Startup Call: Exclusive "Vienna Startup Package" Searches for 2026 Cohort

VIENNA, AUSTRIA - The search is on for 15 exciting international startups to participate in the 2026 Vienna Startup Package cohort, according to the Vienna Business Agency, a service of the City of Vienna. Every year, 15 successful startups receive personalized guidance, coaching and networking opportunities as part of the programme, supporting their market-entry and expansion goals. As part of their Viennese experience, startups receive a personalized itinerary for ViennaUP, the city’s flagship startup festival, which attracts around 15,000 participants per year. 

“In Vienna, we celebrate game-changing companies. The world needs innovative new ideas, and we welcome startups that are driven to create new technologies, especially those that offer scalable social and environmental solutions,” said Dominic Weiss, Managing Director of the Vienna Business Agency. “The Vienna Startup Package welcomes 15 exciting international startups that are interested in doing business in Vienna and region – and we urge founders from Europe and around the world to apply for this door-opening opportunity.”

Coaching and DACH market entry in focus

The Vienna Startup Package soft-landing and networking programme begins in April 2026 with an online exploratory phase of workshops, coaching and peer-to-peer learning. Participants travel to Vienna for a tailored visit to the acclaimed ViennaUP startup festival from May 18-22. Follow-up modules focus specifically on market entry. In late 2026, startups with proven concrete interest and good market fit may return to Vienna for a two-week second phase. 

In recent years, several Startup Package alumni have chosen to expand their businesses to Vienna. These include Hope Tech from Kenya, with a technology that assists people who have trouble seeing, Floodlight from the United States, which uses satellite data to measure climate-altering emissions, and Fermentful from Latvia, which has a plant-based kefir drink that is now available in major Austrian supermarkets. 

What alumni have to say

“Expanding into new territories is always a challenge for businesses. This program offered an invaluable introduction to the business landscape in Austria and the broader DACH region. The chance to live in Vienna for several weeks and truly engage with the local ecosystem was an incredible experience, leaving us with the confidence to expand our operations there. The Vienna Business Agency team was also outstanding and provided crucial support.”

- BigThinx, United Kingdom

“The Vienna Startup Package offered us far more than a soft landing – it opened the door to a local ecosystem of innovation, healthcare partnerships, and genuine collaboration. From strategic connections to practical pilot opportunities, Vienna proved itself as a place where bold ideas can take root and scale across Europe. Let’s see what the near future will bring – we are excited to build on the relationships and momentum sparked here.”

- Grab2Go, Estonia

Interested startups can learn more and apply here by Feb. 20, 2026: https://vienna.business/events-workshops/vienna-startup-package-2026/

***

Vienna Startup Package At a Glance

 

Who should apply? Non-Austrian startups wishing to:

• Scale to the German-speaking region & explore Vienna as an entry-point
• Validate their regional go-to-market strategy
• Connect with Vienna’s dynamic and growing startup scene

Vienna Startup Package awardees receive: 

• access to Viennas vibrant startup scene
• dedicated business coaching on your strategic next steps
• interactive peer-to-peer learning opportunities in a global setting
• access to exclusive gatherings and the ViennaUP startup festival
• travel budget up to 3.000,00 EUR

Facts & Figures

• Vienna Startup Package is a programme of the Vienna Business Agency
• Between 2014 and 2024, the programme attracted 2,518 applicants from 113 countries.
• In 2025, five of 15 participating startups were from the CEE region. Full list of 2025 alumni and links can be found here: https://vienna.business/vienna-startup-package/ 

What is ViennaUP, the Startup Festival?

• May 18 – 22, 2026 (with a warm-up weekend from May 16-17).
• Decentralized and community driven, the festival is populated by events from the city’s most important startup ecosystem actors and innovative companies
• 15,000 participants from over 90 countries in 2025
• Tickets on sale from March 2025. Learn more at: viennaup.com 

 

Vienna Startup Package applications will be accepted through February 20, 2026. 

 

Press Inquiries: 

Naomi Hunt

Communications Department 

Vienna Business Agency

Email: hunt(at)wirtschaftsagentur.at

Mobile: +43 (0) 699 1408 6775