“In the past years Vienna has evolved into an incredible fruitful breeding ground for successful startups. I see three reasons that have made that possible: firstly, access to incredible talent, secondly, access to more and more capital flowing into the startups and thirdly, a very supportive city of Vienna that has cooperated and collaborated with startups from the very beginning.”
Vienna
Benjamin Rushin, Founding Partner @WeAreDevelopers
“Vienna is a springboard to build a global Company.”
Baher Al Hakim, Co-Founder @ Medicus
“The ecosystem in Vienna is very different for a startup. We are very impressed by the public grant landscape that is very beneficial for starting a green startup business in Austria.”
Katharina Unger, Founder LivinFarm
Ecosystem Highlights
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Economic center in the heart of Europe with around 500 million people
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200 headquarters of international companies are located in Vienna
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The largest German-speaking university location with almost 200,000 students
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1k research institutes
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46k employees in R&D
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17,5% of Viennese enterprises are active in the creative industries
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Rank 1 worldwide: Liveability Ranking 2018 & 2019
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#1 Best global Startup Hub 2019
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Rank 4 worldwide: Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2019
In recent years, Austria has gone from sleeping beauty to innovation and progress. The country welcomes startups and their founders with open arms. In fact, the economic and innovative efforts of enterprises, universities, research and administration are firmly focused on people.
Vienna, in particular, stands for knowledge-intensive, export-oriented economic performance and high-quality workplaces with a strong focus on people. Especially with initiatives like Female Founders, the Viennese ecosystem is very keen on establishing a diverse and inclusive startup environment. But Vienna also attracts many international entrepreneurs for its quality of life, talented labor pool, relatively low cost of living, central geographic location and the availability of early-stage funding – which makes it a great “testing ground” for startups in their very early phase.
All things considered, the fact that prevails is that Vienna is the ‘perfect destination to land your startup’. Know why by also visiting Vienna Business Agency.
Contact
Land & Start
SETTLING IN THE CITY
If you want to settle in Vienna, the main factor you should consider is the duration of your stay. Read about the visa permits and residence requirements on the links below.
In Vienna, there are diverse taxes and social insurance contributions that need to be paid – both by employers and employees. Check the list right here and a summary on page 30 of this digital file. More useful information on this topic below.
- Taxation;
- Guide for business startups (pages 60 to 72).
In what comes to insurance, there are also several forms of financial protection. See them on this link (page 32).
STARTING YOUR BUSINESS
Want to set up your company in Vienna but still don’t know how exactly? The following links will help you with the founding steps.
Contact Vienna’s local leaders for further insights on starting your business in the city.
- Vienna Business Agency;
- ABA-Invest in Austria;
- Arbeitsmarktservice (AMS);
- Austria Wirtschaftsservice (AWS);
- Austrian Startups;
- Home | Das Österreichische Patentamt
- Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft (FFG);
- Chamber of Commerce;
- WAFF;
- Gründerservice;
- WU Entrepreneurship Center;
- AAIA;
- Female Founders;
- Female Factor.
Get to know how to register your startup with competent authorities through this link.
Whether for personal purposes or to manage your business banking, opening a bank account in Austria is highly secure. The links below will clarify all your doubts.
Find the right location for your company and get all the necessary information on business parks, conference rooms and much more.
Access to capital
Financing is one of the most important issues involved in founding a startup. For this reason, Austria offers a comprehensive system of public funding. The most important funding sources in Austria are the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (aws). They offer non-repayable grants, guarantees or subsidized loans. You should also check the Vienna Business Agency website, which lists attractive and updated funding programs.
| Advice about Capital | Major VC’s in the country + Angels |
|---|---|
| If you’re looking for information on capital, follow this link. It helps you get access to consulting services on the topic. | Get to know a list of the biggest VC’s and Business Angels in Vienna. |
Access to talent
Austria is rich in talents; people are the foundation of tomorrow’s knowledge-based society. Therefore, the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology strongly supports people in research and development: The discovery, support and development of young talents focuses on students. But established researchers are supported as well to make the most of their talents. In addition, projects which ensure equality for men and women in research are funded. Further information on the links below. Europe’s first job platform for female talents by the female factor; Career Coaching – Find your dream job | HRos.io; Recruiting services; Start Us Jobs; Derbrutkasten, Tech Jobs In Vienna | You Deserve A Better Job | #TJF23 (techjobsfair.com).
Education
Vienna has many universities and educational programs in all branches of knowledge. From those teaching institutions come the best minds and that’s due to the school system in the country. Find out why Vienna is also a reference in what comes to education. Education & Research Tertiary Education in Vienna
Tech Ecosystem
Hot startups & scaleups
New companies
Markets
Diversity and Inclusion
Vienna is, above all, a city of Human Rights, where equality is granted both for natives and for migrants. Characterized by multiculturalism, the city makes the integration process in business – and in all-day affairs – easy for everyone. Check out the diversity-related programs in Vienna.
- Women Entreprise Service;
- Integration and Diversity;
- Women in Vienna;
- Gender mainstreaming.
- 7 Reasons Why Vienna is the European Capital of Female Entrepreneurship.
Vienna in the Media
EIT Manufacturing expands in Vienna
The manufacturing industry at the Technology Centre Seestadt now has even more space. Check out how this Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is expanding in the city.
Why Vienna is the ‘Prime Location’ to start a business
Vienna is known both for its history and music, but the Austrian capital also shows the best potential to launch new businesses. Check out why on this article from Forbes.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CITY
Being the birthplace of great personalities such as Mozart or Freud, Vienna is naturally a city of art, music and culture. The modern architecture of the city’s buildings, together with the stunning museums and galleries, also strengthen that fact. And there’s much more to this huge spot of happiness and well-being: we have the coffee houses, the best wine taverns – and experiences -, the relaxing breath of the hiking regions or the winter hideaways. Meet Vienna and get started in the city.
City Map
ACTIVITIES & CASE STUDIES
- Sucess Stories
- Workshops
- Events
- Calls/Competitions
- AustrianStartups Awesomeness Awards;
- 104 startups to watch in 2021;
There is no doubt that the Viennese startup ecosystem experienced rapid growth in recent years, with new startups in various verticals, startups growing to scaleups, new university initiatives and a rising number of investors, mentors, co-working spaces, events, etc.
To strengthen this growth, “Gründen in Wien” was born in 2014. This project could best be described as an ‘open house’ event where all relevant stakeholders of the Viennese startup scene have the opportunity to present their services, know-how and projects to a broader audience. Get to know everything about the initiative and form the best partnerships to boost your business.
Since 2014, Vienna developed further as an international startup hub and is now taking the open house concept of “Gründen in Wien” a step further with ViennaUP – a unique festival with a series of online events organized by the community for the community of startups, investors and talents. Participants from all around the globe have the opportunity to tune in to dozens of events across different industries and branches. The next edition will go live from May 30 to June 7, 2023.
The AustrianStartups Awesomeness Awards is also worth mentioning. It’s the best way to show gratitude and praise the positive impact of the Austrian startup leaders and entrepreneurs. So, you can guess it: in Austria, there is always a way to scale a business, but also to congratulate your work as an entrepreneur.
