Silicon Valley Startup Launch Program is Looking for Entrepreneurs in Vienna

The Founder Institute, the world's premier startup launch program, is currently exploring a new semester launch in Vienna for 2017 to help local entrepreneurs build meaningful companies.

If you'd like the Founder Institute to help you launch your startup, then fill out an Interest Form or attend a FREE event to learn and learn from top startup experts. If enough people complete this form by the Launch Deadline (Oct 07, 2025), the Founder Institute will formally launch a 2017 program in your city.

To test the demand for a Austria Fall 2025 program, the Founder Institute will host several FREE startup events in Vienna:

Austria Events:

Pitch Your Ideas to Investors & Experts, Online: 6:00pm, Sep 10, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/368902

Global or Regional Events:

Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Ideation Bootcamp: Pitch Showcase: 5:00pm, Sep 04, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/378147
FI Switzerland & Austria Spring 2025 Graduation : 6:30pm, Sep 04, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/378289
Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Rich Maloy: 2:00am, Sep 09, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/376634
Responsible AI for Startups: Frameworks You Can Apply from Day One: 7:00pm, Sep 15, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/376049
How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 7:00pm, Sep 17, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/373987
How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 7:00pm, Sep 22, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/377412
Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 7:00pm, Oct 06, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/377736
Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 6:00pm, Oct 27, 2025 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/377574

See all upcoming events

Leading the Founder Institute's efforts in Vienna are local startup leaders Ingrid Winkler (Owner Principal, iw marketing), Mehdi Khaled (Founder & Managing Director, EmKay Consulting - Healthcare), and Roland Moser (CEO, Toicube GmbH).

Other successful entrepreneurs who have pledged their support to mentor founders in a Vienna Founder Institute program include:

Abdellah Aouf: Chief Executive Officer, GO PLATFORM

Adrian Zettl: Managing Director, Austrian Startups

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

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

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: CEO, VolaTec

Daniela Haunstein: Managing Director, invest.austria

Dr. Karen Wendt: President, SFTL - SwissFinTechLadies

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

Gal Nachum: Active Chairman, xFind / Cognishape

Georg Schmidt Sailer: Serial Founder, Country Leader myneva Austria

Gernot Singer: Founder, Angel Investor

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

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

Leen Segers: Managing Director, ForsVC

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

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

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

Nina Sophie Sczepurek: Co-Founder & COO, leitzcloud by vBoxx

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

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

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

Thomas Walbert: Ecosystem Leader, DEEP Ecosystems

Umida Tulieva: Advisor, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Central Asia

Urška Jež: Founder and CEO, Transformation Lighthouse

Valentijn Koppenaal: Co-founder & CEO, leitzcloud by vBoxx

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

And many more to be announced.

Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 200 cities and 100 countries, the Founder Institute has helped launch some of the fastest-rising startups across 6 continents, including Udemy, Realty Mogul, iCarsClub, Itembase, goplaceit, Appota, and many more. The company's mission is to "Globalize Silicon Valley" and create sustainable startup ecosystems that will create one million new jobs worldwide.

The Founder Institute is the most challenging and effective step-by-step startup launch program for talented and motivated aspiring entrepreneurs. Our program gives you a structured process and constant feedback from expert mentors and a global network of entrepreneurs. In addition, the Founder Institute is the only program of its kind that focuses on people versus ideas, accepts founders with day jobs, and shares equity with all participants.

Leaders of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used the Founder Institute to transition from employee to entrepreneur, test their startup ideas, build a team, get their first customers, raise funding, and more.