Founder Institute Vienna

Hey everyone, if you have a bit of time during the holidays, we have an event : "Startup Funding AMA & Founder Institute Info Session" coming up at 7:00pm, Dec 30, 2024 CET, where you will have to possibility to ask all your questions related to startup funding and FI from Jonathan Greechan, the CEO of Founder Institute🤩 If you are interested you can RSVP at https://fi.co/e/360247. It should be fun, don't miss it! #startups #startupfunding #ama #startupama #founderinstitute #founderjourney #startupevent Ingeborg Gasser-Kriss Athanasios T. Ladopoulos Kasia Sadowska Stephan Kreiger

"I need months to build my MVP..." If you’re a software start-up, this mindset needs to change. Speed is critical, and getting to a working MVP faster is non-negotiable. Here’s the truth: 💡 Focus on the problem you are solving, not the solution. Your users care about value, not how complex your technology is. 💡 Ask yourself: How can I deliver value with my current resources? Start small, stay lean, and prioritize impact. 💡 No technical skills? No problem! The new wave of AI-powered tools allows you to build apps with just a prompt. Coding skills are no longer a barrier to execution. What’s absolutely essential? Iterate, iterate, iterate. Adopt the cycle: Build, Measure, Learn — and repeat it 50, 100, or even more times. Each iteration brings you closer to a product that truly solves user needs. Start solving real problems faster, and don’t let perfection stand in the way of progress. 🚀 I’ll be joining incredible product leaders from Crowdlinker (Aram Mughalyan ), Revido (Rodrig N.), Save Your Wardrobe (Mehdi Doghri), Rootquotient (Parthasarathi Raghavan), and Goodspeed (Harish Malhi) at an event organised by Founder Institute. Together, we’ll provide actionable insights and guidance to help you bridge the gap between vision and execution. 🚀 This is your chance to turn your MVP into a solution that solves real problems and creates real value. #MVPFeedback #StartupGrowth #BuildFast #ProductDevelopment

🚀 Exciting Partnership Announcement! 🚀 We’re thrilled to announce a new collaboration between Founder Institute Vienna and weXelerate. This partnership is about empowering startups to scale their businesses and make a global impact. Together, we’ll: - Co-organize events to connect and inspire the entrepreneurial community. - Match startups with the best opportunities, ensuring founders find the perfect programs to suit their needs. - Provide resources and hands-on support for startups navigating the scaling journey. 🎉 Calling all Viennese and soon-to-be Viennese startups! 🚀 If you’re ready to collaborate, innovate, and shape a brighter future, this is your moment! - Venturecake Applications are NOW OPEN! 🍰 Don’t miss your chance to join Austria’s first co-owned accelerator and take your startup to the next level. Why Apply? The program offers: 🤝 Direct access to corporates for collaborations, pilot projects, and new customers. 💡 Personalized mentoring from successful founders, industry experts and funding preparation with investor readiness support and sparring sessions. 🏢 A professional co-working space in central Vienna with flex desks and a business address. 📣Marketing support through Venturecake and weXelerate channels to boost visibility and perks like up to $250,000 in Google Cloud credits. 💸 The top-performing startup on Demo Day will win a €25,000 cash prize—no strings attached! If you have global ambitions and you’re already incorporated or planning to incorporate in Vienna, be sure to apply now: 📅 Applications close January 12th. 🔗 Apply here: https://venturecake.eu ❓ Questions? - Join the info session:  https://lnkd.in/d6uMtZ7G If you’re not yet incorporated, don’t miss the early deadline for the Founder Institute’s Core Program—your first step toward building a scalable, global startup! 🚀 We’re excited to work with weXelerate to support the next wave of impactful startups. If you’re ready to scale and innovate, this is your chance to turn your vision into a reality. Let’s bake your success together! 🍰 Clemens Böhmer Awi Lifshitz Iva Kojić Kasia Sadowska Stephan Kreiger Stanish GUNASEKARAN Jacqueline Kressner

📣 F.I. Vienna Mentor of the Week : Michaela Stephen. ❓ We asked Michaela Stephen, three questions ❓ 💡 1) What makes, in your #experience, a #successful #founding #team? 💡 >>MATR® being a prime example of a fantastic founding team<< 💡2) For our #early #startup #founding #community and entrepreneurs, what would be the #3 #pieces of #advice they should they consider before they embark on their #entrepreneurial #journey?💡 💡3) Looking back on all the #experience you have had #founding a #team, building your company, travelling the globe meeting strategic partners and investors and participating in various accelerator and circular economy startup competitions. What has been your #biggest #learnings, what would #you #do #over & #over #again and what #would #you have #avoided, knowing what you know now!💡 📣📣📣 Michaela Stephen #Answers 📣📣📣 1) To me, a successful founding team is one that is built on trust, understanding and the ability to be vulnerable with each other. We're not out here to be perfect - we're out here to build a sustainable business together. We have to ride through lots of messy moments whilst keeping each other grounded and focusing on our shared vision. All of that takes courage and can be incredibly scary. Having someone who you trust and can be vulnerable with makes the journey much more enjoyable. 🤲 2) #TopTip01: From day 1, make sure you have a co-founder contract in place.  #TopTip02: Startup life is chaotic and fast. It's easy to get lost and feel like you are not moving forward. Therefore, always celebrate the small wins, keep a list of them somewhere handy and reflect on them every few weeks. It keeps you going and reminds you of your progress. #TopTip03: Learn to love and accept the answer 'no,' especially when it comes to sales. Then, develop the mindset that every 'no' will eventually lead you to your next 'yes!' Determination is key. 🚀 3) My biggest learning would be that if you are not failing, you are not doing it right. This is especially true when it comes to customer feedback - you can't build something your customer loves without making some mistakes along the way and really learning from their feedback. You have to continually test and refine as you go. I am proud that we have this in our company culture at MATR. And, if I could turn back time, I would have avoided not listening to my gut feeling. It sounds cliché, but its true: make the hard decisions quickly before it costs you a lot more in the long run. ☘️ 🌟 Michaela Stephen🌟 Co-Founder of MATR, an award-winning circular economy company from Austria who created the first circular economy mattress solution for hotels that saves them time, money and CO2 all whilst supporting our mission of putting an end to mattress waste. #FounderInstituteVienna #MentorSeries #ViennaStartupEcosystem #MATR #MichaelaStephen #MerryXmas Stanish GUNASEKARAN Stephan Kreiger Kasia Sadowska

🎉We finished the year with an incredible Startup Holiday Mixer! 🎉 Thank you to everyone who joined us last night at the Founder Institute Vienna Holiday Mixer! It was truly inspiring to see so many entrepreneurs, mentors, and startup enthusiasts come together to celebrate the season and connect with Vienna’s thriving startup ecosystem. From the engaging conversations to the creative (and hilariously ugly!) Christmas sweaters, the event was a reminder of the power of community and collaboration. A huge shoutout to our team Jacqueline Kressner Stephan Kreiger Stanish GUNASEKARAN mentors, partners, and attendees for making this event so special, and special thanks to Wirtschaftsagentur Wien and Gregor-Robert Posch, and to ÖBB Innovation Hub Werner Summerer Ernesto Jose Lunar Koch for sponsorship. 🌟 Congrats to the winner of our ugliest Christmas Sweater Compettion. Christian Zeidler ✨ 🚀 Are you ready to turn your big idea into a scalable startup in 2025? Applications for our next Founder Institute Vienna cohort are open, and the early deadline to apply is December 15th. This is your chance to join a global network of founders and mentors, gain access to our proven curriculum, and build the foundation for a successful tech-enabled business. Exciting news for all the early birds, there is a special deal from textwerk and Peter Suwandschieff waiting for you. Visit the Founder Institute Vienna page to read more about it. 👉 Don’t miss out—apply here: Link in the comment. Let’s make 2025 the year you bring your vision to life! #FounderInstituteVienna #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Innovation

🌟 Another Special Offer for Early Applicants 🌟 We’re excited to partner with textwerk, a specialized PR agency for startups, to help our founders amplify their message and get noticed by the right audiences! Whether you’re launching your startup or scaling your presence, Textwerk provides the tools and expertise to get your story heard. 📣 Exclusive Offer for FI Vienna Founders: 🌟 All our Founder Institute Vienna founders will get 20% off of the “All-in-Package” which includes: - Press Release Creation - Distribution (DACH Region) - Post-Campaign Follow-Up and Monitoring - Media Monitoring - EO-optimized Distribution on Online PR Portals Additionally, amongst all founders who register for the Founder Institute Vienna Core Program before the early deadline on 15.12., we will be giving away 5 packages of the SEO-optimized Distribution, worth €300 each, for free! 🎉 (Provided you go through with the program and take the All-in Package) 👉 Don’t miss this opportunity to kickstart your PR journey with professional support.  Founder Institute also has many more freebies and discounts for early-stage founders, check our partners page for more details here: fi.co/partners. Big thanks to textwerk and Peter Suwandschieff for empowering our founders to make an impact. Let’s amplify your voice and grow your startup together! 🚀

🎄 Last Spots Available for the Holiday Mixer! 🎄 Join us on December 9th at 6:00 p.m. at the ÖBB Innovation Factory for an evening of festive fun, networking, and holiday cheer! Meet local entrepreneurs, CEOs, investors, and startup enthusiasts while connecting with the Founder Institute Vienna community. 🎅 Why Attend? - Meet mentors, leaders, and fellow founders - Network with Vienna’s vibrant startup ecosystem - Celebrate with hot wine, gingerbread, and holiday vibes 🎁 Don’t forget your ugly Christmas sweater—prizes await the ugliest winner! 🚨 Spots are limited—register now (link in the comments) to secure your place. Let’s celebrate the season together! 🎉

🌟 Special Offer for Early Applicants 🌟 Our early deadline is quickly approaching on 15.12. and we have an exciting offer for everybody who applies until then: 5 Licenses Of PitchBob.io Super Pro, worth $99 each! 🎉 Founder Institute Vienna recently partnered with PitchBob to make the life of our founders easier. 🚀 🤖 Who is PitchBob? Pitchbob is an AI Pitch Deck Generator which helps founders with a plethora of tasks. It’s a Chatbot asking you targeted questions in order to support you with: ✏️ Crafting a pitch deck and refining your statements 📈 Analyzing your market based on accumulated data 📆 Drafting a roadmap 🧮 Building a business plan and financial model ✉️ Creating startup visa applications And many more of the tasks which every founder eventually has to go through. We tested Pitchbob ourselves and were impressed by its capabilities, especially with its ability to both challenge your startup like an investor and offer suggestions for improvement. Using it correctly will save you tons of time so you can focus on building your product. 🛠️ All founders who register for the Founder Institute Vienna Core Program before the early deadline will have the chance to win one of 5 SUPER PRO Licenses for PitchBob, worth $99 each! 🎉 (Provided you actually do the program 😉) Don’t miss this opportunity to sharpen your pitch and gain an edge in securing funding! Big thanks to Thomas Walbert and Dmitry Maslennikov for making this partnership possible! #startup #startuppitch #Austrianstartups

Finding your first customers doesn't have to be complicated. They're already online talking about what they need. The trick is knowing where to look and how to join the conversation. Social media and online forums are goldmines for finding your first customers. Keep an eye on conversations where people are asking for recommendations or discussing their challenges. Sometimes the best opportunities come from watching competitor conversations – people expressing frustration with existing products are often open to alternatives. Private online communities are where the real magic happens. Whether it's Slack channels, Facebook groups, LinkedIn communities, or professional forums like Reddit and Quora, these spaces are perfect for building genuine connections. The key is to show up consistently, share your expertise freely, and focus on being genuinely helpful before even thinking about sales. The final piece of the puzzle is actively participating in online industry events like webinars and Q&As. These regular gatherings are perfect opportunities to showcase your expertise and build lasting relationships with potential customers. Being a guest speaker or host can position you as an authority in your field.

Hi Community 🎄 With the holiday season upon us, join us for a festive evening to celebrate with local entrepreneurs, CEOs, executives, investors, and startup enthusiasts! The Founder Institute Holiday Mixer is the perfect opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and connect with potential partners, colleagues, and mentors. 📅 When: December 9th at 6:00 p.m. 📍 Where: ÖBB Innovation Factory 🎉 Why Attend? Connect with Founder Institute Leaders, Mentors, and Founders in a fun, social setting Meet others interested in startups and technology Celebrate the holidays while networking with Vienna’s startup ecosystem 🎁 Who Should Attend? Anyone with a startup idea or an early-stage company Anyone looking to join a startup or find a co-founder Anyone curious about the Founder Institute program 🎅 Don’t forget to wear your ugly Christmas sweater—we’ll have a contest to pick the ugliest winner! Spots are limited, and we need to plan for drinks and snacks, so please let us know if you’re coming by registering here - Link in the comment. Let’s celebrate the season together!