ViennaUP 2025: Where Innovation Meets Collaboration

ViennaUP 2025 is poised to be a landmark event in Europe’s startup landscape, inviting innovators, entrepreneurs, and visionaries from around the globe to converge in Vienna from 8th to 16th May 2025. This decentralised festival transforms the city into a vibrant hub of innovation, offering a plethora of events designed to foster connections, inspire ideas, and propel businesses forward.

Unlike traditional conferences confined to a single venue, ViennaUP embraces the entire city as its stage. Initiated by the Vienna Business Agency and hosted by ViennaBusiness, the festival greets participants with a diverse array of events, organised by local and international partners. Attendees can immerse themselves in workshops, conferences, pitch sessions, and networking opportunities spread across various districts, providing an authentic experience of Vienna’s rich cultural and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A Uniquely Cooperative Initiative with a Vision for the Future

ViennaUP is more than just a startup festival; it is a testament to the power of cooperation and the strength of the Viennese innovation ecosystem. First initiated by the Vienna Business Agency in 2021, the festival was designed to amplify the visibility of Vienna’s rapidly growing startup scene. The emergence of the city’s first unicorns and numerous startup-focused events made it clear that a unified platform was needed to bring these efforts together.

By bundling various events under a single brand, ViennaUP has created an unparalleled collaborative environment where local and international organisations work together to showcase Vienna as an ideal innovation and business hub. This cooperative approach has transformed ViennaUP into one of Europe’s top startup festivals, proving that a close-knit, diverse community can transform big ideas into tangible impact.

Startup ecosystems are essential engines for global progress, offering platforms to imagine, build, and scale solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. ViennaUP embodies these ideals, promoting fairness, inclusion, and meaningful impact. Through a carefully curated programme that highlights sustainability, technological advancement, and social responsibility, the festival demonstrates how business can drive positive change in the world.

The results speak for themselves: over the years, ViennaUP has facilitated countless collaborations, leading to new business ventures, funding opportunities, and innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.

Why Vienna? A Hub of Innovation and Culture

Vienna, consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities, offers a unique setting for a global startup festival. The city’s deep-rooted cultural heritage, combined with its thriving innovation scene, creates an environment where creativity and business seamlessly intersect. Vienna is home to a rapidly expanding startup ecosystem, supported by strong public infrastructure, progressive policies, and a collaborative community of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders.

The city’s emphasis on research and development has attracted a growing number of technology-driven startups, particularly in areas such as health tech, fintech, AI, and sustainability. With a strategic location in the heart of Europe, Vienna serves as a gateway to both Western and Eastern European markets, making it an ideal hub for startups looking to scale internationally.

Programme Tracks: Tailoring Your Journey

To help participants navigate the extensive lineup, ViennaUP 2025 offers five thoughtfully designed programme tracks:

• Venture: Engage with investors, explore funding strategies, and gain insights from successful founders. This track offers opportunities to pitch your own groundbreaking ideas and learn from others’ entrepreneurial journeys.
• Collaborate: Experience the power of collective creativity through dynamic discussions and brainstorming sessions aimed at generating ideas that can make a difference.
• Transform: Dive into the future of innovation, exploring cutting-edge technologies and disruptive concepts that have the potential to revolutionise industries and our society.
• Level Up: Accelerate your personal and professional growth with workshops, networking sessions with industry leaders, and hands-on skill-building opportunities designed to elevate your capabilities.
• Connect: Build meaningful relationships with like-minded innovators and change-makers in settings that go beyond traditional networking, fostering genuine connections and collaborations.

ViennaUP Homebase and Café Spaces

The ViennaUP Homebase at Karlsplatz is returning to facilitate networking and provide a central gathering point. Open every afternoon and evening during the festival, the Homebase offers a relaxed environment with special events, tasty Viennese treats, and musical performances, making it an ideal spot to unwind and connect with fellow participants.

Complementing the Homebase are the Café Spaces, traditional and contemporary Viennese cafés where festival attendees can enjoy a complimentary coffee, tea, or soft drink. These spaces provide the perfect setting for informal meetings, work sessions, or simply soaking up the Viennese atmosphere.

Additionally, the ViennaUP Coffee House Sessions return in 2025, offering entrepreneurs the chance to receive advice, pitch their startups, and present their ideas to potential investors and other key stakeholders in an intimate, roundtable format.

How to Attend

ViennaUP comprises numerous events hosted by trusted partners, each requiring separate registration. Explore the programme page to find detailed information and sign up for events and workshops that align with your interests. Given the high demand, early registration is recommended to secure a spot in the desired sessions.

Don’t miss out on your Viennese adventure!

For more information, visit www.viennaup.com.

Contact:
Ioana Varga
Project Lead for Communications
varga@wirtschaftsagentur.at