Vienna Business School

What Vienna Business School does

Vienna Business School is a private commercial education network operated by the Fonds der Wiener Kaufmannschaft, a Vienna-based non-profit, running six secondary school campuses across Vienna (districts 1, 2, 8, 21) and Mödling, Lower Austria. Founded in 1857 as the Wiener Handelsakademie — the first commercial academy in the German-speaking world — the network has been consolidated under the Vienna Business School brand since 1997 and currently serves approximately 3,800 students per school year with 82 employees.

The institution's core product portfolio comprises five-year Handelsakademie (HAK) programs leading to the Reife- und Diplomprüfung (matura), three-year Praxis Handelsschule (HAS) programs, and three-year Aufbaulehrgänge (AUL) upgrade tracks for HAS graduates. It offers multiple specialized HAK variants: HAK Plus (enhanced program with coaching), JusHAK (law and business), CyberHAK (cybersecurity — the only school of its kind in Austria), LogistikHAK (logistics, launched 2025/26), and VitalHAK (health and sustainability, launching 2026/27). The technology stack is built on Microsoft Office 365, MS Teams, OneNote, and VBS-Moodle, with 27 computer labs across locations, 2,200 students in notebook classes, and 800 PC/pool notebooks. Certification programs include Microsoft IT Academy, CISCO Networking Academy, SAP, and ECDL. The network operates an Externisten examination center and maintains an active alumni network through the Vienna Business Circle.

Go-to-market is sales-led through open house events (Tage der offenen Tür), information sessions, and a documented admissions process requiring an application interview with the school director and a EUR 50 processing fee. Revenue is derived primarily from recurring tuition subscriptions, with supplementary revenue from event tickets (notably the annual VBS Ball at Vienna City Hall drawing 3,500 attendees), corporate partnerships, and seminars/webinars. The investment-grade value proposition rests on integration with Austrian business networks, modern digital infrastructure, and a 160+ year brand legacy anchoring its position as the second-largest private school operator in Austria.

Name

Vienna Business School

Legal name

Fonds der Wiener Kaufmannschaft

Website

https://vbs.ac.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vienna Business School is a private commercial education network operated by the Vienna-based non-profit Fonds der Wiener Kaufmannschaft, running six secondary school campuses across Vienna and Mödling, Austria, serving approximately 3,800 students annually with Handelsakademie and Handelsschule programs with specialized tracks in cybersecurity, law, logistics, and health.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Business Education

NAICS

Business and Secretarial Schools (611410), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ), Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Commercial secondary education
• Business academy programs
• Vocational business training
• Handelsakademie education
• Private school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Vienna Business School is a private school requiring tuition fees. The school charges school fees for attendance, with specific pricing information available upon request. An application processing fee of EUR 50 is required for enrollment.
2. Event Tickets: Revenue from annual ball events including the VBS Ball held at Vienna City Hall, with ticket prices ranging from EUR 30 (early bird) to EUR 65 (late), and reduced rates for students/teachers.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Partnership collaborations with businesses for student internships, projects, and economic cooperation provide value exchange and potential revenue through sponsored programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vienna Business School delivers commercial and business-focused secondary education (Handelsakademie, Handelsschule, and Aufbaulehrgang programs) across six campuses in Vienna and Mödling, Austria, culminating in the Reife- und Diplomprüfung (matura) or vocational commercial certification. The school also provides supplementary professional seminars, webinars, and certification programs (ECDL, SAP, Microsoft IT Academy, CISCO) supported by a digital learning infrastructure spanning MS Teams, OneNote, VBS-Moodle, and 27 computer labs.

Product overview

Vienna Business School operates as a network of six private commercial schools in Vienna and Mödling, Austria, managed by the Fonds der Wiener Kaufmannschaft. The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of business-oriented educational programs including standard Handelsakademie (HAK) and Handelsschule (HAS) programs, along with specialized variants such as HAK Plus (enhanced program with coaching), JusHAK (law and business focus), CyberHAK (cybersecurity), LogistikHAK (logistics), and VitalHAK (health and sustainability). Additional offerings include Aufbaulehrgänge (upgrade courses) for HAS graduates. Beyond core education, the school provides supplementary services including seminars, webinars, and events such as the annual Merkur Award ceremony and Ball der Vienna Business School. The institution emphasizes practical business education with modern digital infrastructure including notebook classes, computer labs, and online learning platforms (MS Teams, OneNote, VBS-Moodle).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Handelsakademie (HAK): Standard commercial academy offering five-year business education leading to Reife- und Diplomprüfung (matura).
• HAK Plus
• JusHAK
• CyberHAK
• LogistikHAK
• VitalHAK
• Praxis Handelsschule (HAS)
• Aufbaulehrgang (AUL)
• Merkur Award

Products and services

• Handelsakademie (HAK) Five-year commercial academy program leading to Reife- und Diplomprüfung (matura), combining general education with specialized commercial knowledge and two foreign languages. Offered to secondary students across multiple VBS campuses.
• HAK Plus Enhanced five-year commercial academy with specialized teaching methods, individual coaching, English as working language, and limited class sizes for highly motivated students. Two locations offer this program.
• JusHAK Combined law and business commercial academy; the only school form in Austria combining economics, law, general education, and practice in core commercial subjects.
• CyberHAK Five-year commercial academy with focus on cybersecurity and IT security; the only school form in Austria combining cybersecurity, general education, and HAK practice. Offered at VBS Floridsdorf.
• LogistikHAK Logistics-focused commercial academy emphasizing digitalization, sustainability, and global economic competencies with international mobility programs. Offered at VBS Akademiestraße from the 2025/26 school year.
• VitalHAK Health and sustainability-focused commercial academy combining health sector education with responsible business practices, AI tools, and mindfulness training. Scheduled to launch for the 2026/27 school year.
• Praxis Handelsschule (HAS) Three-year commercial school providing practical business training with focus on entrepreneurship or information technology, qualifying students for commerce and administration roles.
• Aufbaulehrgänge (AUL) Three-year upgrade programs for HAS graduates to obtain Reife- und Diplomprüfung (matura), offered at VBS Akademiestraße and VBS Schönborngasse campuses.
• VBS Seminare und Webinare Professional development seminars and webinars for students offering additional qualifications and specialized knowledge beyond the regular curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,800+ students educated annually across six locations
• +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

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Criminal Police Office)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Collaboration for Cyber-Security teacher training. Three Cyber-Security Days organized jointly by VBS Floridsdorf and BKA to advance cybersecurity education for the CyberHAK program. Austria-wide Cyber-Security education is offered at VBS Floridsdorf, HAK Horn, and HAK Tamsweg.
• FAC (Floridsdorfer Athletiksport-Club)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2025Educational partnership with football club for youth development. VBS Floridsdorf provides educational support while FAC offers sports training and career opportunities for student athletes.
• RaiffeisencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner providing student ticket discounts and financial services support. Raiffeisen Bank enables EUR 5 discount on student tickets for Raiffeisen account holders for VBS Ball events.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing Microsoft IT Academy Program access, Office 365 platform, and Azure-based learning infrastructure across all VBS locations.
• AcercoreTechnology or IntegrationHardware partner providing notebook and computer equipment for digital learning programs.
• UNIQAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance company partnership for student and school insurance solutions.
• LKW WalterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogistics company partnership supporting LogistikHAK program with industry insights and potential internships.
• Muellbacher PersonalberatungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRecruitment consultancy partnership for student career services and job placement.
• Park Residenz DöblingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior living facility partner for inter-generational project 'Granny goes Smartphone' connecting students with elderly residents for digital literacy education.
• Tanzschule ElmayerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTraditional Viennese dance school choreographing and directing the annual VBS Ball opening ceremony.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Webster Vienna Private University: Private Vienna-based university with business and management programs. Comparable as a privately operated, business-focused educational institution in the same Vienna market targeting similar international and Austrian students.
• Tourismusschulen Wien / Modul Tourism School: Private Vienna-based vocational schools offering industry-focused secondary education with international mobility. Comparable to VBS in being a Vienna private school operator serving the same demographic with practical, employer-aligned training.
• Lauder Business School: Private business school in Vienna offering commercial/economic education in a similar size and segment to VBS. Directly comparable as a small, privately operated Austrian business-focused school competing for the same student pool.

Emerging players

• IU International University of Applied Sciences: Large private German university with flexible, online- and practice-oriented business programs. Comparable as a potential disruptive model showing how private, business-focused education can scale via flexible delivery, relevant to VBS's risk of online substitution.
• Modul University Vienna: Private Vienna university specializing in tourism, hospitality, and service management with strong international orientation. Comparable as a niche private business-adjacent institution in Vienna with international mobility programs similar to VBS's LogistikHAK.

Broad incumbents

• WU Vienna (Vienna University of Economics and Business): Vienna's flagship public university for business and economics. Comparable as the principal business-education brand in the same city, providing the natural continuation path for VBS graduates pursuing higher education.
• SRH Holding: Large German private education operator running schools, universities, and training centers across multiple segments. Comparable as a scaled private education operator demonstrating how a multi-site, multi-product education group can be structured, relevant for any future VBS roll-up.
• FHWien der WKW: University of Applied Sciences operated under the umbrella of the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (WKW). Comparable to VBS as an education vehicle of the same business-community ecosystem, but at university level with broader degree offerings.
• IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems: Austria's largest private university of applied sciences, offering business programs including an international focus. Comparable as a private, business-oriented Austrian higher-education institution with a comparable program structure.

Regional players

• HTL Wien (Höhere Technische Lehranstalten): Network of public higher technical schools in Vienna offering five-year technical secondary education. Comparable as a parallel Austrian secondary-school category competing for the same 14-19 cohort with their own specialized tracks (engineering vs. commerce).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/viennabusinessschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/ViennaBusinessSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/viennabusinessschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/viennabusinessschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Vienna Business School