For ten years in a row, the picturesque city of Vienna has been ranked as the best city in the world to live in. But what about it’s tech community? While Austria’s startup ecosystem is less developed than that of its German neighbour, Vienna is attracting more and more entrepreneurs for its high quality of life, access to talent through its numerous universities, and its culture of innovation.
Here are 10 startups we think you should look out for in this young but growing ecosystem in 2019:
Frameless has built an app that makes it easy to digitize any space using a smartphone by taking 360° panorama photos. The panoramas are automatically connected to smart localization tech to instantly create a virtual environment, which can then be augmented with text, URLs, videos, and other forms of media, and viewed on multiple devices. The simple VR technology can be used for proptech, to give tours, or for immersive storytelling. Founded in 2018, Frameless has raised $300k to date.
With more than 4.2 million bike paths, Bikemap is one of the fastest growing cycling communities worldwide, with maps for cycling in regions all over the world – from Bulgaria to Ukraine to Vietnam, Malmö, and Tokyo. More than one million registered users have created over 3.5 million cycling routes in over 100 countries. Cyclists can get personalized route recommendations with the Bikemap app, whether they’re on a road bike or a mountain bike. Thanks to offline maps and navigation, using Bikemap you can safely reach your destination in over 100 regions – even without an internet connection.
WisR’s slogan is “don’t grow older, grow wiser”. Demographics are changing, and by 2030 44% of the population will be over 50. Not only will societies struggle to support an ageing population, but according to WisR, half of seniors want to continue working actively, putting their experience to good use at young companies. So WisR connects the two through its job platform. Seniors on the platform specialize in business development & mentoring, accounting & administration for SMEs, training, sales, and more. Founded in 2017, the startup has so far raised $291.5k.
Medicus AI is a smart platform and app that collects, interprets, and explains data from blood tests and medical reports to provide personalized health tips and lifestyle coaching. Medicus AI currently takes into account biomarker data, vitals, a full health profile and family history, medications, and the most tested blood, urine, and stool markers. All health data is kept private on your smartphone. Medicus AI’s mission is to help people get and remain healthy, recover from illness, and give them clear explanations to make the best decision at any point in time. Founded in 2015, Medicus AI recently raised $3.1 million in a Series A round.
Music Traveler is a marketplace that allows musicians to discover and book places to make music – for performances, classes, rehearsals, practice, and recording space. On the platform, hosts can sign up to offer space, and musicians can book sites throughout Vienna, starting at €5 per hour. The platform also offers spaces with instruments, equipment, and instructional services. Founded in 2017, Music Traveler has raised €500k to date.
Hokify – Another job recruitment platform, Hokify’s focus is on the younger generation. Launched in 2016, it is used by thousands of companies and more than 300,000 job seekers in Austria and Germany, and so far has placed over 39,000 people in jobs. Since eight out of ten young people are looking for jobs on their smartphones, Hokify is accessible through an app, and it’s also fast – job seekers can quickly set up their profiles, and it takes just three minutes to apply for a job. Hokify specializes in matching skilled workers with blue collar jobs in the craft, restaurant, tourism, and commercial sectors, and raised a six-figure investment in June 2019 from the startup300 network.
Founded in 2017, MoonVision uses computer vision and image recognition software to provide real-time object tracking solutions. Its first AI-based tracking technology, DishTracker, was used to recognize and classify various dishes served during the 16-day Oktoberfest 2017 in Munich – optimizing food service processes by reducing waiting times, streamlining employee workflow, and mirroring the cash register system with transactions. Since then MoonVision has worked with businesses in the logistics, manufacturing, and restaurant industries. The startup raised $686.9k in a Series A round in January 2019.
Founded in 2017, Refurbed is an online marketplace for refurbished products in German-speaking countries. The startup sells refurbished phones, laptops, tablets, headphones, smartwatches, cameras, e-bikes, and more at prices that are up to 40% cheaper – and 100% more environmentally friendly – than brand new products. Refurbed has a 40-step process to refurbish used electronics, so they both look and function like new. All products also come with at least a 12 month warranty. Refurbed raised a $2.2 million seed round in March 2019.
JetClass is bringing “private jets to the masses” – allowing passengers to book seats on private jets for the same price as business class plane tickets, without membership fees. The service uses big data and AI to predict travel trends and schedule flights. All seats are offered on private jets from leading European jet operators, and you can book your flight directly on the site. Founded in 2017, JetClass has raised $1.6 million to date.
Waytation empowers event organizers with the ability to analyze the journeys of every visitor at any conference or exhibition, using WayTags – Bluetooth sensors that are easily attachable to badges or lanyards. Waytation’s technology can be used to measure performance and ROI, and evaluate the popularity of booths, speakers, session topics and more based on the position, distance, and “dwell time” of visitors. Its Infinity web platform provides visitor flow analyses, GDPR compliant customer experience data, ROI analysis, attendance counting, and more – allowing event organizers to optimize events, make data-driven decisions, and increase their revenues. The startup has raised $1.4 million to date.
By the way: If you’re a corporate or investor looking for exciting startups in a specific market for a potential investment or acquisition, check out our Startup Sourcing Service!
