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Mega startups and impact days: ViennaUP 2025 inspires over 15,000!
Startup festival ViennaUP 2025 in Vienna: 15,000 participants, 69 events, focus on sustainable entrepreneurship and networking.
Mega startups and impact days: ViennaUP 2025 inspires over 15,000!
The startup festival ViennaUP took place in Vienna from May 8th to 16th, 2025 and was celebrating its fifth edition. Loud ots.at Over 15,000 participants from 95 countries found their way to this important event. The festival, which was organized with the support of the Vienna Business Agency, was aimed at startups and entrepreneurs from all over the world and offered a platform for intensive networking and knowledge exchange.
A total of 69 events were held by 45 program partners, covering a wide range of topics. There was a particular focus on current trends such as artificial intelligence (AI) and circular economy. Not only national but also international delegations were represented, including from India, Hong Kong, Ukraine and Lithuania. Dominic Weiss, Managing Director of the Vienna Business Agency, emphasized the importance of this event for creating meaningful networks.
Networking and personal connections
A central feature of ViennaUP is the promotion of personal networks. On the central ticketing platform, participants can interact and network via LinkedIn. The largest networking event, Connect Day on May 13, attracted approximately 1,500 participants and was a highlight of the festival. Over 50 events had either a networking focus or a related component, making it easier for participants to make valuable contacts. The festival's home base, in the historic city center of Vienna, offered participants daily networking opportunities with free wine and beer tastings as well as small meals.
An innovative element were the so-called coffee house sessions, in which smaller groups met with investors and experts in classic Viennese coffee houses. These face-to-face meetings provided an exclusive opportunity to deepen contacts and discuss specific topics.
Sustainability in focus
A special highlight of the festival was the first use of Vienna City Hall for the Impact Days, which were dedicated to sustainable entrepreneurship. Approaches to solving pressing global challenges should be developed here. This initiative is in line with the growing importance of sustainable business models, which are gaining importance across Europe.
The ViennaUP homebase was not only used as a place for networking, but also for numerous discussions and workshops. Participants had the opportunity to discuss topics relevant to their business goals in smaller groups.
A look at the startup ecosystem
The context of the ViennaUP Festival is also strengthened by developments in the German startup ecosystem. Germany has established itself as an innovation and entrepreneurship force in Europe, with a focus on major sectors such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), healthcare and DeepTech. Loud EU startups There are a number of promising startups in Germany that were founded in 2025 and are attracting higher investments and innovations.
An example of an emerging company is Berlin-based Bees & Bears, which specializes in financing renewable energy installations and has already received €500 million in funding. Such developments underline the dynamic environment in which events like ViennaUP take place and new business models and technologies are promoted.
In conclusion, ViennaUP 2025 was a great success, not only revealing the potential of new ideas, but also emphasizing the need to develop innovative approaches to the challenges of the future.