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 (Apr 26, 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:
- How to Think Like a Founder and Take Action: 2:00am, Jun 16, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395056
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- How to Get Your First 10 Customers Without a Marketing Team or Budget: 6:30pm, Jun 22, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/400798
- Economic Development: How to Build Entrepreneurial Communities: 5:00pm, Jun 23, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/400943
- [Restricted] VIP Pitch Lounge: Pitch Live and Get Feedback from Investors & Advisors: 6:00pm, Jun 30, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/401151
- Meet FI Alumni Founders: High-Growth Startups Panel : 6:00pm, Jul 07, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395138
- 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
- FounderX Silicon Valley 2026: Global Conference in San Francisco: 2:00am, Aug 26, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/399793
- What Makes Investors Say Yes: Startup Funding AMA: 6:00pm, Sep 01, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/395193
- How to Build a Strong Pipeline of Entrepreneurs for your Innovation Hub: 6:00pm, Sep 15, 2026 (Europe/Vienna): https://FI.co/e/398289
- 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
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 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: Founder & 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
- 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
- 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
- Juan Guerra: Designing Scalable Service Businesses, Scaleyard
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Niklas Benesch: Principal, ROI Ventures
- Nina Sophie Sczepurek: Co-Founder & COO, leitzcloud by vBoxx
- Oleksandr Kalinchuk: Investment Officer, EIT Manfacturing
- Pamela Wolf: Operating Partner, exCoty / exSalesforce
- Peiman Zamani: CEO, 4u-ventures
- Philippa Allen: Investment Manager, Calm/Storm
- Pouria Kay: Founding Partner, Atlan
- Réginald Bien Aimé: Founder & Managing Director, Veelab
- Sara Bentsen: COO and Co-Founder, Scale to Global
- Sarah Lechner: Founder & Coach, Centered Leadership & Culture
- Sebastian Haid: Founder, HeadwAI GmbH
- 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
- Yana Basaranovich: Head of Media , PODIM
- 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.
(Cityscape of Vienna Austria at night image by Shutterstock)