What VRVis does

VRVis (VRVis GmbH, Vienna Research Center for Visual Computing) is Austria's largest research facility in Visual Computing, founded in 2000 and operating as a COMET center that links image processing, visualization, extended reality, simulation, and artificial intelligence. The organization works through seven specialized research groups and produces a portfolio of proprietary software products — scenarify (hydrodynamic flood and heavy-rain simulation), HORA 3D (object-based 3D flood-risk visualization integrated into Austria's hora.gv.at platform), PRo3D (planetary surface visualization for Mars exploration), Brain* (neuroscience data management for confocal microscopy), Visplore (visual analytics for big data), and others — that are licensed or delivered as services.

The business model is B2B and sales-led, with four interlocking revenue streams: (1) core operational funding through the Austrian COMET program managed by FFG and supported by federal ministries and regional governments (Tyrol, Vorarlberg, Vienna); (2) collaborative research project contracts funded by EU programs (Horizon Europe, EUI-IA), national agencies (FFG), and direct industry commissions; (3) licensing of proprietary software products, increasingly distributed through channel partners such as DHI; and (4) custom consulting and prototype-to-product development for industry clients. Customer segments span water management, transportation and railway, energy, automotive, manufacturing, agriculture and life sciences, biomedical/healthcare, space and planetary science, and urban planning.

Customer logos include ÖBB Infrastruktur, Wiener Linien, Plasser & Theurer, Voestalpine, Austrian Power Grid, RHI Magnesita, AVL List, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture (BML), the Austrian Insurance Association (VVO), Stadt Wien, OOWV, StEB Köln, and Hamburg Wasser, with academic collaboration through TU Wien, TU Graz, BOKU, and international partners including the German Aerospace Center (DLR), ESA, and Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg. Operations are anchored in Vienna (Donau-City-Straße 11), with primary geographic focus on the DACH region and selective international reach through EU-funded projects.

Name

VRVis

Legal name

VRVis GmbH

Website

https://vrvis.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Short description

VRVis is Austria's largest COMET-funded Visual Computing research center, developing proprietary simulation, 3D visualization, and AI tools (scenarify, HORA 3D, PRo3D, Brain*) for industry and government clients in water management, railway, energy, and biomedical sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. COMET Center Funding: VRVis GmbH is funded within the COMET - Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies program (911654) by BMIMI, BMWET, Land Tirol, Land Vorarlberg and Wirtschaftsagentur Wien, managed by FFG. This provides core operational funding as an Austrian COMET center.
2. Research Project Contracts: Direct collaboration with industry partners, municipalities, and government agencies on funded research projects (EU, national, regional). Projects include EU-funded initiatives like Horizon Europe, FFG projects, and direct contracts with partners such as ÖBB, Wiener Linien, and various water management organizations.
3. Software Licensing and Products: Licensing of proprietary software products including scenarify, PRo3D, Visplore, Brain*, and HORA 3D. The company develops and licenses specialized visualization and simulation software solutions.
4. B2B Consulting and Custom Development: Custom Visual Computing solutions, consulting, and prototype-to-product development services for industry clients seeking technology advantages.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VRVis is Austria's largest research facility for Visual Computing, operating as a COMET center that combines image processing, XR, AI, reconstruction, visual analytics, simulation, and visualization. The company develops proprietary software products (scenarify, PRo3D, Visplore, Brain*, HORA 3D) and provides consulting, prototyping, and licensed software solutions for industry clients in automotive, energy, water management, space, and life sciences.

Product overview

VRVis is a research center combining Visual Computing with AI and Simulation. Rather than a unified platform, it offers a portfolio of specialized products: scenarify (flood simulation and water management), Visplore (visual analytics for big data), PRo3D (planetary/geospatial 3D visualization), Brain* (neuroscience data platform), ComVis (interactive visualization), GEARViewer (geospatial tools), SimVis (simulation visualization), and Aardvark (specialized visualization). Products target industry clients in automotive, data science, energy, geology, Industry 4.0, infrastructure, climate adaptation, life sciences, medicine, and space sectors, with offerings including consulting, prototyping, and licensed software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• scenarify Interactive simulation-based decision support system for environmental modeling focused on water management, including flood forecasting, heavy rain simulation, and climate adaptation planning. Features on-the-fly hydrodynamic calculations and 3D visualization for stakeholder communication.
• Visplore Software tool for interactive visualizations and visual analytics for big data. Delivered as operational dashboards for manufacturing, energy, and engineering applications, supporting quality control and analytical workflows.
• PRo3D Interactive 3D visualization tool for planetary and geospatial data analysis. Supports geological interpretation, surface reconstruction visualization, and Mars exploration with GIS functionality including overlay of rover tracks and data locations.
• Brain* Web-based data science platform for neuroscience research, designed to host, manage, visualize, and mine large collections of confocal microscopy images.
• ComVis Interactive visualization system for various data types and scientific applications.
• GEARViewer Geospatial visualization and analysis tool.
• SimVis Simulation visualization tool.
• Aardvark Specialized visualization product.
• HORA 3D World's first object-based 3D visualization of flood risks, providing personalized flood risk visualization as an interactive web service for the general public, integrated into hora.gv.at platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• HORA 3D processes terabytes of data and responds to search queries within seconds
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

35 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stadt Wien (City of Vienna)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Lead municipal partner in ADUCAT project for climate-resilient city development. Contributing to implementation of satellite data and AI solutions for urban climate adaptation in Vienna.
• DHIcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDHI serves as international reseller for VRVis product scenarify in the water sector. The partnership strengthens international presence of scenarify in the water sector through DHI's global network.
• Urban Innovation Vienna GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in ADUCAT for urban innovation and climate adaptation solutions.
• Wiener Linien GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ADUCAT project for urban mobility and climate adaptation.
• Wiener Lokalbahnen GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ADUCAT project for public transportation climate resilience.
• EuroVienna GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ADUCAT project for climate adaptation solutions.
• AIT Austrian Institute of TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner in multiple projects including ADUCAT and Rail4Future. Contributes expertise in technology development and system integration.
• Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg (Z_GIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in ADUCAT providing geospatial expertise.
• GeoSphere AustriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ADUCAT contributing geological and atmospheric data expertise.
• European Space Agency (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organization through Green Transition Information Factory (GTIF) platform. ESA supports integration of ADUCAT solutions into standardized satellite data infrastructure.
• ÖBB Infrastruktur AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead railway infrastructure partner in Rail4Future project for resilient digital railway systems. Contributing domain expertise and field data for virtual validation platform development.
• Voestalpine Metal Engineering GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustrial partner in Rail4Future contributing metallurgical expertise for railway systems.
• Siemens Mobility Austria GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Rail4Future for rail technology and mobility solutions.
• Wiener Linien GmbH & Co KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban transportation partner in Rail4Future for digital railway systems development.
• TU WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner in Rail4Future and multiple other projects. Provides fundamental research expertise in visualization and engineering.
• TU GrazminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in Rail4Future for railway engineering research.
• TechGate BuildingminorOthersBuilding management for VRVis office location in Vienna's Donau-City.
• TU WiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in ClimaSens for microclimate modeling and urban environmental simulation.
• BOKU WienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ClimaSens for environmental and life sciences expertise.
• Henning Larsen ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partner in ClimaSens for urban design and climate-sensitive planning.
• Rosinak & Partner ZT GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting partner in ClimaSens for urban planning consultancy.
• Wien 3420 aspern Development AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban development partner in ClimaSens for smart city pilot applications.
• Otto von Guericke University MagdeburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead academic partner in Agri-PET/MRI for MRI technology development in agriculture. EU funding of 1.57 million euros.
• InnomedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Agri-PET/MRI for medical imaging technology.
• Bonifiche Ferraresi (IBF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural company partner in Agri-PET/MRI for practical application of imaging technology in plant cultivation.
• AITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in GREENGAGE for environmental monitoring and citizen engagement technology.
• Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Regionen und Wasserwirtschaft (BML)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract partner and commissioner for HORA 3D natural hazard visualization platform. Major government client for climate risk communication.
• Versicherungsverband Österreich (VVO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funding partner for HORA 3D with significant investment in flood risk visualization for insurance industry applications.
• Medical University of Vienna (MedUni)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member partner in Austrian BioImaging/CMI consortium for correlated multimodal imaging in life sciences.
• Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities GmbH (VBCF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Austrian BioImaging/CMI consortium.
• VetMed Uni WienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Austrian BioImaging/CMI consortium for veterinary imaging.
• IST AustriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Austrian BioImaging/CMI consortium.
• German Aerospace Center (DLR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in CosmoWeather project for VR solutions in space weather research. Provides CosmoScout VR software platform.
• Stadtentwässerungsbetriebe KölncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerApplication partner in Floodvisor project using scenarify for flood and storm water management in Cologne region.
• Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesischer Wasserverband (OOWV)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioning client for Starkregengefahrenkarte PLUS project. OOWV is Germany's largest water supplier with area of 7,457 km².

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• INRIA: French national institute for digital science research with strong visual computing, AI, and simulation groups. Comparable academic-and-industry collaboration model, overlapping talent base in computer graphics, and similar EU funding profile, though with greater emphasis on fundamental research.
• TNO: Dutch applied scientific research organization with applied visual computing, simulation, and data analytics groups. Closely parallels VRVis's industry-collaboration model and competes for similar European industrial research contracts and government partnerships.
• VITO: Belgian Flemish institute for technological research with applied AI, remote sensing, and sustainability programs. Comparable European applied-research profile with EU project participation, industrial spin-off activity, and licensing-based commercialization in adjacent environmental domains.
• SINTEF: One of Europe's largest independent applied research organizations, based in Scandinavia. Shares the visual computing, simulation, and applied AI focus, with similar industry-anchored research projects and Nordic/EU funding profile, though broader across ocean, energy, and health verticals.

Direct peers

• Joanneum Research: Austrian COMET center and one of Austria's largest non-university research providers. Shares the same COMET funding structure, government funding dependencies, and B2B research-plus-licensing business model as VRVis, with overlapping application areas in geospatial and digitalization research.
• DHI Group: Danish water and environment software firm that develops MIKE simulation tools. DHI is both a strategic reseller for VRVis's scenarify product and a competing provider of hydrodynamic/flood simulation software serving the same global water-utility customer base.
• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's largest applied research organization, with institutes like Fraunhofer IGD and IAIS working on visual computing, AI, and simulation. Operates a similar model of public funding plus industry contract research and has overlapping research groups, talent pools, and EU project participation.
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: Austria's largest non-university research institute, partnering with VRVis on ADUCAT and Rail4Future projects. Operates a comparable Austrian applied-research model with government funding, EU grants, and industry collaboration, often competing for the same funding pools and customers.

Broad incumbents

• Esri: Dominant global GIS and geospatial visualization platform (ArcGIS). Competes with VRVis's geospatial and visualization capabilities (PRo3D, GEARViewer, scenarify's map layers) at a vastly larger commercial scale, serving the same government and infrastructure customers but as part of a much broader enterprise platform.
• ANSYS: Global leader in engineering simulation software with visualization as an integrated capability. Competes broadly with VRVis's simulation work in automotive and manufacturing (AVL, RHI Magnesita use cases), but at vastly greater commercial scale with global sales infrastructure and an enterprise platform play.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VRVis
• Facebookfacebook.com/vrvisvienna
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vrvis-zentrum-f%C3%BCr-virtual-reality-und-visualisierung-forschungs-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/vrvis_austria
• Xx.com/vrvis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 VRVis