Viviana Contreras

Viviana is the CEO and co-founder of Akanthas, a French company founded in 2021 that is transforming how industries understand waste and unlock its value.

A PhD engineer with over 15 years of experience in the waste sector, she combines deep industry expertise with a strong understanding of industrial operations, market dynamics and technology adoption. Under her leadership, Akanthas has grown from two founders into a team of 17, developed patented technology and deployed its solutions across France, with expansion underway in Scandinavia.

She is building Akanthas with the ambition to make resource intelligence an industrial standard worldwide.