Musk, Pedro, Others Discuss AI, Climate, Deep Tech At Viva Tech 2024

Founder and CEO of Casava Insurance, Bode Pedro, Nigeria’s first 100 percent digital insurance provider, joined other outstanding personalities in business, finance and technology at this year’s Viva Tech Conference held from May 22-26 at the Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris.

Pedro delivered a keynote on “Smart Agents: The Use of Al in Revolutionising Insurance Commerce” as part of the “How We Make It In Nigeria” segment at the AfricaTech Lab stage of the prestigious conference.

He joined other top speakers, including French President Emmanuel Macron, The Chairman and CEO of LVMH, Bernard Arnault, tech billionaire Elon Musk, the “Godfather of AI” Yann LaCun, Mozilla’s chairwoman Mitchell Baker, politicians such as former US Secretary of State John Kerry, European Council chief Charles Michel, Amazon.com’s CTO Dr Werner Vogles, and tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams.

The annual event is renowned as Europe’s largest and most influential technology conference and has become a platform that brings together startups, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders, and tech enthusiasts from around the world. According to stats shared on its official platforms, the four-day event shattered previous records by welcoming over 165,000 visitors, more than 400 speakers, 13,500 startups, and a social media reach of more than 2 billion!

As a founding partner of VivaTech, LVMH was also on hand to engage attendees with its innovative showcases featuring the group’s Maisons and startup ecosystem to help craft the future of luxury.

“If you want to succeed, whether you’re a startup or a major corporation, you need the same mindset as a high-level athlete, each and every day, and for the long term. Because this is just the beginning of the journey,” said Bernard Arnault during his speech at the seventh LVMH Innovation Award that recognized seven startups whose innovative solutions hold great promise for the future of the luxury industry.

As the founder of Nigeria’s first 100 percent digital insurance company, Bode Pedro brought a unique perspective to Viva Tech 2024. His insights on the intersection of technology, innovation, and the African experience were invaluable. Pedro highlighted the transformative power of investments in Africa’s technological space, drawing from his firsthand experiences to illustrate how such investments can uplift societies, alleviate poverty, and improve livelihoods. He reiterated his belief in technology for good and for all, emphasising the importance of long-term investments in critical sectors to drive socio-economic growth across the continent.

“Data and AI can really impact major services and key industries in Nigeria,” said Pedro. “To thrive, these sectors require efficiency through automation, especially through artificial intelligence, to enable job creation, wealth creation, safety and security in our markets,” said Bode Pedro, CEO of Casava Insurance.

During a live TV interview from the Viva Tech grounds, Pedro spoke passionately about the significance of Nigeria and Africa’s representation at such global gatherings.

“It’s a source of great pride for us at Casava to be part of this global stage. We see a tremendous opportunity for insurance penetration, and we’re leveraging AI to empower insurance agents and sell insurance at scale across Nigeria,” he shared.

“We need to be represented much more at next year’s Viva Tech, the largest technology conference in the world. Our impact needs to be felt more. The world is watching Nigeria, they are excited about our progress and so I encourage our ecosystems, from the government, to our tech companies, to the media, to be part of these conversations that would benefit our communities.”