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 21, 2026), the Founder Institute will formally launch a 2017 program in your city.

To test the demand for a Austria Fall 2026 program, the Founder Institute will host several FREE startup events in Vienna:

From Idea to Startup Team: Meet Your Future Co-Founder: 2:00am, Apr 07, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394679
Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
Stuck Without a Startup Idea? Build One That Fits You: 2:30am, Apr 08, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394698
How Multiple Pivots positioned Checkbox as the ‘Legal Front Door’ for Corporations: 2:00am, Apr 14, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394710
Real Startup Lessons From FI Alumni Across the World: 6:00pm, Apr 14, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394743
How to Go From Raw Idea to Polished Pitch using AI: 6:30pm, Apr 20, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395678
[Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, Apr 21, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395512
Turn Your Expertise Into an Audience on LinkedIn: 6:00pm, Apr 27, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394632
How to Overcome the Fear of Starting Your Own Company: 6:00pm, Apr 28, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394618
How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 6:30pm, May 04, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394460
How to Choose the Right Startup Idea Before You Build: 2:00am, May 19, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394965
[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: 2:30am, Jun 09, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/394656
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

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

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: Strategic Communication Expert, Public Speaking Coach, Community Builder & Experience Architect, 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.

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.