Startup Vorarlberg Gmbh

What Startup Vorarlberg Gmbh does

Startup Vorarlberg GmbH is a publicly funded startup support organization serving as the centralized service hub and competency center for the Vorarlberg, Austria startup ecosystem. Founded in June 2024 and headquartered at the POSTGARAGE co-working space within CAMPUS V in Dornbirn, it consolidates three previously separate regional initiatives — v-start Kompetenzzentrum, startupstube from Fachhochschule Vorarlberg (FHV), and Startupland from Wirtschaftskammer Vorarlberg (WKO) — into a single entity. The organization serves pre-seed to seed-stage startups based in or relocating to Vorarlberg, plus secondary audiences including students, investors, and corporate partners, with a total of 53 teams supported across three completed/in-progress batches.

The core offering is a two-tier program structure: the 4-month Pre-Inkubationsprogramm for idea-stage founders (with a €500 expert budget, coaching, and workshops) and the up-to-8-month Inkubationsprogramm for validated early-stage startups (with up to €6,000 in expert budgets, bi-weekly coaching, and investor access). All programs are free to participants and involve no equity stake. These programs are complemented by 24/7 Flex Desk access at POSTGARAGE, a recurring event calendar including Demo Days, the annual Startup Vorarlberg Convention, Founders Lounge, Hungry Minds sessions, and Startup Vorarlberg Connect networking, plus a Jobs Board and grant mechanisms such as the Innovation Call Vorarlberg (up to €25,000 per project).

The organization's business model is entirely grant- and public-funding based, with annual resources exceeding €650,000 from 2025 onward sourced from the State of Vorarlberg (Land Vorarlberg), the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action (BMK), the Austrian Wirtschaftsservice (aws) via the federal AplusB startup center program, and four institutional shareholders: Wirtschafts-Standort Vorarlberg GmbH (WISTO, 40%), WKO Vorarlberg (20%), FHV (20%), and PRISMA VO Invest GmbH (20%). No commercial revenue is generated. Operating reach is regional (Vorarlberg), with cross-regional collaboration through the AplusB-Southwest consortium alongside Startup Tirol, Startup Salzburg, and Build Kärnten.

Name

Startup Vorarlberg Gmbh

Legal name

Startup Vorarlberg GmbH

Website

https://startup-vorarlberg.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Startup Vorarlberg GmbH is a publicly funded startup support organization and central hub for the Vorarlberg, Austria startup ecosystem, offering free Pre-Incubation and Incubation programs, coworking, community events, and grants to early-stage founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Pre-incubation programs
• Startup coworking space
• Founder coaching programs
• Innovation grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Dornbirn

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding / Grant-Based Operations: Startup Vorarlberg GmbH is a publicly funded nonprofit service organization. It receives annual funding exceeding €650,000 starting in 2025, sourced from the State of Vorarlberg (Land Vorarlberg), the Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, the Austrian Startup Center program (AplusB), the Austrian Wirtschaftsservice (aws), and contributions from its four shareholders. The organization does not generate commercial revenue. All programs are free for participants. Financial support is provided to startups in the form of non-repayable grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Startup Vorarlberg operates a two-tiered startup support program for innovative, growth- and technology-oriented startups based in or relocating to Vorarlberg, Austria: a 4-month Pre-Inkubationsprogramm that supports aspiring founders in validating business ideas (with €500 expert budget, coaching, and coworking access), and an up-to-8-month Inkubationsprogramm for early-stage startups with validated ideas and first customers (with up to €6,000 expert budget, bi-weekly coaching, and investor access). Complementing the programs are 24/7 Flex Desk coworking at POSTGARAGE in Dornbirn, recurring community events (Demo Days, Founders Lounge, Hungry Minds, Convention, Connect), an Innovation Call grant competition, and a Jobs Board connecting member startups with talent. All programs are delivered free of charge with no equity taken.

Product overview

Startup Vorarlberg GmbH operates as a regional startup hub and service organization offering a two-tiered startup support program alongside community and ecosystem-building activities. The core offering consists of the Pre-Inkubationsprogramm (4-month pre-incubation for idea validation) and the Inkubationsprogramm (up to 8-month incubation for validated startups seeking growth). These programs are complemented by 24/7 Flex Desk access at the POSTGARAGE coworking space in Dornbirn. The organization also delivers recurring community events including the annual Startup Vorarlberg Convention, Demo Days, Founders Lounge meetups, Hungry Minds lunch sessions, and Startup Vorarlberg Connect networking events. A Jobs Board connects member startups with talent, and the Innovation Call Vorarlberg grant competition identifies and funds the region's best digital innovation projects. The overall portfolio functions as an integrated startup ecosystem with programs, facilities, events, and talent-matching services working together to support founders from idea through scale-up.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Inkubationsprogramm A 4-month pre-incubation program that helps aspiring founders transform innovative business ideas into validated business models. Provides workshops, 1:1 coaching, coworking access, and an expert budget of €500. Designed for founders without yet having market validation or a working prototype.
• Inkubationsprogramm An up-to-8-month incubation program (4+4 months split into Foundation and Growth phases) for early-stage startups with validated ideas and first customers. Provides expert budgets of up to €6,000 (€3,000 per phase), bi-weekly coaching, investor access, and additional grants up to €10,000 for climate/impact startups and female founders as well as a new startup subsidy of up to €10,000 for Sachkosten (operating costs, rent, services).
• POSTGARAGE Coworking Space A 24/7 Flex Desk coworking facility located at CAMPUS V in Dornbirn (Hintere Achmühlerstraße 1b, 6850 Dornbirn). Available to program participants for working, meetings, and community interaction. External visitors can access the space via weekly CoWorking Days and community events.
• Innovation Call Vorarlberg An annual innovation competition awarding grants of up to €25,000 (50% of project costs) for the best digital innovation projects in Vorarlberg, with a special €5,000 prize for tourism-related digital innovations. Administered by WISTO and promoted within the Startup Vorarlberg ecosystem.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 batches completed/in progress with 53 total teams supported (16 + 20 + 17)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AplusB-Southwest Consortium (Startup Tirol, Startup Salzburg, Build Kärnten)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Cross-regional consortium of 4 Austrian startup centers across Tirol, Salzburg, Kärnten, and Vorarlberg. Partners meet regularly (e.g., Erfurter Hütte meeting, February 2025) to share best practices, coordinate programs, and enable cross-border collaboration for startups.
• Fachhochschule Vorarlberg GmbH (FHV)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg is a 20% shareholder and contributes the startupstube FHV program and the former v-start expertise. Provides access to labs, faculty, student talent pipeline, and co-organizes the annual Jobmesse Vorarlberg.
• POSTGARAGE (Innovation Hub)coreOthers · 1 June 2024POSTGARAGE is the physical co-working and event hub hosting Startup Vorarlberg's operations. Located at CAMPUS V in Dornbirn, it provides 24/7 Flex Desk access, event space, meeting rooms, and the broader innovation campus infrastructure.
• AustrianStartupsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Austrian startup network. Hannah Wundsam and Adrian Zettl (Managing Directors of AustrianStartups) sent video messages at the Startup Vorarlberg Convention 2025, highlighting cross-regional ecosystem collaboration.
• Swiss Startup AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaphael Tobler (President of Swiss Startup Association) sent a video message at the Startup Vorarlberg Convention 2025, emphasizing cross-border ecosystem connections between Austria and Switzerland.
• Fachhochschule Vorarlberg (FHV) / JobmesseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual Jobmesse Vorarlberg co-organized by FHV and Industriellenvereinigung Vorarlberg. Startup Vorarlberg co-exhibits to showcase member startups and promote entrepreneurship as a career path. Over 100 organizations and 1,000+ jobs presented annually.
• Jause:Pause (Catering Partner for Events)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Vorarlberg startup providing catering for community events such as Hungry Minds sessions. Example: food catering for Hungry Minds #2.
• Weinzeit BregenzminorOthersRestaurant venue in Bregenz hosting Startup Vorarlberg Connect networking events. Owner Patricia Vodenac provides the location and catering for monthly community lunches.
• IV Vorarlberg (Industriellenvereinigung)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElmar Hartmann (IV Vorarlberg) participated in the Convention 2025 panel. IV Vorarlberg also co-founded the Expat Service Vorarlberg and supports the Jobmesse. Represents established industry in the ecosystem.
• Sodex InnovationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRalf Pfefferkorn (Sodex Innovation) participated in the Convention 2025 panel on innovation and collaboration between startups and established companies.
• LimifyzeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichael Bertel (Limifyze) participated in the Convention 2025 panel. Limifyze is a portfolio startup developing smart beverage dispensing systems and actively recruiting (Monteur/Mechatroniker).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Startup Salzburg: AplusB-Southwest consortium partner providing startup support services in Salzburg. Closely aligned structure, funding mix, and program design to Startup Vorarlberg through shared federal AplusB framework.
• Startup Tirol: AplusB-Southwest consortium partner and fellow state-level startup center in Tirol. Operates a comparable pre-incubation/incubation model with co-working, coaching, and grant access, making it the most direct operational equivalent to Startup Vorarlberg.
• Impact Hub Vienna: Austria's largest impact-focused startup hub and incubator. Comparable program mechanics (co-working, mentorship, demo days) targeting impact-driven founders, though with a private operating model.
• accent (Upper Austrian Startup Center): Upper Austria's central startup hub integrating incubator services, coworking, and innovation consulting. Comparable centralizing role but in a larger industrial region with established corporate partners.
• Science Park Graz: AplusB-affiliated startup center at the heart of the Graz tech ecosystem. Provides analogous pre-incubation and incubation services with a stronger life-sciences and university spinout orientation.
• Build Gründerzentrum Kärnten: AplusB-Southwest consortium partner supporting founders in Kärnten. Operates similar pre-incubation and incubation services with similar public funding structure and institutional shareholders.
• INiTS (Universitäres Gründerservice Wien): Vienna's AplusB startup center affiliated with the University of Vienna and TU Wien. Operates a comparable incubator model but with significantly larger scale, deeper VC network, and broader international visibility.

Others

• AustrianStartups: National Austrian startup network that Startup Vorarlberg partners with for cross-regional visibility. Not a direct competitor but a complementary ecosystem actor that provides convening and policy advocacy at the federal level.
• WISTO (Wirtschafts-Standort Vorarlberg GmbH): Majority shareholder (40%) of Startup Vorarlberg and the regional economic development agency. Functions as both parent and strategic partner for regional startup promotion and Förderberatung.

Broad incumbents

• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator operating in multiple European cities. Comparable founder-development curriculum but operates with an equity-stake model and a much larger international alumni network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/startupvorarlberg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Startup Vorarlberg Gmbh