The Founder Institute, the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for the Vienna program!
If you could use a structured process and a lifetime of support from Austria's top investors and entrepreneurs to build a startup, then apply to the Austria Fall 2025 Founder Institute today.
Since 2009, our highly-structured accelerator programs have helped entrepreneurs at the earliest stages grow quickly, know what to do next, and make connections with the largest community of startup advisors.
It all starts with our renowned ‘FI Core’ accelerator, which pushes founders at the idea and pre-seed stages to reach the milestones needed for investment and sustained growth. Alumni of FI Core then receive free access to our advanced ‘Founder Lab’ accelerators for years to come, and can get matched with prospective investors in the FI Venture Network, a collection of global funds actively investing in the earliest rounds of funding.
To celebrate the launch, the Founder Institute will host several free online startup events in Austria, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs:
- FI Alumni Panel: Meet Portfolio Companies and Ask Questions: 7:00pm, Oct 20, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/380644
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Building Local Economies That Attract Venture Capital: 6:00pm, Oct 21, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/380036
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 6:00pm, Oct 27, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/377574
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 2:00am, Nov 11, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/378950
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Kirby Winfield: 7:00pm, Nov 17, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/379355
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 7:00pm, Nov 24, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/379487
- Hiring for Startups: How to Build Your Team Early: 7:00pm, Dec 08, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/380763
- Founder Showcase: Startup Pitch & Networking Event, with Jenny Fielding: 6:00pm, Dec 10, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/381001
The Austria program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Associate FI Austria (Associate, FI Austria), Jacqueline Kressner (Impact Advisor, JK Advisory), Kasia Sadowska (Founder, Kimolian Innovation), Stanish Gunasekaran (Visiting Chief of Staff, 4P Capital), Stephan Kreiger (Director, FI Vienna).
In addition, some of Austria's top investors, entrepreneurs, and CEOs will be participating in the program, providing them with expert feedback and evaluation. The list of startup mentors for the Austria Founder Institute includes:
- Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM
- Adrian Zettl: Managing Director, Austrian Startups
- Adrian Rhomberg: Senior Investment Associate, Gateway Ventures
- Ajay Singh: Head of Technology, Innovations and Startups, Austrian Embassy Commercial Section, India
- Alexander Schwartz: Partner, xista science ventures
- Alexander Brix: Former COO of Kaleido AI (acq. by Canva), Canva
- Alvaro Egido: VC Analyst, Fund F
- Andras Galffy: Founder, CEO & Head of Research, Turbulence Solutions
- Andreas Fischer: Founding Partner, First Momentum Ventures
- Andrei Podlesnyi: Investment Manager, Triple Impact Ventures
- Annu Gmeiner: Principal , Xista Science Ventures
- Barbara Van Lodensteijn: Founder & Business Psychologist MSC, Vision Aligns
- Bernhard Holzer: CEO, Woodspr
- Bernhard Hauser: Founder, Waterglass.io
- Carol Constant: Founder & CEO, WhomLab 🧩
- Charlotte Christensen: Executive Director, Fintocat
- Christian Csank: Founder & CEO, Sorex
- Christian Zeidler: Co-Founder and CEO, Adaptive
- Christopher Polligkeit: Investor, Plug and Play
- Cihan Kadir: CEO, VolaTec
- Cristina Fonseca: Innovation Lead, Rockstart
- Daan Weddepohl: CEO & Founder, Peerby
- Daniela Haunstein: Managing Director, invest.austria
- David Cabezon Egurrola, Baby VC
- Dominique Dufour: CEO, Blue Wave Consulting
- Dr. Karen Wendt: President, SFTL - SwissFinTechLadies
- Ebin Ephrem Elavathingal: Director/Tecknogog, MERSTRA Foundation / MITC
- Edouard Renard: Founder Founder, The Robotics Backend
- Eleni Lialiamou: Founder, Kimolian Academy
- Elisabeth Siencnik: Startup Coach, Elisabeth Siencnik
- Emma Rees: Executive Chair, Deployed
- Erika Darmstaedter: Co-Founder, Collective63
- Evelina Lundqvist: Sustainable business development and upskilling consultant, The Good Tribe
- Fabian Geyrhalter: Founder and Principal, FINIEN
- Felix Kernbichler: Attorney at Law, Kernbichler Law
- Felix Günther: M.Sc. MBA, FIVE MORE
- Ferdinand Dietrich: Co- Founder, Storebox
- Firas Saedaddin: CEO, AGA Group GmbH
- Florian Wimmer: Co-Founder & CEO, Blockpit AG
- Florian Kandler: Pitch & Fundraising Expert, Der Perfekte Pitch
- Gal Nachum: Active Chairman, xFind / Cognishape
- Georg Schmidt Sailer: Serial Founder, Country Leader myneva Austria
- Georg Molzer: CEO & Founder, Shadowmap
- Gernot Singer: Founder, Angel Investor
- Gregor Zehetner: Co-Founder, Tapkey
- Huang Chen: DigiDream Solutions e.U. || CEO & Founder || Product Owner & Manager, DigiDream Solutions e.U
- Ifeoluwa Ogunbufunmi, SWIF
- Ivan Zamesin: Founder, Advanced JTBD Academy
- Jack Eastwood: Co-Founder, Protium
- Jacqueline Kressner: Co-lead, Founder Institute Vienna
- Jakobus Schuster: CEO & Co-Founder, notarity
- Jay Marathe: Fundraising adviser and investment banker for growth companies in energy technologies, Bryan, Garnier & Co.
- Jiaran Wang: CEO, Expand Future GmbH
- Jimmy Jaspers: Founder, CEO, Vincitori Technologies
- Johannes Blaschke: Partner, Calm/Storm
- Julia Wagner: VC, Positron Ventures
- Kambis Kohansal Vajargah: Head of Startup-Services and Deputy Head of Founder-Services, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
- Kasia Sadowska: Founder, FutureHabits.Tech
- Kiziltan Yüceil: Venture Strategy Domain Lead, Niterra Ventures
- Klaus Fuchs: Venture Lead , Wien Energie GmbH
- Laura Raggl: Managing Partner, ROI Ventures
- Laura Warnier: Chief Growth Officer, Sunrise
- Leen Segers: Managing Director, ForsVC
- Linda Lorenzoni: Founder & CEO, Gastro Exclusive GmbH
- Lisa Pallweber: Managing Partner, Hans(wo)men Group
- Lubomila Jordanova: CEO, Plan A
- Lucy Izquierdo Greene: VC Investor, Fund F
- Lukas Wieser: Co-Founder, myflexbox
- Malgorzata Goraczek: Founder, Funding Coach
- Marco Kogler: Co-Founder & Managing Partner, FuzeQube Group
- Mariya Konstantinova: CFO, Founder Institute
- Martin Frühwirt, enablico
- Martina Vitezova: Managing Director, NextPlay
- Michael Schneider: Founder, Seedraisr
- Michael Kowatschew: Founder, Heizma
- Michael Innerebner: Angel Investor, Investor
- Michael Dobersberger
- Michaela Stephen: Co-Founder and Co-CEO, MATR
- Moritz Lechner: Founder & CEO, New Fluence
- Nicolas Benady: CEO, SWAN
- Nik Zechner: Founder & Managing Director, Grauberg
- Nikhil Ninne: CEO , Fermapulse
- Nikolaus Hutter: Partner & Co-Founder, Relevant Ventures
- Nina Sophie Sczepurek: Co-Founder & COO, leitzcloud by vBoxx
- Oleksandr Kalinchuk, EIT Manfacturing
- Pamela Wolf: Global Industry Advisor, ex-Salesforce
- Peiman Zamani: CEO, 4u-ventures
- Philippa Allen: Investment Manager, Calm/Storm
- Pouria Kay: Founding Partner, Atlan
- Rachana Ramchand: Co-Founder, Care&Bloom
- Raman Rai: Product Dev, PWC
- Réginald Bien Aimé: Founder & Managing Director, Veelab
- Rima Suppan: CEO, Peachies
- Rudolf Dömötör: Director, WU Entrepreneurship Center
- Salmine Sassi: Entrepreneur in Residence, Seedstars
- Sara Bentsen: COO and Co-Founder, Scale to Global
- Sarah Lechner: Founder & Coach, Centered Leadership & Culture
- Sebastian Haid: Founder, HeadwAI GmbH
- Sergiu Ardelean: Co-Founder, CEO, Artivive
- Simon Führer: Associate, FI Austria
- Stanish Gunasekaran: Investor, Included VC
- Stavros Pavlidis: Head Direct and Strategic Investments, Deep Capital Group
- Stefan Kainz: Investment Director Impact Investing, C.E.L.L. Investment GmbH
- Stephan Kreiger: Director, FI Austria
- Steven Desmyter: President, Man Group
- Suraj Nathwani: Regional Partner, Boardio
- Taryn Andersen: President & Co-Founder , Impulse4Women
- Thomas Walbert: Ecosystem Leader, DEEP Ecosystems
- Umida Tulieva: Advisor, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Central Asia
- Urška Jež: Founder and CEO, Transformation Lighthouse
- U Shin Kim, U-Shin Group Agency (UGA)
- Valentijn Koppenaal: Co-founder & CEO, leitzcloud by vBoxx
- Valentin Krenkel: Deputy Managing Director, invest.austria
- Valentina Podda: Mrs, Valentina Ventures
- Veremyova Ana: Chief Communications Officer, True Gamers
- Verena Judmayer: CEO , MATR
- Viktoria Zimm: Managing Director Impact Investments, C.E.L.L. Investment GmbH
- Viktoria Tollinger: Programme Lead, I.E.C.T. - Hermann Hauser Management GmbH
- Vladimir Pletyukhin: Founder and Creative Director, Launch Deck
- Xiaomin Mou: Head of Venture Capital Investments, Central Eastern Europe, IFC - International Finance Corporation
- Yuliya Daineko: Head of Product Portfolio Evolution B2X, A1 Telekom Austria
- And many more to be announced.
Join us in Austria to build a great company in 2024.
Apply to the Austria Fall 2025 Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/overview.
