Inside RAISE Summit: The AI Event Bringing Global Tech Leaders to Paris

Henri Delahaye joins us now down here live on the trading floor of the Big Board.

He is the co-founder and CEO of Raise Summit.

My man, congratulations and thanks for being on the broadcast today.

JD, thanks for having me.

Super excited to be here as a French kid.

So pretty emotional to be here today and thanks again for the World New York Stock Exchange ICE Group to have us today.

Of course.

What was the experience like for you to be with us down here and ring the closing bell on a day that brought some all-time highs for the stock market?

I think you're good luck.

I mean, we're in the AI market, so we have been here for 2.5 years.

The market has been pretty green, but I don't want to be, I mean I don't want to be sounding too optimistic, so.

We never timed the markets.

We're just like building on a daily basis with the team, and again, be kudos to them.

It's uh, yeah, it's the outcome of like 2.5 years, a team of 60 people working, uh, so I mean like the world is still very large, very big ambitions, but, uh, at the moment we're on the platform in the in the MEA looking to expand the US and soon in the Middle East.

So yeah.

So talk to me first and foremost about the event.

It's going on in July.

I'm looking over your shoulders here at the Cubs early July.

In Paris, talk to me first and foremost the type of tech leaders that naturally gravitate to this incredible event.

Yes, so basically when we launched RICE 2.5 years ago, the idea was to kind of build the antithesis of many large tech trade shows that exist where they're only kind of fighting for the highest number of attendees, but that comes with a lot of delusion, right?

And so when we crafted Rai, we built it on three foundations.

The first one being global from day one.

So it's not a Franco-French or Franco-European gathering, 2 being uncompromising.

One in content creation, so really getting the best leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs on stage and really bringing the French experience.

So what do I mean by that?

It's being I mean obsessed with like premium luxury.

So the main event is at the Chateau Versailles and at the Louvres, which I think is kind of unique in the world of events.

And lastly, what is super important to all our partners.

And sponsors to be obsessed with tangible arroy, so delivering, executing for a partner that trusts us to bring that tangible array for the growth and for the AI market to go further.

I always thought the New York Stock Exchange hosts pretty remarkable events, but it's tough to compete with the Louvre.

That's an incredible opportunity and a backdrop for your event.

Uh, some of the top emerging technologies or the trends that you've seen at this event over the last few years or your expectations for the 2026 edition.

So I think what is kind of also differentiating is that because we're based in Paris in Europe, we are very like a very agnostic platform bridging obviously our US France that are mostly our partners and sponsors, but also the rest of Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Um, and so what we see this year, especially in Europe, is the souvereign A automatic that is very important, especially from infra to the application level.

Uh, I mean I'm sure you've heard of like Lovable, Len Labs, Mistral, all those European companies that are Yes, being in the battle with our US friends and counterparts, where would you say we are with regards to artificial intelligence developments, the United States versus the EU.

Where are we in terms of, I don't want to say it's a competition.

Does it, does it lift all boats at the same time?

So obviously I think there is not a proper, I mean there is.

The US is far, far, far ahead.

It would be lying to say the contrary, but I don't think it's a race.

It's more a matter of if you're let's say in US shoes you're going to say it's a fight against China and the Western world against another bloc.

I think Europeans where you have this kind of luxury of Yeah, being the outsider.

And so when you're an outsider, um, you have some good options and good way to position yourself.

But again, races are political.

Our job is to deliver and execute a great platform for everyone to do business because behind the curtains, everyone works together.

Obviously there is some macro and geopolitical variables components that you need to internalize, but that's not our job at the race.

Our job is to bring everyone together and make business.

So despite the backdrop, I love that.

Before I let you go, what are you personally most excited about as you think forward to this year's event?

Um That's a $10 billion question.

That's a tough one.

I think, yeah, bringing a ride to our partners um and like the VIP dinner that is going to be in Versailles, it's one of the first time it's going to be completely iconic and um Again, as we do really well in France, it's to deliver that experience that is kind of unique, iconic, and And uh yeah, super exciting for this.

Unfortunately I won't get to go personally, but I know we'll have colleagues there.

We'll be watching from afar every panel, every event, every bit of news that comes out.

Henry Delahey, co-founder and CEO of Raise Summit, thanks for being here.

Congratulations.

Thanks, JD.

Thanks for the interview.