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 2025 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:

Austria Events:

Founder Hotseat: Pitch Your Startup to Vienna Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, Jun 26, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/372349
How to fund your startup in Austria: 6:00pm, Jul 08, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/368906
Ask an Angel Investor, featuring Emma Rees (4x Founder, Chair at Deployed): 1:00pm, Jul 16, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/375105
Launch Your MVP in Minutes with AI & No-Code Tools!: 6:00pm, Aug 12, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/374363

Global or Regional Events:

Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
FI Alumni Panel: Meet Portfolio Companies and Ask Questions: 7:00pm, Jun 23, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/371730
Startup Finance & Banking Basics: AMA with Grasshopper Bank: 7:00pm, Jun 25, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/371931
How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 2:00am, Jun 27, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/373987
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 7:00pm, Jun 30, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/371572
Founder’s Guide to AI: Creating Effective Content with AI: 7:00pm, Jul 02, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/373173
Entrepreneurship Education: Lessons from Startup Accelerators: 7:00pm, Jul 03, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/375253
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 7:00pm, Jul 07, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/370305
Founder’s Guide to AI: Building an MVP with No Coding Skills : 7:00pm, Jul 09, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/373301
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Sonam Velani: 7:00pm, Jul 14, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/374377
Founder’s Guide to AI: Using AI to Increase Productivity: 7:00pm, Jul 16, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/373438
Founder’s Guide to AI: Using Agentic Workflows to Automate Repetitive Tasks: 7:00pm, Jul 23, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/373557
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 7:00pm, Aug 11, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/374533
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 7:00pm, Aug 18, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/374735
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 7:00pm, Aug 25, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/375410

See all upcoming events

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
Alexander Schwartz: Partner, xista science ventures
Alexander Brix: Former COO of Kaleido AI (acq. by Canva), Canva
Andras Galffy: Founder, CEO & Head of Research, Turbulence Solutions
Andreas Fischer: Founding Partner, First Momentum Ventures
Andrei Podlesnyi: Investment Manager, Triple Impact Ventures
Benjamin Ruschin: Managing Partner, Big Cheese Ventures
Bernhard Holzer: CEO, Woodspr
Christian Csank: Founder & CEO, Sorex
Christian Zeidler: Co-Founder and CEO, Adaptive
Christopher Polligkeit: Investor, Plug and Play
Cihan Kadir: Co-Founder, VolaTec
Daniela Haunstein: Managing Director, invest.austria
Ebin Ephrem Elavathingal: Director/Tecknogog, MERSTRA Foundation / MITC
Eleni Lialiamou: Founder, Kimolian Academy
Elisabeth Siencnik: Startup Coach, Elisabeth Siencnik
Emma Rees: Executive Chair, Deployed
Evelina Lundqvist: Sustainable business development and upskilling consultant, The Good Tribe
Fabian Geyrhalter: Founder and Principal, FINIEN
Felix Kernbichler: Attorney at Law, Kernbichler Law
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
Georg Schmidt Sailer: Founder & CEO, Trateco
Gregor Zehetner: Co-Founder, Tapkey
Ifeoluwa Ogunbufunmi, SWIF
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, Artciety
Johannes Blaschke: Partner, Calm/Storm
Julia Wagner: VC, Positron Ventures
Julia Eisner: Researcher & Lecturer, Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt
Kambis Kohansal Vajargah: Head of Startup-Services and Deputy Head of Founder-Services, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Kasia Sadowska: Co-Founder and CEO, Kimolian.ai
Laura Raggl: Managing Partner, ROI Ventures
Laura Warnier: Chief Growth Officer, Sunrise
Lisa Pallweber: Managing Partner, Hans(wo)men Group
Lubomila Jordanova: CEO, Plan A
Lukas Wieser: Co-Founder, myflexbox
Maggie Childs: CEO , mypaperwork.ai
Malgorzata Goraczek: Founder, Funding Coach
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
Michaela Stephen: Co-Founder and Co-CEO, MATR
Moritz Lechner: Founder & CEO, New Fluence
Nicolas Benady: CEO, SWAN
Nikhil Ninne: CEO , Fermapulse
Niklas Benesch: Principal, ROI Ventures
Nikolaus Hutter: Partner & Co-Founder, Relevant Ventures
Oleksandr Kalinchuk, EIT Manfacturing
Peiman Zamani: CEO, 4u-ventures
Philippa Allen: Investment Manager, Calm/Storm
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
Sebastian Haid: Founder, HeadwAI GmbH
Sergiu Ardelean: Co-Founder, CEO, Artivive
Simon Führer: Associate, FI Austria
Stanish Gunasekaran: Investor, Included VC
Stefan Kainz: Investment Director Impact Investing, C.E.L.L. Investment GmbH
Stephan Kreiger: Director, FI Vienna
Steven Desmyter: President, Man Group
Suraj Nathwani: Regional Partner, Boardio
Thomas Walbert: Ecosystem Leader, DEEP Ecosystems
Umida Tulieva: Advisor, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Central Asia
Urška Jež: Founder and CEO, Transformation Lighthouse
Valentin Krenkel: Deputy Managing Director, invest.austria
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