What Wirtschaftsagentur Wien does

Wirtschaftsagentur Wien is the public economic development fund of the City of Vienna, operating as a "Fonds der Stadt Wien" with statutory responsibility for stimulating Vienna's business location. Founded in 1982 and headquartered at Mariahilfer Straße 107–109 in the 7th district, the agency employs 178 staff across departments covering Funding, Startups, Life Sciences, Grätzl Economy & Production, Digital Economy, International Business, Creative Economy, Real Estate, HR, Legal, and Communications, under Managing Directors Dominic Weiss and Manfred Juraczka.

The agency delivers an integrated stack of free services to Vienna-based startups, SMEs, and international companies considering relocation. Core products include non-dilutive grant programs (up to €500K for location, €200K for production, €50K for digitalization, and €20K for Grätzl economy projects), subsidized real-estate infrastructure (Life Science Center Vienna with 14,000 m², Technology Centre Seestadt, and Gewerbehof Seestadt), 17-language startup coaching, and ecosystem events led by the annual ViennaUP startup festival. Strategic partnerships with LISAvienna, EIT Manufacturing, FFG, Vienna BioCenter, aspern Seestadt, Wien3420AG, Kreative Räume Wien, Oesterreichs Energie, and &flora extend the agency's reach into life sciences, manufacturing, creative industries, and energy clusters.

Wirtschaftsagentur Wien is funded through municipal appropriations from the City of Vienna and co-financed by EU structural funds (EFRE/JTF), with the current cycle running through 2027. It does not generate commercial revenue and does not charge fees to its constituents; its "revenue" is best understood as an annual operating and program budget rather than top-line sales. International offices across Central and Eastern Europe serve as Vienna's official front door for foreign founders and corporates, and the agency has expanded its consulting portfolio with the Growth Navigator 2026 modular program, alongside dedicated advisory coverage for AI, Quantum Computing, and Visual Computing within the Digital Economy team.

Name

Wirtschaftsagentur Wien

Legal name

Wirtschaftsagentur Wien

Website

https://wirtschaftsagentur.at

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wirtschaftsagentur Wien is the public economic development fund of the City of Vienna, offering free consulting, non-dilutive grants, subsidized real estate, and international startup programs to Vienna-based and incoming businesses since 1982.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wien

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding from City of Vienna: Funded as a public fund (Fonds) of the City of Wien. Operating budget is derived from municipal government funding and EU structural funds (EFRE - European Regional Development Fund). No commercial revenue model; all services are free for businesses in Vienna.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Wirtschaftsagentur Wien is the public economic development fund of the City of Vienna that provides free business consultations, non-dilutive grant funding (up to €500,000 per project), subsidized commercial real estate across multiple innovation centers (totaling ~14,000 m²), and event/program services for startups, SMEs, creative industries and international companies establishing in Vienna. The fund is financed by the City of Vienna budget and EU structural funds (IWB/EFRE), disbursing roughly €16.5 million annually in grants and supporting ~3,000 advisory clients per year.

Product overview

Wirtschaftsagentur Wien (Vienna Business Agency) is a fund of the City of Vienna providing a comprehensive portfolio of business development services. The organization operates as a multi-service platform offering: (1) Free consultations for companies, founders, and startups including Gründungscoaching in 17 languages and Impact-Coaching for sustainability; (2) Funding programs (Förderungen) supporting innovation, digitization, production, location development, and international market entry with grants ranging from €20,000 to €500,000; (3) Events & Workshops including the annual ViennaUP startup festival and Growth Navigator program; (4) Rental properties including the Life Science Center Vienna (14,000 m²), Technologiezentrum Seestadt, Gewerbehof Seestadt, and Startup Labs for life science companies. Specialized initiatives include the Medieninitiative Wien for media projects, Kreative Räume Wien for creative spaces, and Grätzelinitiative for neighborhood commerce. The agency also provides Expat Center and Business Immigration Office services for international companies establishing in Vienna.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Life Science Center Vienna: 14,000 m² laboratory and office spaces for Life Sciences and Artificial Intelligence in Vienna.
• ViennaUP
• Grätzlinitiative Wien
• Wiener Medieninitiative

Products and services

• Beratungen (Free Business Consultations) Free expert one-to-one consultations for founders, SMEs, and international companies covering pre-founding, business plan development, financing, expansion, and internationalization topics.
• Förderungen (Grant Funding Programmes) Non-dilutive grant funding of up to €500,000 per project for Vienna-based businesses, financed by the City of Vienna budget and EU structural funds (IWB/EFRE).
• Veranstaltungen & Workshops (Events and Workshops) Curated calendar of business events, workshops, networking formats and ecosystem gatherings for founders, SMEs and creative industry players.
• Life Science Center Vienna Subsidized laboratory, cleanroom and office space for life science, biotech, and medtech SMEs in central Vienna.
• Technologiezentrum Seestadt Subsidized high-tech office and lab space for technology-oriented SMEs in Vienna's Seestadt aspern district.
• Gewerbehof Seestadt Subsidized commercial and light-industrial space for SMEs and production-oriented companies in Vienna's Seestadt aspern district.
• Startup Labs Subsidized coworking and lab space for early-stage startups as part of Wirtschaftsagentur Wien's innovation center portfolio.
• Growth Navigator Structured growth programme supporting Vienna-based startups to scale their business.
• Founders Lab Programme aimed at equipping first-time founders with skills and structure to launch and develop their ventures.
• ViennaUP Annual international startup festival organized by the agency, gathering founders, investors and corporates in Vienna.
• Medieninitiative Wien Support programme for Vienna's media sector, offering funding, advisory and visibility for media companies and creators.
• Kreative Räume Wien Programme providing affordable creative workspace for Vienna-based creative businesses, studios and freelancers.
• Grätzelinitiative Wien Neighborhood-level initiative supporting retail, gastronomy and small businesses in Vienna's districts.
• Impact-Coaching Coaching programme supporting impact-driven (social and environmental) startups in Vienna.
• Expat Center & Business Immigration Office One-stop service for international founders, skilled professionals and companies needing Austrian work permits and business immigration support when relocating to Vienna.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free consulting, funding programs, and event access for all businesses in Vienna - no cost to customers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LISAviennacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLISAvienna is the central knowledge platform and first point of contact for all topics around financing and networking for Life Science companies in Vienna. The agency supports companies in biotech and medical technology in implementing their ideas and finding cooperation partners in research institutions through LISAvienna.
• EIT ManufacturingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe agency works closely with EIT Manufacturing to open doors to the European innovation network for companies in production technology, process engineering, and mechanical engineering. Partner companies are connected to this European innovation network.
• FFG (Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft)coreOthersFFG handles complaints about accessibility barriers on the agency's website as part of the enforcement procedure. Also administers COMET research funding programs that the agency refers companies to. Manages the de minimis rule compliance for EU state aid.
• Internationale Büros der Stadt Wien (Vienna International Offices)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVienna operates international offices in CEE countries (Poland - Evelyne Panzenböck, Hungary - Eva Johnson, Czech Republic/Slovakia - Lucie Bedrichova, Western Balkans - Drazen Simicevic) that serve as channels for companies wanting to establish in Vienna. These offices provide first-contact services and referrals to the agency.
• Vienna BioCentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Life Science Center Vienna is located within Vienna's excellent research environment including the Vienna BioCenter and leading research institutions. Companies at the Life Science Center benefit from proximity to this ecosystem.
• aspern SeestadtminorStrategic or Co-development Partneraspern Seestadt is the urban development area where the Technology Centre Seestadt and Gewerbehof Seestadt are located. The partnership provides companies at these locations with connections to the broader business community in Vienna's newest district.
• Wien3420AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the Innovationskongress | Digitales Planen, Bauen & Betreiben. Wien3420AG is the urban development company for aspern Seestadt.
• Kreative Räume WienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative Kreative Räume Wien provides advice on finding suitable creative spaces, interim use of vacant spaces, and legal framework conditions. They help creative businesses find affordable rental spaces.
• Oesterreichs Energie (Austrian Energy Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe agency partners with Oesterreichs Energie to offer 3 exhibition spaces at the biennial Oesterreichs Energie Congress to Wiener startups with innovative solutions for the energy sector. The congress is Austria's largest specialist event in the electrical industry with around 700 participants.
• &flora (Restaurant)minorGTM or Marketing Partner&flora, under chef Parvin Razavi, hosts the Vienna Food Innovation Community summer networking event. The restaurant embodies sustainable gastronomy with its Root to Leaf concept.
• Startup City Vienna (vienna.business)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Startup City Vienna portal is a comprehensive resource for startups considering Vienna as a location. It provides information about investors, networks, co-working spaces, industries, and the overall Viennese startup ecosystem. The agency maintains this platform.
• Vienna RegionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe agency supports companies as Vienna Region Managing Director in the merged Vienna Region covering Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland, assisting with location development across the tri-state region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• London & Partners: London's official business and destination agency promoting the city to international investors, startups, and tourists. Comparable as a major European capital's economic promotion body with international offices and FDI focus.
• Invest in Bavaria: Bavaria's state-level business development and FDI agency supporting company settlement, innovation grants, and cluster development. Directly comparable to Wirtschaftsagentur Wien as a German-speaking public economic development body with grantmaking and consulting services.
• Business Sweden: Swedish government agency helping Swedish companies grow internationally and attracting foreign investment to Sweden. Comparable as a publicly-funded state agency combining export promotion, FDI attraction, and business consulting services.
• Enterprise Singapore: Singapore's government agency supporting enterprise development and internationalization. Comparable as a publicly-funded agency combining grants, capability development, and international market access programs for businesses.
• CzechInvest: Czech Republic's national investment promotion agency offering consulting, grants, and aftercare services for incoming investors. Directly comparable in service mix (grants, consulting, international promotion) and CEE regional positioning, and is even a referral partner via Vienna's Czech/Slovak international office.
• Amsterdam Trade & Invest: Amsterdam's municipal economic development unit supporting international companies, startups, and SMEs with location advice, funding, and networking. Comparable as a Western European city-level economic development agency with similar service portfolio.
• Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie: Berlin's business and technology development agency, providing free consulting, grants, and location marketing to companies in Berlin. Closely comparable in mandate, service breadth, and government-ownership structure to Wirtschaftsagentur Wien.
• greater.zone - Greater Zurich Area: Greater Zurich Area's official investment promotion agency supporting foreign companies establishing in the region with consulting, site selection, and ecosystem access. Comparable as a German-speaking regional economic development body focused on FDI and innovation promotion.
• Invest in Denmark: Denmark's national investment promotion agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, providing free consulting and customized solutions for foreign companies considering Danish locations. Directly comparable as a publicly funded FDI and business development agency with free service model.
• HIPA - Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency: Hungary's national investment promotion agency providing grant support, consulting, and site selection for incoming companies. Comparable in offering grants and FDI attraction services within the CEE region, with overlapping target markets relative to Vienna's Hungarian international office.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wirtschaftsagenturwien

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Wirtschaftsagentur Wien