The 14th United by Tech Promotion, patroned by
Philippe Aghion, Nobel Prize in Economics, honours a new generation of leaders shaping the future of European AI.
EUROPEAN AI AT THE HÔTEL DE LASSAY
It was during its grand ceremony on 9 April at the Hôtel de Lassay – the residence of the highest authority representing the people – that JFD announced the winners of the 14th promotion of the Margaret Awards 2026.
This special promotion dedicated to Artificial Intelligence, named United by Tech, honoured three women from the new generation of European tech leaders.
The 14th Margaret Awards ceremony was opened by Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly, alongside Delphine Remy-Boutang, founder and CEO of JFD, and the patron of this AI-themed promotion « United by Tech », Philippe Aghion, Nobel Prize in Economics. It brought together more than 350 leading figures from the economic, technological, academic and institutional worlds.
A demand shock to propel innovation and build our sovereignty
Hosted by Charlie Perreau, Head of the Tech-Media-Startups department at Les Échos, the event highlighted the urgent need to build a strong European Mittelstand of innovation to ensure our strategic autonomy.
Drawing on one of the key findings of its 2026 European AI Barometer, JFD reiterated its call to action to major economic players to align their investments with European public procurement by dedicating 9% of their innovative purchases to European AI start-ups; an essential lever for sovereignty to propel our rising stars onto the global stage.
The 2026 Winners : Three European talents driving high-performance, ethical, and sovereign AI
The winners of the 2026 Margaret Awards by JFD embody an ambitious vision for artificial intelligence: AI at the service of the economy and the public interest.
Margaret Entrepreneur 2026 | Roxane Laigle, cofounder & CEO of Lemrock AI: With Lemrock AI, Roxane Laigle is blazing a new trail for retail in the era of agentic commerce. Leveraging a proprietary architecture built on specialised AI models, her startup enables retailers to distribute and sell directly through conversational agents. By ensuring full compliance with European GDPR regulations, the platform anticipates shifting consumer habits, allowing European brands to compete effectively with established international giants.
Award presented by Barbara Sessa, General Manager Mastercard France, and Franck Le Moal, Chief Information & Technology Officer LVMH Group. © Photo credit: JFD / François Tancré
Margaret Intrapreneur 2026 | Juliette Mattioli, VP Artificial Intelligence Fellow of Thales: An AI pioneer with over 35 years of experience in research and innovation within the Thales Group, Juliette Mattioli is recognised for her pivotal role in the Confiance.ai project. This initiative equips French and European strategic industries with a methodology to industrialise AI with trust, ensuring it is reliable, robust, and certifiable. Her commitment safeguards the security, technological excellence, and autonomy of our critical sectors.
Award presented by Stéphanie Zolesio, President Casino Immobilier & Fintech, and Dan Kohn, Head of Ecosystem Development Septeo. © Photo credit: JFD / François Tancré
Margaret Junior 2026 | Koralie Theresine, 22 years old, for DigiTwin project: With DigiTwin, Koralie Theresine offers an innovative digital twin technology capable of detecting the onset of sepsis at an early stage – a life-threatening infection requiring urgent medical intervention. An innovation at the intersection of healthcare, research and AI that saves lives.
Award presented by Camille Levy, SVP Retail Power & Gas TotalEnergies, Fatiha Gas, Director of Innovation & Generative AI Programmes, La Poste Group, and Léa Fleury, co-founder & CEO Ordalie. © Photo credit: JFD / François Tancré
By hosting the 14th promotion of the Margaret Awards by JFD at the Hôtel de Lassay, we are affirming that artificial intelligence is not merely a technological challenge, but a matter of society, democracy and sovereignty. By honouring these exceptional women, may we inspire a whole generation of women to innovate with rigour, responsibility and vision, in the service of the public interest and the future of Europe. — Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the French National Assembly
Artificial intelligence is the driving force behind the creative destruction of our century. As patron of this 14th edition of the Margaret Awards United by Tech, I am convinced that, to turn this technological acceleration into economic success and sovereignty, Europe must unite its talent, its investors and its values. Alongside JFD, my message is clear: diversity is not an option; it is essential for competitiveness and growth. — Philippe Aghion, Nobel Prize in Economics, Patron of the Margaret Awards 2026
The three 2026 winners perfectly embody the United by Tech spirit. They don’t just follow the rules: they set them. By joining forces, we are making female excellence our greatest competitive advantage. The aim is not merely to present an award, but to trigger this surge in demand and achieve the target of 9% of procurement being spent on innovation, thereby building a European Mittelstand of innovation: the essential lever of sovereignty needed to transform our rising stars into global industrial giants. — Delphine Remy-Boutang, Founder & CEO of JFD, Jury President of the Margaret Awards.
One million euros and a partners ecosystem to scale up
Roxane Laigle, Juliette Mattioli and Koralie Theresine are joining the JFD growth acceleration programme, worth 1 million euros.
Designed as a definitive springboard for scaling up, this programme combines JFD’s business support with the great media reach of its partners — including La Tribune, Maddyness, Challenges, Les Echos, The French Tech Journal, France Télévisions, RFI, France 24…— alongside the collective clout of its ecosystem of institutional and corporate partners, such as the major economic players of the CAC 40: LVMH, Carrefour, La Poste Group, Allianz, Group Casino, L’Oréal Group, TotalEnergies, Mastercard, Kantar, Fusalp, Véolia, PBA, Bpifrance, La French Tech, Epitech, HEC for Women, as well as Catalia, Ordalie, Upmeet and Septeo, the guardian of European digital sovereignty for essential professions that ensure the strategic independence and resilience of our economy’s key sectors.
Together, they offer the 2026 winners an exceptional programme: elite mentoring, access to R&D laboratories, speaking slots at major tech events, introductions to investors, and direct business opportunities with leading industry players.
Find out more about the winners of the Margaret Awards 2026 by JFD: www.joinjfd.com/prix-les-margaret/
