ViennaUP’24 – Austria's capital in the spotlight of the European startup scene

From 3 to 9 June 2024, Vienna was dominated by the ViennaUP'24, which has emerged as an important meeting place for the European and international startup scene. Initiated by the Vienna Business Agency, organised with and by 41 global and local cooperation partners (including the ABA), over 80 events were held in 11 Viennese districts and 33 locations spread across the city and 10,000 participants from over 90 countries took part. The decentralised event once again offered the opportunity to experience as much as possible of and in Vienna and, of course, a unique platform for exchange, networking, collaboration and innovation. 

A variety of workshops, conferences, pitch sessions, hackathons, trade fairs and insightful one-on-one discussions awaited visitors. With a programme as diverse as Vienna's startup community, the ViennaUP programme focused on topics such as social entrepreneurship, climate protection, the role of digital technologies in building an environmentally conscious urban society, the creative industries and women-led businesses. 

Connect Day: More than 1,300 participants and 1,500 matchmaking sessions 

A core event of the festival was the Connect Day, which was organised by the aws with cooperation partners such as the ABA and other organisations and took place on the premises of the Vienna Economic Chamber. This day was all about networking and, with more than 250 investors, over 1,300 participants and more than 1,500 matchmaking events, offered the opportunity to make valuable business contacts and initiate promising collaborations. 

Keynotes, discussions and presentations at Connect Day 24 focussed on artificial intelligence, green tech and the opportunities for startups in the Austrian ecosystem. One highlight was the corporate reverse pitches by corporations/SMEs on cooperation opportunities with startups as well as the international and national startup pitches. These were supported by various organisations, including the ABA and the Global Incubator Network (GIN). They offered startups the opportunity to present their solutions and products to a broad audience and receive direct feedback from potential investors and partners. 

ViennaUP'24 has once again shown that Austria is and remains a critical hub for the European startup community, a platform that promotes real innovation and helps shape the future of technology.