Now, more than ever, the world needs entrepreneurs to build the future.
As a result, the Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator, is excited to announce that it is officially launching its newest chapter in Vienna. While the Silicon-Valley based program has chapters in over 200 cities worldwide, early-stage entrepreneurs in Austria can finally now take advantage of the Founder Institute's renowned structure, mentor support, and network to build an enduring company.
Applications to the first-ever Vienna Founder Institute are now open, and anyone interested in building an Austrian technology company can apply at FI.co/apply/vienna.
The Founder Institute provides high-potential entrepreneurs and teams with the support network and structured growth process needed to get to traction and funding, and build something that matters.
Since 2009, the Founder Institute has helped over 9,000 Alumni raise over 2BN funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, build a product, transition from employee to entrepreneur, and more (see the FI 10 Year Impact Report here).
To celebrate the launch, the Founder Institute will host several free online startup events in Austria, where you can learn from top entrepreneurs and hear more about the program from the comfort of your home:
Austria Events:
- FI Austria Graduation: Meet the New Portfolio Companies (In-Person): 6:00pm, May 19, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/397947
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
- 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
The experts that have been critical in bringing the Founder Institute to Vienna include local startup leaders 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).
Opportunities are flourishing across Austria. There's an emerging digital ecosystem for entrepreneurs - from crowdfunding platforms to virtual communities. The Founder Institute can increase an aspiring technology entrepreneur's chance of success by providing the necessary skills and mindset - and a link to the Silicon Valley!
In addition, many of the region's top founders, CEOs, advisors, and investors have signed on to mentor new entrepreneurs in the Austria Fall 2026 Founder Institute program, including:
- 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
- And many more to be announced.
The Founder Institute is designed for founders and teams all throughout the pre-seed stage, including aspiring founders with a full-time job, solo founders, teams, and founders of established companies that are pre-funding. The organization's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and build sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.
Join us in Vienna and help build the future.
Apply to the Austria Fall 2026 Founder Institute today, or learn more at FI.co/overview.
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