When Lebanese fintech startup Purpl steps onto the international stage at VivaTech 2025, held from June 11–14 in Paris, it’s not just presenting an app, it’s affirming a vision. Selected among 13,500 global innovators, Purpl stands as one of the few Lebanese companies taking part in Europe’s leading tech event. It’s a defining moment for a startup that started with remittances and now stands as a digital wallet built around everyday financial empowerment.
In a country where remittances have long been essential, Purpl is rethinking how financial access can evolve. What began as a solution to receive money from abroad is now expanding into a full-service digital wallet, designed for both daily life and cross-border needs.
Purpl drives change, from local resilience to global relevance
VivaTech’s selective criteria reflect the event’s commitment to highlighting companies that aren’t just building products, but solving problems. And Purpl, with more than 65,000 users, stands out for doing exactly that. With instant, low-cost transfers and fee-free ATM cashouts, the platform addresses the very real limitations many Lebanese face in accessing and using their own money.
With thousands of investors, executives, and global players attending VivaTech, Purpl’s presence alongside 4,000 innovators sends a message: Lebanon is creating new fintech solutions. Strategic collaborations with local institutions, such as Banque Libano-Française, have helped bridge global technology with local infrastructure. And at VivaTech, those partnerships gain new momentum.
Lebanon’s tech ambition on the rise
To understand what Purpl represents, you have to understand where it comes from. Lebanon’s startup ecosystem wasn’t built in ideal conditions, it was forged in adversity. Lebanese founders have had to solve for problems that go far beyond UX and market fit. Yet the country continues to generate startups with regional and global potential.
Backed by accelerators and by initiatives like Berytech, the French tech in Beirut, AUB, Endeavour, CCI and Smart ESA, startups in fintech, healthtech, and digital services are using Lebanon’s talent and grit as launch fuel. Purpl’s model, providing real financial access for those who need it most, is a clear reflection of that ethos.
VivaTech puts this ingenuity in front of a global audience. And for Lebanese companies, it’s more than visibility, it’s validation. It tells the world that innovation from Beirut can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with solutions from Paris, London, or San Francisco.
Purpl’s next chapter
This year’s VivaTech may just be the beginning. As Purpl continues to expand its platform, it plans to deepen collaborations across the region. The goal: to create an open ecosystem where users can access and move their money with ease, regardless of geography or background.
If successful, Purpl won’t just change how money moves in Lebanon, it could reshape how people across the region interact with their finances. And perhaps more importantly, it will serve as proof that startups born in small, complex markets can build solutions with global relevance.
