Science Park Graz

What Science Park Graz does

Science Park Graz GmbH is a private, non-profit high-tech business incubator headquartered at Sandgasse 36/IV in Graz, Austria, founded in 2002 and recognised as the oldest business incubator in Austria. The organisation operates two core incubation tracks: AplusB, a high-technology incubation programme for visionary, technology-oriented founders, and ESA BIC Austria, the Austrian node of the European Space Agency's Business Incubation Centre network (1,100+ startups, 22 countries, 60+ locations), which Science Park Graz has managed and coordinated since 2016. Founders are supported across three Technology Readiness Levels (Ideas TRL 1–3, Prototypes TRL 4–6, On-the-market TRL 7–9) through an 8-week Academy pre-incubation programme, 18- to 24-month incubation packages, business coaching, patent and growth specialists, and access to several hundred mentors from the Styrian business community. Selected ESA BIC startups receive EUR 50,000 of zero-equity funding disbursed in milestones and tied to prototype development costs and IPR protection, while Science Park Graz itself does not take equity in its portfolio companies.

Science Park Graz's deeper technology footprint sits in space-connected innovation, covering Earth Observation (Copernicus satellite data), satellite navigation (Galileo, EGNOS), IoT, AI/Machine Learning, blockchain, robotics, and advanced materials, and supports both Spin In (solutions for the space market) and Spin Out (space technologies applied to terrestrial markets) opportunities, formalised through its Space Connection service. The portfolio spans data analytics (DiLT Analytics), bio-based surfactants (PureSurf), robot-fleet SaaS (openmaind), microbiome-based dermatology (Lanbiotic), AgriTech (UPdrones, SpawnX, ATTA, RoboKraft, REFARMO), and urban aquaculture (Blue Planet Ecosystems), among roughly 40 active startups.

Commercially, the incubator is funded through a mix of public and quasi-public sources: ESA Space Solutions and the Aeronautics and Space Agency (ALR) of FFG for ESA BIC Austria, regional partners SFG (Styria), ITG Salzburg, City of Graz and Lower Austria for co-financing of the EUR 50,000 incentive, and a financing partnership with Steiermärkische Sparkasse GründerCenter for founder debt capital. Channel partnerships with accent inkubator (Lower Austria) and Startup Salzburg (Salzburg) give the operation a national Austrian footprint, while deeper network ties to Graz University of Technology, Medical University of Graz, University of Graz, FH Joanneum, CAMPUS 02, Joanneum Research, Human.technology Styria, Green Tech Cluster Styria and AC Styria Autocluster connect it into the regional research and innovation stack. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; go-to-market is community-led and selection-driven, with up to 1,000 applications processed annually for roughly 12 ESA BIC slots and a larger AplusB cohort.

Name

Science Park Graz

Legal name

Science Park Graz GmbH

Website

https://sciencepark.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Science Park Graz is Austria's oldest high-tech business incubator (founded 2002), running the AplusB programme and managing ESA BIC Austria to support technology-oriented startups across TRL stages with coaching, mentors, and EUR 50,000 of zero-equity space-incubation funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

Keywords

• High-tech startup incubation
• Business incubation services
• Space technology incubation
• Entrepreneurship support programs
• Innovation coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

Graz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Incubation Program Services: Science Park Graz provides incubation services to high-tech startups in exchange for program participation. The organization generates revenue through its role as manager and coordinator of ESA BIC Austria, receiving support from ESA and regional funding partners (SFG, City of Graz, Lower Austria, ITG Salzburg).
2. ESA BIC Austria Management: Science Park Graz serves as the host incubator and manager of ESA BIC Austria since 2016, coordinating the zero-equity funding program that provides EUR 50,000 to 12 startups annually. The organization benefits from ESA funding matched by regional partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Science Park Graz is a non-profit high-tech business incubator operating the AplusB programme (general high-tech startup incubation) and managing ESA BIC Austria (space-related startup incubation) since 2016. It provides 18- to 24-month incubation support packages including experienced business coaches, growth and patent specialists, mentorship from hundreds of industry professionals, and zero-equity funding of EUR 50,000 for selected ESA BIC startups, alongside an 8-week Science Park Academy pre-incubation program.

Product overview

Science Park Graz operates as a high-tech startup incubator offering multiple incubation and support programs. The core offerings include the AplusB program for general high-tech startups and ESA BIC Austria for space-related ventures, both providing 18-month support packages including business coaching, access to mentors, and growth/patent specialists. The Academy serves as an 8-week pre-incubation program preparing founders for selection boards. Space Connection provides guidance on identifying space-related business opportunities. The organization connects startups to hundreds of mentors from Styrian business and industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Science Park Academy: 8-week pre-incubation programme designed to prepare startups for presenting to the Selection Board (AplusB or ESA BIC Austria)
• Science Park Graz Idea Competition
• ESA Space Solutions Austria

Products and services

• AplusB High-Tech Incubation Programme An 18-month high-tech startup incubation program operated as part of the AplusB Austrian incubator network, providing business coaching, growth and patent specialists, and mentor access to technology-oriented founders seeking to transform research-driven ideas into internationally successful businesses.
• ESA BIC Austria Space Incubation Programme A 24-month space-related incubation program selecting approximately 12 startups per year, offering zero-equity funding of EUR 50,000 alongside technical and business support, and integration into Europe's strongest space incubation network (1,100+ startups, 22 countries, 60+ locations).
• Science Park Academy (Pre-Incubation Programme) An 8-week pre-incubation program (also known as Science Park Academy) designed to prepare founders to present their business concept to the Science Park Graz Selection Board for either the AplusB or ESA BIC Austria program.
• Space Connection Advisory Service A structured advisory service providing a guide to help entrepreneurs identify and validate their space connection, covering both Spin In (solutions for the space market) and Spin Out (space technologies applied to non-space markets such as agriculture, health, mobility).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 technology-oriented startups currently supported on-site
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, network and support.

• ESA Space SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016ESA Space Solutions is a core partner of ESA BIC Austria. ESA's Business Incubation Centres (BICs) work to inspire entrepreneurs to turn space-connected business ideas into commercial companies, providing technical expertise and business development support alongside zero-equity funding of EUR 50,000.
• Aeronautics and Space Agency (ALR) of FFGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALR/FFG is the Austrian national space agency and core partner in ESA BIC Austria management, contributing to the Tender Evaluation Board and program oversight.
• accent inkubatorcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccent inkubator is the host incubator for ESA BIC Austria startups based in Wiener Neustadt or Lower Austria, serving as a local incubation partner.
• Startup SalzburgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStartup Salzburg is the host incubator for ESA BIC Austria startups based in Salzburg (city and region), serving as a local incubation partner.
• Graz University of TechnologynetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner contributing to the ESA BIC Austria ecosystem through research collaboration and talent pipeline.
• Medical University of GraznetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner in ESA BIC Austria ecosystem supporting life science and health tech startups.
• University of GraznetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner contributing to ESA BIC Austria's academic ecosystem.
• FH JoanneumnetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Applied Sciences network partner supporting ESA BIC Austria incubation ecosystem.
• CAMPUS 02 University of Applied SciencesnetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner contributing to ESA BIC Austria's startup ecosystem.
• Human.technology Styria (HTS)networkStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner in Styria's human technology cluster supporting ESA BIC Austria ecosystem.
• Green Tech Cluster StyrianetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen technology cluster network partner supporting sustainable tech startups in ESA BIC Austria.
• AC Styria AutoclusternetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive cluster network partner contributing to ESA BIC Austria ecosystem.
• Joanneum ResearchnetworkStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied research institute network partner supporting technology development for ESA BIC Austria startups.
• Brimatech ServicessupportTechnology or IntegrationBusiness and technical support partner providing expertise for ESA BIC Austria startups.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Global accelerator network with mentorship-driven, equity-taking programs. Broad incumbent — comparable as a structured accelerator for tech founders, but targets a broader (non-space-specific) set of verticals and takes equity rather than offering zero-equity.
• Y Combinator: Silicon Valley-based seed accelerator. Broad incumbent — provides structured incubation, mentorship, and seed funding to tech startups; competes with Science Park Graz at the very top of the European founder funnel and offers global network access.
• European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator: EU-level deep-tech accelerator offering grants and equity up to EUR 2.5M (formerly SME Instrument). Broad incumbent — competes with Science Park Graz and ESA BIC Austria for the same deep-tech/space-tech founder pool at a later stage with substantially larger cheques.

Direct peers

• build! Gründerzentrum Kärnten: Carinthian startup center and AplusB member. Direct peer as another regional AplusB incubator offering high-tech incubation support in Austria, competing for academic spin-offs and early-stage founders.
• Startup Salzburg: Salzburg-based startup hub and ESA BIC Austria channel partner. Direct peer — hosts the ESA BIC Austria program for Salzburg-region founders alongside Science Park Graz, operating under the same pan-European ESA BIC network.
• INiTS Universitäres Gründerservice Wien: Vienna-based AplusB high-tech incubator and university spin-off support service. Direct peer as another Austrian AplusB center competing with Science Park Graz for the same pool of academic founders applying to the national AplusB network.
• ESA BIC Bavaria: Bavarian node of the ESA Business Incubation Centre network. Direct peer — sister ESA BIC offering the same EUR 50K zero-equity model, technical support, and pan-European network integration for space-connected startups in Germany.
• accent inkubator: Lower Austria/Wiener Neustadt-based incubator and ESA BIC Austria channel partner. Direct peer — operates the same ESA BIC Austria program for Lower Austrian founders, sharing the EUR 50K incentive and SPG's coordination framework.

Others

• Brimatech Services: Austrian business and technology support firm. Ecosystem peer — listed as a support partner for ESA BIC Austria, providing expertise services to the same founder pool rather than directly competing for incubation slots.

Regional players

• ESA BIC Switzerland: Swiss node of the ESA BIC network. Regional peer — runs an equivalent ESA BIC program for Swiss founders, comparable in structure (zero-equity funding, technical/business support) but operating in a different national ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ScienceParkGraz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9321358
• Instagraminstagram.com/scienceparkgraz/?hl=en
• Xx.com/scienceparkgraz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Science Park Graz