Focus on startups: Austria at top tech events

With approx. 70,000 participants and more than 3,000 exhibitors from 160 countries, the Web Summit in Lisbon is one of the largest tech conferences in the world. Both Austria and Austrian companies were strongly represented again this year, with 480 participants and a joint Austrian stand organised by the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Vienna Business Agency and ecoplus. A drone with a VR set from Infineon and a gondola from Doppelmayer attracted the attention of the international audience at the Austrian stand. ABA presented Austria as an excellent business location, especially for startups and scale-ups. In separate sessions, ABA provided information on topics such as "Funding and Founding in Austria" and presented the Austrian tech industry. There was also plenty of opportunity to exchange ideas with international skilled workers about Austria as a place to work. 

Slush, one of Europe's leading startup and technology festivals, turned Helsinki into a meeting place for the European startup scene for two days. The event attracted more than 13,000 visitors this year, including many from Austria. For the first time, the country was represented through a joint presence: Together with Verbund, the Vienna Region, the Vienna Business Agency, and Advantage Austria, the Austrian Business Agency (ABA) welcomed Slush attendees – startups, founders, VCs, corporates-, for a whole day of content-driven program. Highlights included the panels on "Green Solutions Made in Austria", "Impact Solutions Made in Vienna", and "Inclusion Made in Vienna" where experts discussed the opportunities Austria and more precisely Vienna has to offer to international startups. Moreover, four Vienna-based startups partly with international founders, pitched at Tampere-based Platform 6, and MATR, circular economy startup from Vienna with a US-Austrian female founding team was invited to pitch at the Enterprise Europe Network booth.