Build a Great Startup in 2025 with the FI Austria Startup Accelerator

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 Austria Fall 2026 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 2026 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:

Austria Events:

FI Austria Graduation: Meet the New Portfolio Companies (In-Person): 6:00pm, May 19, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/397947
Vibecoding Launch: Build Your MVP in 60 Minutes: 10:45am, Jun 08, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/397985

Global or Regional Events:

Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Stop Guessing: How to Use AI to Validate Your Startup Idea in Days : 6:00pm, May 12, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/396640
How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 2:00pm, May 18, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394965
How to Tell Stories That Win Clients and Investors with Lubna Forzley: 6:00pm, May 19, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/396308
[Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Get Unfiltered Feedback from Global Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, May 26, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395371
Vibecoding 101 for Startups: Build Your First App w/ Mark Montalban: 6:30pm, Jun 01, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/398056
Inside the Founder Institute: Real Stories From Alumni: 6:00pm, Jun 02, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394975
Startup Advisors 101: How to Find Advisors and Maximize their Impact (POSTPONED): 2:30am, Jun 09, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394656
What It Takes to Get Funded: Live Investor Q&A w/ Maayan Teper: 6:00pm, Jun 09, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/396141
Turn Startup Hesitation Into Action: A Founder Mindset Framework: 2:00am, Jun 16, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395056
Stop Overthinking and Build a Great Startup Idea: 6:00pm, Jul 20, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395080
From Idea to Action: The Startup Mindset : 2:30pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395109
Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 6:00pm, Aug 10, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395138
What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 6:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395193
From Dreamer to Doer: Build the Founder Mindset: 6:00pm, Oct 13, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395267
From Founder to Funded: Interactive Q&A with Top Startup Investor: 6:00pm, Nov 03, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395289
From First Idea to First Funding: Global Alumni Stories: 6:00pm, Dec 01, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395336

See all upcoming events

The Austria program is led by some of the region's top startup leaders, including Ingeborg Gasser-Kriss (Board Director, Innovation Advisor , FoodTech), Kasia Sadowska (Founder, FutureHabits.Tech), Lilla Peczely (co-director, Founder Institute Switzerland - Israel chapter), Simon Fuehrer (Program Manager, Founder Institute Austria), 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
Amit Grinvald: Communication Strategist & Pitch Coach, Amit Grinvald Consulting
Ana Veremyova: PR Advisor, Trust
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
Benjamin Ruschin: Managing Partner, Big Cheese Ventures
Bernhard Holzer: CEO, Woodspr
Bernhard Hauser: Founder, Waterglass.io
Bob De Wilde: Founder, ADELANTUM Services
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: Plug and Play Health Ventures Fellow, baby vc | Plug and Play | Slush
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
Franklin Kamnang Ngansop: Co-Founder, Vitamin CS Coaching
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: Founder, GZE Advisory
Guy Zurawel: Angel Investor
Hannah Wundsam: Managing Director, Austrian Startups
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
Konstantin Steiner: Sefl employed , Name
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
Maggie Childs: CEO , mypaperwork.ai
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: Co-Director, Open Austria
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
Niklas Benesch: Principal, ROI Ventures
Nikolaus Hutter: Partner & Co-Founder, Relevant Ventures
Nina Sophie Sczepurek: Co-Founder & COO, leitzcloud by vBoxx
Oleksandr Kalinchuk: Investment Officer, EIT Manfacturing
Pamela Wolf: Impact 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
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
S.K. Lee: Angel/LP + Coach, Launch Lab
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
Tal Tuchman: Global Director, Deel
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, Radical Value
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
Vlad Gozman: Co-Founder & CEO, involve.me
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