Rules - Startup Challenge

 Reinventing Customer Experience with Agentic AI

(the “Challenge”)

 

CHALLENGE RULES

(the “Rules”)

 

This Challenge sponsored by KPMG S.A., société anonyme d’expertise comptable et de commissariat aux comptes, au capital de 5 497 100 euros, dont le siège social est situé à la tour EQHO, 2 Avenue Gambetta CS60055 92066 PARIS LA DEFENSE, immatriculée au Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés de Nanterre, sous le numéro 775 726 417 RCS Nanterre, représentée par Albane Liger-Belair, en sa qualité de Directrice Associée Innovation • Innovation, dûment habilité/e aux fins des présentes, (the “Partner”).

The Challenge is published on the VivaTech website. 

The aim of these Rules is to set out the terms and conditions governing your participation in the Challenge. By participating in this Challenge, you fully and unconditionally agree to comply with these Rules.  If you do not agree with any of these Rules, do not register for this Challenge and do not submit an entry.

 

1. TERM

 

This Challenge begins on February 27, 2026 at 8:00 AM and ends April 27, 2026 at 12:55 PM. The Challenge will be accessible 24 hours a day on the dedicated Challenge website operated by Agorize at https://challenges-awards.vivatech.com/challenges/kpmg-2026 (“the Challenge website”), subject to possible IT maintenance operations. Dates and times in these Rules refer to Paris Time (ETC/UTC+1).

 

2. AGREEING TO THE RULES

 

Any eligible person who is registered on the Challenge website and enrolls to participate in the Challenge (“Participant” or “You”), is required to review and accept these Rules. 

 

By accessing and accepting these Rules, You:

1. enter into a valid and enforceable contractual relationship with the Partner regarding participation in the Challenge. The registration and enrolment in the Challenge does not set up any subordination relationship between the Partner and the Participant, and

2.  fully and unconditionally agree to comply with these Rules. Participants express their agreement by checking an online box while enrolling for the Challenge.

3. is aware that KPMG International, a company affiliated to the Partner, operates a global challenge on technology innovations called “KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition”. This  challenge is subject to separate challenge rules, which are available and can be downloaded here : KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator competition;

4. is therefore informed that any participation to the Challenge will register the Participant as participating also in the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition, organized by the Partner at the French national level.

In case of non-respect of these Rules, the Participant will be immediately disqualified from the Challenge and no prize will be awarded.

 

3. REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE CHALLENGE

 

To take part in the Challenge, we must receive your completed registration by April 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM (Paris Time). 

 

To register, the Participant must first have created a user account on the Challenge website, and must have truthfully and accurately completed required information, such as full name, email address, etc.

 

Any registration based on inaccurate, false or incomplete information will result in the Participant’s disqualification. Refusing collection, recording and use of their personal data that is strictly necessary to performing the Challenge will result in the Participant’s disqualification. 

 

The Participant is solely responsible for the information he/she provides when registering. Any intentional or unintentional mistake, anomaly or inconsistency, regarding this information, may result in the Participant’s disqualification. The Partner reserves the right to proceed with all necessary verifications regarding the Participant’s identity, postal and/or email address.

 

Deletion of a Participant’s user account on the Challenge website will be deemed as a withdrawal from the Challenge. In this case, the Participant, regardless of whether the deletion results from the Participant’s personal action or not, will not participate in the Challenge, and will not obtain any compensation.

 

You must also have accepted the Rules as well as the Terms and Conditions of Use and the Privacy Policy, during the creation of your user account and your registration to the Challenge.

 

Registration for and participation in the Challenge is free, with no purchase or payment obligation.

 

4. ELIGIBILITY

 

This Challenge is open and offered solely to:

• Startups : A startup is an innovative, early-stage company typically founded within the last 7 years, characterized by a scalable business model, high growth potential, and a focus on solving market challenges through technology or novel approaches. 

• Startup shall meet the following criteria: 

 

• In addition to the items above, Startups is required to provide proof of (i) company registration by submitting a registration certificate issued within the last three (3) months, or ongoing company registration, or any trade registry and proof ensuring the registration of the entity in the relevant country, and (ii) a valid professional insurance policy subscription. 

 

All the documents that may confirm the Participant’s eligibility will be required prior to awarding any prizes.

 

This Challenge is void in countries where it is prohibited or restricted by law.

 

5. PURPOSE OF THE CHALLENGE AND PARTICIPATION

 

Participation in the Challenge must be as a Startup.

 

Startup Participants enter the Contest on behalf of their legal business organizations.  During the registration process, Startup Participant must designate one individual who is part of the company for contact purposes with the Partner. 

 

This person will be responsible for registering the Startup at the Challenge and participate in the Challenge on behalf of the Startup. 

 

As a Startup participating in this Challenge, you represent and warrant to the Partner that such person (i) is an authorized representative of Startup and is participating in the Challenge on behalf of such company, and (ii) has obtained all necessary approvals to enter the Challenge, including all persons qualified to grant any intellectual property rights to Partner. 

 

The Challenge consists in the creation by Participants of projects formalized by Deliverables, meeting the requirements set by the Partner in the Rules. Participants are expected to propose a concrete, scalable and market-ready solution demonstrating technological innovation, business relevance and potential impact. Each submission must be formalized through Deliverables that clearly present the proposed solution, its value proposition and its implementation potential.

6. DELIVERABLES

 

During the Challenge, Participants may upload any documents or other materials (such as texts, presentations, videos, etc.) relating to their project to the Challenge website in response and as a solution to the Partner’s Challenge (the “Deliverable”).

 

To be eligible, Deliverables must (i) address the specific issue set out in the Brief, (ii) be in a common digital format, such as, DOC, DOCX, PDF, PPT, PPTX, KEY, ODT, MP3, MPEG, MOV, MP4, and (iii) be in English, and in general terms must comply with these Rules.

 

If a Deliverable cannot be downloaded, is not in the right format or is incompatible, illegible, or unintelligible, the Deliverable will be disqualified.

 

By submitting a Deliverable, the following needs must be respected:

 

• The Deliverable includes exclusive contributions from the Startup.

 

• Otherwise, if content from a third party has been used in the development of the Deliverable, all rights, authorizations and agreements necessary to submit the Deliverable and grant the rights mentioned herein have been obtained. The existence of uncredited third-party contributions in the Deliverable will result in the disqualification of the Deliverable and the related Participants;

 

• No other individual and/or entity is entitled to claim any rights from the use of the Deliverable; and

 

• The content of the Deliverable does not and will not infringe or violate any rights of any third party or entity, including, without limitation, intellectual property rights, privacy, competition law, confidentiality, or any contractual or extracontractual right. All deliverables suspected of any law(s) and/or any third party’s right will be ineligible.

 

Participants are responsible for and shall bear any costs or expenses associated with preparing and submitting Deliverables. Participants assume all risk for damaged, lost, late, incomplete, invalid, incorrect or misdirected Deliverables.

 

7. CHALLENGE PROCESS

 

The Challenge consists of the following process:

 

• Phase 1: Participant submission

 

Deliverables will be accepted from February 27, 2026 at 8:00 AM and ends April 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM (Paris Time).

 

Deliverable. If a Participant does not upload a Deliverable on the Challenge website before the deadline above, this will be considered as a withdrawal from the Challenge. The Participant may not join the Challenge, and may not obtain any compensation from the Partner.

 

• Phase 2 : Pre-Selection phase

 

“Criteria based” voting will take place from April 27, 2026 at 8:00 AM and ends May 18, 2026 at 8:00 PM (Paris Time).

 

Selection Criteria. Deliverables will be judged according to the Selection Criteria, described below. You agree and acknowledge that the Challenge relies on your creativity, capacity, ability, and ingenuity to solve difficult problems. The Challenge does not depend, even partially, on chance or luck, and therefore should not be considered as a lottery. Under no circumstances are factors such as appearance, religion, membership in a trade union, political opinions or sexual orientation considered. 

 

Criteria based voting. The voters are collaborators of the Partner (the “Voters”). They evaluate and select the Deliverables based on their content and the following criteria:

 

Evaluation Criteria: 

The five (5) Participants selected during the Pre-Selection phase (the “Finalists”) will be invited to pitch their solution during VivaTech Event 2026 in Paris.

Each Finalist will deliver:

• A 5-minute live pitch,

• Followed by a Q&A session with the Jury.

Presentations must be delivered in English.

 

Evaluation Criteria – Final Round

The Finalists will be evaluated by a Jury composed of representatives of the Partner and invited experts, based on:

• Clarity and quality of the pitch

• Demonstrated business impact and traction

• Strategic alignment with the Challenge theme

• Scalability and execution capacity

 

Winner Selection

At the end of the Final Round, the Jury will select one (1) Winner. The Winner will be officially announced during the Final Pitch Session at VivaTech.

The Jury’s decision is final.

The Winner will represent France at the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition Grand Final at Web Summit in Lisbon in November 2026.

 

Notification to Participants. Once selection has been completed, Participants will be notified by email, phone, or by other means of the results of each Round. The Partner will be free to alter the dates on which results are released should this become necessary due to the number of projects to be assessed.  

8. PRIZES

 

The prizes are awarded to the Finalists and Winner of the Challenge and are subject to compliance with the following cumulative conditions:

 

• The Finalists and Winner are eligible Participants as defined in Section 4 (“Eligibility”)

• The Deliverables comply with Section 6 (“Deliverables”);

• Each Participant of a winning project complies with Sections 9 and 10;

 

No prize will be awarded to winners who do not fulfill the above conditions.

 

Subject to these Rules, once confirmed by Partner, the winner(s) will receive the following:

 

• Prize for the fifth Finalists : 

• 4-day pass for 2026 VivaTech Event 

• Access to the pitch session of the Final Round at Vivatech & cocktail

• Access to ecosystem and networking opportunities during the 2026 VivaTech Event, including the opportunity to meet and interact with relevant KPMG internal stakeholders, and jury members present at the stand during the Final Round, subject to availability and at the Partner’s discretion.

 

• Grand Prize attributed to the Winner of Phase 3: 

• One pass to Web Summit to participate in the KPMG Global Grand Final, granting access to all 3 days of the Event main floor, with an opportunity to apply for Mentor Hours and pitch your project. Travel and accommodation expenses related to the participation in Web Summit and VivaTech will be fully covered by the Partner in compliance with the Partner’s travel policy.

• Startup logo displayed on the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square in October 2026 (date to be confirmed)

 

Prizes are attributed to the Finalists. Assignment, sale or transfer of prizes by a Finalist is strictly   prohibited. If a potential Finalist cannot be reached, is unable to accept the prize or any portion of the prize for any reason, Partner shall have no further obligation to such potential Finalist. Partner will not replace any lost or stolen prizes after being awarded to winners. Finalists and Winner will accept the prize “as it is”. Partner disclaims any warranty regarding the Prizes.

 

In the event a Participant (a Finalist or Winner) cannot be reached, by email or by phone, for more than two (2) days after the first attempt to reach them was made, he/she will be deemed as having waived their right to claim the prize and will not be entitled to any prize or any kind of compensation.

 

If the prize as initially planned is unavailable, Partner will be free to substitute another prize of similar value. Any such decision is at Partner’s sole discretion.

 

Any Participant who does not fulfil the conditions of Participation as provided in the Rules during their registration and/or at any time during the Challenge will be summarily disqualified from the Challenge without prior notice and will not be entitled to any prize. In the event that a prize is awarded to a Participant who does not meet the conditions of Participation when registering or throughout the duration of the Challenge, Partner reserves the right to require the Participant to return the awarded prize.

 

9. COMMUNICATION

The Participant acknowledges and consents the Partner may for the duration of the Challenge and for a period of one (1) year following the Final Round use the Startup Challenge for publicity, including for Partner’s advertising or other marketing purposes, (by any means and through any format (website, advertising banners, social networks, newsletter, press release) now known or unknown to date, free of charge or for a consideration. 

You consent to the use, by the Partner, your city and region of registration, the information regarding the Prize (if you are a winner), the name of your company, and the Deliverables and pitch you share in the form you sent. 

Each Participant authorizes the Partner to use the photographs taken during the Final to disseminate them via any communication medium and will ensure that its representatives have given this authorization.

 

10. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

 

Definitions. For the purposes of this section, 

• "Intellectual Property Rights" refer to any copyright or other rights over a brand, a design or a model, a patent and, more generally, any element, (including trade secrets and knowhow), that may be protected by national and/or international laws or conventions on intellectual property (“Intellectual Property Rights”)

 

• “Previous Rights” refer to any Intellectual Property Rights and/or any associated know-how held by the Participants before the start date of the Challenge (“Previous Rights”) 

 

• “Creations” refer to any software (including source and object code software), database, technical specifications, text, design, model, information, knowledge, method, process or product, as well as any resulting elements and/or processes likely or otherwise to be protected according to national and/or international laws or conventions on intellectual property developed by any Participant as a part of any submitted deliverable throughout the Challenge (“Creations”).

 

Warranty of non-infringement. When submitting any Deliverable, at any stage of the Challenge, each Participant guarantees to Partner that he/she is the co/owner and/or co/holder of the Intellectual Property Rights regarding all or part of the Creations  contained in the Deliverables submitted at any stage of the Challenge, and that he/she has obtained all rights and permissions regarding all pre-existing Creations and any elements of the Deliverables for which he/she does not hold the relevant rights.

 

Each Participant guarantees (i) that his/her contribution is original and unprecedented; (ii) that it does not infringe upon the copyright or any Intellectual Property Rights of any third party; (iii) that all the elements of which his/her submissions are formed, as well as all pieces of contributions and information communicated in the submission presentation documents are accurate, reliable and complete; and (iv) that the submission of the relevant Deliverables does not constitute an act of unfair competition of any kind.

 

It is compulsory for Participants to indicate the source of any pre-existing Creations of whichever nature and on whichever support that are included in any submitted deliverable. Any Deliverable involving several Participants constitutes a collaborative work and it should be treated as such in accordance with the applicable regulation in force.

 

Liability. Partner cannot be held liable for any infringement of the above provisions by Participants. Each Participant shall indemnify the Partner against any disturbance, action, claim, opposition and demand or eviction attempt from any third party in connection with any Creation in the Deliverables (Intellectual Property Rights included).

 

By submitting a Deliverable and participating in this Challenge, you are not granting the Partner any rights to any intellectual property supporting all of part of the Deliverable and the Partner makes no claim to ownership of your Deliverable or any intellectual property that it may contain.

 

11. MODIFICATION OF RULES, SUSPENSION AND CANCELLATION OF THE CHALLENGE

 

Update of the Rules. The Partner reserves the right to amend these Rules at any time, including the Challenge duration in case of operational imperatives, without prior notice to Participants regarding the enforcement or the validity of these amendments.  Participants are encouraged to consult these Rules regularly. Participants expressly waive all claims or disputes related to any amendment to these Rules by the Partner. 

 

Should any paragraph of these Rules be declared or judged illegal, unenforceable or void by a court decision, the paragraph in question will be considered null and void, but all other unaffected paragraphs will be enforced within the limits of the law.

 

Challenge Cancellation or Suspension. The Partner reserves the right in its discretion, to (i) cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Challenge and these Rules, for any reason, at any time and without any liability, and (ii) to limit or restrict participation in the Challenge. The Partner will not be held liable for the modification, cancellation or suspension of the Challenge, and no compensation or remuneration will be due to the Participants.

 

12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

The Partner will in no way be held liable in the event of breakdown or failure, regardless of the cause, of any telecommunications network used that causes Participants difficulty in or prevents Participants from identifying themselves on or gaining access to the Challenge website.

 

Participants agree that company, its affiliates and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, representatives and agents (“released parties”) will have no liability whatsoever for, and will be released and held harmless by participants for any claims, liabilities, or causes of action of any kind or nature for any injury, loss or damages of any kind including direct, indirect, incidental, consequential or punitive damages to persons, including without limitation disability or death.  Without limiting the foregoing, everything on the challenge website and in connection with the challenge is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.  Some jurisdiction may not allow the limitations or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages or exclusion of implied warranties, in which case such limitation or exclusion shall apply only to the extent permitted by the law in the relevant jurisdiction. 

 

Participation in the Challenge implies acknowledgement and acceptance of the characteristics, limits and risks of the internet and related technologies, particularly with regards to performance, response time, security of software and computer equipment against various potential attacks, such as viruses, logic bombs or Trojans, and loss or misuse of data. As a result, the Partner will not be held liable in any way for any damage incurred by Participants arising from these characteristics, limits and risks, which Participants accept by registering and taking part in the Challenge.

 

The Partner will not in any case be held liable for damages resulting from faults with or delays in the submission of deliverables by Participants, including refusal to accept these deliverables as a consequence of their submission outside the deadlines set out in the Rules, from faults with or delays to the sending of any emails by the Participant sent as part of the Challenge, or from any alterations made to the deliverables independently of the Partner.

 

The Partner will not in any case be held liable for damages resulting from services provided by a third-party relating to the prizes.

 

The Partner will not be held liable for the consequences of a Participant’s disqualification from the Challenge as a result of their violation of these Rules.

 

13. PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION

 

PRIVACY POLICY DU PARTENAIRE

 

Participation in the Challenge requires the communication of the Participant's personal data ("Personal Data").

 

KPMG acting as a data controller will process the personal data of applicants as required to administer the Competition, including the Global Final. KPMG International processes personal data for the purposes of administering the Competition (including post-competition communications with participants) pursuant to the KPMG International Privacy Notice.

 

The partner, acting as a data controller will process the personal data of applicants as required to administer the National Competition and any regional heats. The partner processes personal data pursuant to its privacy notice. : Politique de confidentialité et gestion des données. 

 

All personal data processing in relation to the Competition takes place subject to KPMG's legitimate interests. KPMG entities may share personal data between them as required for the purposes of administering the Competition, subject to the safeguards outlined in the KPMG International Privacy Notice.

 

The purposes of the processing are:

• To meet the organizational needs of the Competition;

• To ensure identification of Participants and enable communication and preservation of exchanges in relation to the Competition;

• To evaluate submitted Deliverables and coordinate the National Competition and Global Final.

 

In accordance with the GDPR, each relevant KPMG entity undertakes to implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect Participants’ Personal Data and to enable the exercise of their data protection rights.

 

Personal Data may be shared between KPMG entities strictly as necessary for the administration of the Competition, in accordance with applicable data protection laws and the safeguards described in the KPMG International Privacy Notice.

 

For any questions relating to the processing carried out by KPMG and the exercise of rights, data subjects may contact KPMG's Data Protection Officer on the website www.kpmg.fr in the "Manage your data" section.

 

 

14. CLAIMS

 

Any Participant’s claims arising from the Challenge, should be addressed no later than thirty (30) days following the Challenge end date to lmesuredecaires@kpmg.fr All claims must include: (i) the Participant’s complete contact details (name, address, email address and phone); (ii) the name of the Challenge; and (iii) a clear and detailed explanation for the claim.

 

15. APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTES RESOLUTION

 

The Challenge and any action related thereto shall be governed by the French law. In case of persistent litigation beyond a period of fifteen (15) days after the Participant has filed a claim, the Partner and the Participant undertake to submit their dispute to an amicable conciliation prior to any legal proceedings. The party wishing to initiate conciliation shall inform the other party by means of a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt in which it will inform of its intentions and will explain the cause. If no agreement is reached between the parties within thirty (30) days after receipt of the registered letter, the parties regain their freedom of action.

 

In case of persistent disagreement on the application or interpretation of the Rules, and in the absence of an amicable settlement, any dispute that may arise between the parties, will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the French courts to which the parties expressly grant jurisdiction, even in the case of multiple defendants, in summary proceedings, appeal by guarantee or by motion. or any other jurisdiction.