Ars Electronica

What Ars Electronica does

Ars Electronica Linz GmbH & Co KG is a non-profit cultural institution founded in 1979 and headquartered at Ars-Electronica-Straße 1, Linz, Austria. It is wholly owned by the City of Linz through Unternehmensgruppe der Stadt Linz Holding GmbH and operates an integrated ecosystem spanning the Ars Electronica Center (Museum of the Future, opened 1996), an annual festival (September 9-13), the Prix Ars Electronica worldwide media art competition, the Futurelab R&D division, corporate Solutions and international Export services, the CREATE YOUR WORLD youth initiative, and Future Thinking School programs for institutions. Core proprietary technology centers on Deep Space 8K — an immersive 16x9 meter wall-and-floor projection venue — supplemented by Uniview (space visualization), Virtual Anatomy with Cinematic Rendering, and Brain-Computer Interface/Neurobionik demonstrations.

The organization serves five primary segments: general public and families visiting the museum; K-12 schools and teachers needing curriculum-aligned digital education (Digitale Grundbildung); universities including JKU Linz and MIT Media Lab for research collaboration; corporate clients seeking team events, innovation workshops, and exclusive Deep Space sessions; and international artists participating in Prix Ars Electronica and the festival. Revenue is generated through a hybrid mix including museum admissions and Deep Space tickets, festival programming, Prix submission fees, fee-based educational workshops and school packages (€42-€51 per student for four visits), corporate event and Deep Space exclusive bookings (up to €108+ per group), recurring corporate partnerships with Siemens, Zeiss, HP, KUKA, NVIDIA, Linz AG, Audemars Piguet, Hyundai and others, and EU-funded programs such as S+T+ARTS (European Commission) and NextGenerationEU energy grants. The 101-250 employee organization exports exhibitions globally through its Export division and operates an Asia-facing presence via Ars Electronica Japan and the Hyundai Motor Group-backed VH AWARD.

Name

Ars Electronica

Legal name

Ars Electronica Linz GmbH & Co KG

Website

https://ars.electronica.art

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ars Electronica is a municipally-owned Austrian cultural institution founded in 1979, operating a museum, annual festival, media art competition, R&D lab, and international exhibition export services at the intersection of art, technology, and society.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural institution and digital arts center

akta.pro primary industry

Science & Technology Museums (THAJADAD)

Keywords

• Digital art museum
• Media arts center
• Cultural institution services
• Interactive exhibitions
• Art technology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Linz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Museum Admission and Tickets: Revenue from visitors to the Ars Electronica Center museum, including tickets for exhibitions and Deep Space 8K experiences.
2. Festival and Events: Annual Ars Electronica Festival attracts visitors and generates revenue through event programming focused on art, technology, and society.
3. Prix Ars Electronica Competition: Worldwide competition for media art, including submission fees and associated programming.
4. Educational Programs and Workshops: Fees from school programs, workshops for children, corporate training, and teacher professional development.
5. Exhibition Export Services: Ars Electronica Export provides exhibitions, events, and workshops worldwide to international clients.
6. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: Ongoing partnerships with companies including Siemens, Zeiss, HP, KUKA, Linz AG, and others who support the center and its programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ars Electronica operates the Ars Electronica Center (Museum of the Future) in Linz, Austria, hosting exhibitions on AI, robotics, neuroscience and biotechnology; runs an annual international festival for art, technology and society; administers the worldwide Prix Ars Electronica media art competition; and conducts R&D through its Futurelab. It also delivers educational programs, corporate innovation services (Solutions), and exports exhibitions and workshops internationally (Export division).

Product overview

Ars Electronica is a multi-faceted organization operating at the intersection of art, technology, and society. Its core offerings include the Ars Electronica Center (Museum of the Future) featuring interactive exhibitions on AI, robotics, and biotechnology; the annual Ars Electronica Festival; the Prix Ars Electronica worldwide media art competition; and the Futurelab research laboratory. Supporting services include Solutions (innovation consulting for institutions), Export (international exhibitions), Create Your World/u19 (youth education), and Future Thinking School (corporate education). Key technological experiences include Deep Space 8K (ultra-high resolution immersive projections) and HandsOn presentations. The ecosystem is supported by Platform Europe, Citizen Science Prize, and Ars Electronica Japan. Educational offerings span from Kids Research Laboratory to university programs, while digital access is provided through Home Delivery and the Ars Electronica Podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ars Electronica Center: The museum of the future featuring exhibitions on AI, robotics, neuroscience, autonomous mobility, and biotechnology. Includes Deep Space 8K experience.
• Prix Ars Electronica
• Futurelab
• Ars Electronica Festival
• Future Thinking School
• CREATE YOUR WORLD
• S+T+ARTS Prize
• Deep Space 8K
• Ars Electronica Solutions
• Ars Electronica Export

Products and services

• Ars Electronica Center The main Museum of the Future in Linz, Austria, featuring interactive exhibitions on AI, robotics, neuroscience, autonomous mobility, genetic engineering and biotechnology for general visitors, families, and school groups.
• Ars Electronica Festival Annual multi-day international festival featuring exhibitions, workshops and commissioned projects at the intersection of art, technology and society, held in Linz.
• Prix Ars Electronica Worldwide competition for media art accepting submissions across multiple categories including u19 for young creators, with juries and winners programs.
• Futurelab R&D laboratory and studio developing innovative projects, works and collaborations at the intersection of art and technology.
• Deep Space 8K

Quantifiable outcome

• €156,000 energy efficiency improvements funded by EU NextGenerationEU completed in April 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hyundai Motor GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 May 2026Partnership for the 7th VH AWARD media art competition. Ars Electronica provides an expanded online residency program as part of this partnership. Hyundai provides production grants for five finalists. The award focuses on media artists engaged with the context of Asia.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the S+T+ARTS Prize, promoting innovation at the intersection of science, technology, and arts across Europe. Ars Electronica manages this European Commission initiative.
• ESA (European Space Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for space-related educational programs. ESERO Austria, the European Space Education Resource Office, operates in partnership with ESA at Ars Electronica Center, bringing space and astronomy content to educational programs.
• JKU Linz (Johannes Kepler University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership including the Institute of Computational Perception at JKU, collaborating on research and educational initiatives at the intersection of technology and perception.
• MIT Media LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration with MIT Media Lab for media art and technology projects.
• Linz AGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal energy and technology company, partner of the Ars Electronica Center.
• City of LinzcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHost city and primary stakeholder. Ars Electronica is a node in the Austrian and international network of business, science, art, and education. The city owns the organization through Kreativität, Kultur & Veranstaltungen der Stadt Linz Holding GmbH.
• Upper Austria (Land Oberösterreich)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional government partner supporting Ars Electronica Center operations and programs.
• Arbeiterkammer Oberösterreich (AK OÖ)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLabor chamber partnership providing free holiday program access for children of AK members and supporting educational initiatives.
• Audemars PiguetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss luxury watchmaker sponsoring Ars Electronica projects at the intersection of art and technology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe: ZKM is a German museum and research center for media and digital art, with exhibitions, a media art collection, and the Hertzlab research department. It is the closest direct peer to Ars Electronica: similar art+technology remit, museum + research lab + festival structure, and similar European cultural-institution scale.
• Science Museum (London): The Science Museum Group operates flagship science-and-technology museums with immersive exhibitions, educational programming, and corporate partnerships. Directly comparable in offering interactive technology experiences (including AI-themed exhibits) to a general public audience and in combining museum, education, and corporate revenue streams.
• Science Gallery (Trinity College Dublin): Science Gallery runs a global network of venues targeting young adults with exhibitions at the intersection of art, science, and technology. It is closely comparable in audience, art+tech positioning, and university partnership model, with a more decentralized (network) operating footprint than Ars Electronica.
• Serpentine Galleries: Serpentine is a London art gallery known for commissioning technology-infused and digital art exhibitions and operating programs that cross into science and technology. Comparable in its art+technology curation, festival-style programming, and corporate partnership model, with a London anchor and international touring exhibitions.
• NEMO Science Museum: NEMO is a leading Dutch science-and-technology museum offering hands-on exhibitions and educational programs targeting families and schools. Directly comparable as a STEM engagement venue with workshop and educational-program revenue streams, though more focused on physical sciences than on media arts.
• Barbican Centre: The Barbican is a major London arts and conference center combining visual arts, music, film, and technology-driven exhibitions under one roof. Comparable in combining immersive exhibitions, educational programming, and corporate events with a strong art+technology identity, with a larger and more international audience base.

Broad incumbents

• V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum): The V&A is a large London museum with a Design and Digital culture remit, including programming on digital art, AI, and immersive experiences. Comparable in addressing art+technology for public audiences and operating corporate sponsorship and educational programs, with a much larger collection footprint.
• MIT Media Lab: MIT Media Lab is a research lab at MIT that designs technologies at the intersection of art, science, and engineering and partners with industry. Comparable in research remit, art+technology positioning, and as an existing Ars Electronica partner, but organized as an academic lab rather than a museum/festival operator.

Regional players

• Heureka (Finnish Science Centre): Heureka is a Nordic science center operating a flagship museum in Vantaa with interactive exhibitions and educational programs. Comparable in museum-plus-education business model, with a primarily Finnish/Nordic audience and lighter focus on the art+technology dimension that defines Ars Electronica.

Emerging players

• teamLab: teamLab is a digital art collective producing immersive, technology-driven exhibitions and permanent venues globally (Tokyo, Shanghai, etc.). Comparable in delivering large-scale immersive technology experiences to consumer audiences, with a more commercial, franchise-style venue model versus Ars Electronica's single-anchor cultural institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/arselectronica
• Facebookfacebook.com/arselectronica
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arselectronica
• Instagraminstagram.com/arselectronica
• Xx.com/arselectronica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ars Electronica