partnership with the City of Béthune.Akonovia and TBM Maestro formalized a partnership for an integrated approach to the sustainable performance of buildings and real estate assets.The European consortium LUMISENSE was officially launched at VivaTech. Driven notably by C3E, it turns autonomous connected objects into intelligent measurement hubs through indoor light-based geolocation, in service of the energy performance of buildings.ÉTS and Institut Polytechnique de Paris concluded a cooperation agreement in teaching, research and technological innovation.Zú, EuraCreative and Groupe IRD continued their partnership fostering exchanges between Québec and the Hauts-de-France region in the cultural and creative industries.Idem (Eugeria) unveiled, as a preview, a new light-guidance and fall-detection device for people living with a neurocognitive disorder.

“This year, Québec brought an exceptional delegation to VivaTech, and the calibre of its expertise drew real interest. Having our own space, separate from Canada’s, gave our companies far greater visibility and opened the door to high-level strategic business conversations. The exchanges with our European counterparts speak to a strong, mutual confidence. The full assessment is still underway, but the depth of these business connections already points to real, lasting results.”
           – Richard Chénier, General Manager, Québec Tech

A record delegation backed by an entire ecosystem

This record turnout rests on an exceptional show of support from across Québec’s ecosystem. The delegation brought together nearly 100 companies, 70 of them exhibitors, and 32 received substantial financial backing to make the trip to Paris. Conceived as a genuine business demonstration platform rather than a simple showcase, the Québec space gave tangible expression to the province’s international ambitions, France in particular.

Adding to this momentum, the Corridor Économique de la transition énergétique, driven by C3E with support from Québec Tech, connected startups, industrial players and regions to speed up the early commercialization and rollout of energy transition solutions. Programming on the Québec stage put the ecosystem’s core strengths front and centre: fintech, AI, deeptech and greentech.

Desjardins served as lead partner, joined by Station Fintech Montréal (an initiative by Finance Montréal), NEXT avocats, Idem (Eugeria) and École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS). The initiative also leaned on the expertise of key players in entrepreneurial support, including ACET, La Base entrepreneuriale, District 3, IVADO, Le Camp, Centech, Cycle Momentum, IVÉO, LOJIQ, La Piscine, Propolys, Quantino and Zú.

Lastly, Investissement Québec International and the Québec Government Office in Paris played a defining role in anchoring this presence within a coherent international strategy.

For the full list of the delegation’s exhibiting companies, click here.

Québec, a strategic partner on the global stage

More than a showcase, the mission served as a platform for influence, connection and strategic engagement. With this first space of its own, Québec signals its intent to play a defining role in the global tech arena and to build a sustainable, sovereign digital future alongside its European partners.

The press kit gathers photos from the event, the releases issued during the mission and full profiles of a selection of startups.

About Québec Tech

Québec Tech is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to economic development, funded in part by the Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie. It works to grow the number of Québec tech startups that succeed both at home and abroad, notably by encouraging the adoption of homegrown technologies and boosting exports. It builds connections between startups and established businesses, delivers tailored, growth-focused services and strengthens collective intelligence by sharing and analyzing data on Québec startups.

To learn more, visit Quebectech.com or LinkedIn.

SOURCE Québec Tech

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Emmy Winner Bob Odenkirk Lends His Name to Global Remember Me Thursday® Pet Adoption Campaign!

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RANCHO SANTA FE, Calif., Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In just over two weeks, the world’s largest global pet adoption awareness campaign will once again unite animal lovers across social media to shine a spotlight on homeless pets. Observed annually on the fourth Thursday in September, Remember Me Thursday® (RMT) brings together celebrities, animal welfare organizations, rescue groups, shelters, and advocates to become one powerful online voice for orphan pets awaiting loving homes. This year, Emmy Award-winning actor Bob Odenkirk, is lending his name to the cause.

Remember Me Thursday® is honored to welcome Odenkirk along with other acclaimed performers and lifelong animal advocates. Pet-lovers everywhere are invited to join the movement on Thursday, September 24, 2026, to raise awareness for shelter pets around the world.

Remember Me Thursday® was founded in 2013 by Helen Woodward Animal Center President and CEO Mike Arms. Moved by the heartbreaking reality that more than one million homeless pets lose their lives each year in U.S. shelters, Arms envisioned a worldwide movement that would unite animal welfare organizations behind one simple message: every orphan pet deserves a loving home.

Emmy Award-winning actor, writer, and comedian Bob Odenkirk is best known for his unforgettable portrayal of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, performances that earned multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice nominations. His career also includes co-creating HBO’s acclaimed Mr. Show with Bob and David, starring in films including The Post, Little Women, and Nobody, and directing several feature films.

In his personal life, Odenkirk has become a dedicated voice for shelter pets and disaster-relief efforts to benefit animals. His family has long adopted rescue animals, and he frequently credits his rescue dog, Olive, with bringing joy and comfort to their lives. He has supported Petco Love Stories by highlighting inspiring rescue success stories, partnered with Best Friends Animal Society during the Los Angeles wildfire response to help relocate displaced animals, and worked with The Dodo to promote the adoption of rescue dogs. This year, he joins the Remember Me Thursday® campaign.

Also new to the campaign this year, Remember Me Thursday® is proud to welcome Morgan Fairchild, Alan Tudyk, Scoot McNary, and Los Angeles Chargers Daiyan Henley, Omarion Hampton and Teair Tart, among others. (For the full list of 2026 luminaries, click on www.RememberMeThursday.org)

The 2026 celebrities join an extraordinary roster of actors, athletes, musicians, animal behaviorists, and social media personalities who have aligned themselves with Remember Me Thursday® since the campaign’s launch, including Alicia Silverstone (this year’s 2026 Featured Luminary), Andie MacDowell (2023 Official Spokesperson), Diane Keaton, Kristin Chenoweth (2017 Official Spokesperson), Rainey Qualley (2023 Official Spokesperson), Wynonna Judd (2018 Official Spokesperson), and many others.

Now entering its fourteenth year, Remember Me Thursday® has inspired participation in 180 countries, with more than 1,000 animal welfare organizations and hundreds of thousands of individuals holding candle-lighting ceremonies, and sharing adoption stories to promote pet adoption. The campaign has generated more than 2 billion social media impressions, while consistently trending across major social media platforms each year. 

Animal-lovers are invited to join the movement by posting a message about pet adoption on social media this Thursday, September 24th. Use the hashtag #RememberMeThursday and #ShineALight to connect with others honoring the important day.

For more information about Remember Me Thursday®, including a complete list of participating celebrities and organizations, visit www.remembermethursday.org.

For media inquiries regarding the U.S. West Coast Remember Me Thursday® event, contact: PR Manager Jessica Gercke at (858) 756-4117 x 335 or jessicag@animalcenter.org.

About Remember Me Thursday®

Animal lovers and organizations across the globe unite on the fourth Thursday in September to light a candle in remembrance of the millions of orphan pets who lost their lives without the benefit of a loving home and to shine a light via social media on the millions of orphan pets still waiting for their forever homes. The Remember Me Thursday® global awareness campaign is championed by Mike Arms, President of Helen Woodward Animal Center, and creator of both the International Pet Adoptathon and successful Home 4 The Holidays program which, in partnership with national animal organizations, has placed over 20 million pets in homes since 1999. For more information, please visit www.remembermethursday.org or via hashtags #RememberMeThursday and #ShineALight on social media.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/emmy-winner-bob-odenkirk-lends-his-name-to-global-remember-me-thursday-pet-adoption-campaign-302874283.html

SOURCE Helen Woodward Animal Center

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AT&T Elects Fazal F. Merchant to Board of Directors

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Key Takeaways:

Fazal F. Merchant joined the AT&T Board, effective Sept. 8.Merchant will serve on the Audit Committee and the Corporate Development and Finance Committee.

DALLAS, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AT&T (NYSE:T) elected Fazal F. Merchant to its board of directors, effective Sept. 8. He will serve on the Audit Committee and the Corporate Development and Finance Committee.

Merchant most recently served as President and Chief Financial Officer of Wiz, Inc. – a leading cloud and AI security company. He previously was Co-Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Tanium Inc.

“Fazal is a great addition to our board, bringing deep expertise across corporate development, finance and technology,” said John Stankey, AT&T Chairman and CEO. “Fazal’s experience scaling high-growth businesses and helping companies navigate periods of transformation will be invaluable as we continue to evolve, invest for growth, and create long-term value for our shareholders.”

Merchant previously held senior leadership roles at DreamWorks Animation and DIRECTV, including Chief Financial Officer of DIRECTV Latin America. During his tenure at both companies, he oversaw major strategic transactions. Earlier, he worked in investment banking at Barclays Capital and the Royal Bank of Scotland. He began his career at Ford Motor Company.

Merchant serves on the board of Warner Bros. Discovery and previously served on the boards of Ariel Investments, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. and Meritor, Inc. He also spent several years serving as a senior advisor to Sixth Street Partners.

Merchant holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from Indiana University.

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About AT&T
We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and neighbors, plus nearly 2.5 million businesses, connect to greater possibility. From the first phone call 150 years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.

© 2026 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/att-elects-fazal-f-merchant-to-board-of-directors-302874273.html

SOURCE AT&T

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Radiance Technologies Wins Position on $14B MSIC COMET Contract

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Employee-owned Huntsville contractor continues long-standing support of the Missile and Space Intelligence Center.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Radiance Technologies, a 100% employee-owned prime contractor, announced today that it has been selected as an awardee on the $14 billion Contract Operations for Missile Evaluation and Testing (COMET) Multi-Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) supporting the Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC).

“This win belongs to our employee-owners,” said Radiance Technologies CEO, Bill Bailey. “They built the technical intelligence expertise that got us here, and now they get to put it to work on a mission that’s right in our backyard. We’re excited to keep supporting MSIC and the vital work they do for the Warfighter.”

Under the contract, Radiance will provide research, development, and sustainment services for new and existing hardware, software, and systems that are foundational to military intelligence upon successful awarded contract.

COMET spans five mission task areas: foundational and technical intelligence analysis, foreign materiel exploitation, information technology operations, modeling and simulation, and business processes. It carries a 10-year period of performance, running from July 21, 2026, through January 1, 2037.

In addition to leading its own team, Radiance holds positions on two other winning COMET teams: one led by SAIC and one through its Radiance Ignite Technologies joint venture.

MSIC, part of the Defense Intelligence Agency, provides policymakers, homeland security and intelligence community organizations, weapons developers, and warfighters with intelligence assessments of foreign weapons systems. This includes. anti-tank guided missiles, ground-based air defense and missile defense systems, short-range and close-range ballistic missiles, and ground-based direct-ascent and directed-energy anti-satellite missile systems.

About Radiance Technologies:

Radiance Technologies is an employee-owned prime contractor founded in 1999 and headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama. Radiance has over 1200 employee-owners across the United States serving the Department of War, the national intelligence community, and other government agencies. From concepts to capabilities, Radiance leads the way in developing customer-focused solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, systems engineering, prototyping, and integration, as well as operational and strategic intelligence, including scientific and technical intelligence. For more information, please visit www.radiancetech.com.

Media Contact:

Julia Parrish
Director, Strategic Branding & Communications
julia.parrish@radiancetech.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/radiance-technologies-wins-position-on-14b-msic-comet-contract-302874291.html

SOURCE Radiance Technologies

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