On Wednesday, May 24th, the time has come: The grand finale of the #believeinyourself Challenge, Austria’s largest startup competition, will take place on the Erste Campus in Vienna. Here, the ten best startups from ten different categories will compete against each other with their pitches, and only one of them can take home the title “Startup of the Year 2023”.
Register here now to be there live with one of the coveted, free tickets when the hopefuls of the Austrian startup landscape step onto the big stage!
>>> Registration for the final of the #believeinyourself challenge <<
Ten domestic champions on the big stage
The city pitches are not over yet, but it is already clear how promising and innovative the young companies that are taking part in this year’s competition are. The ten categories ensure that an extremely diverse range of startups are represented at the final. From fintechs to energy, from mobility to entertainment: the juries of the city pitches choose the best in their class from all possible sectors!
On May 24th at 6:00 p.m. these ten domestic champions will come together on the main stage of the Grand Hall at Erste Campus and match their pitches live – and you can be there while they show what they can do! It’s not just about the title: In addition to prize money of 10,000 euros from Erste Bank Oesterreich, a media package worth 10,000 euros as well as a VIP pass, a pitching slot and extra tickets for the “Startup of the Year” are waiting Members of the winning team for the Wolves Summit Vienna.
Winning the #believeinyourself challenge is a milestone for young companies
Fanny Stampf, well-known from television, will lead the evening again this year, presenting, among other things, the ORF-1 knowledge magazine “Fannys Friday”. She is accompanied by Oliver Kröpfl, board member of the Steiermärkische Sparkasse. The anticipation for the final is already great: “The #believeinyourself challenge is about choosing the most innovative potential in the Austrian economy. I’m excited about the candidates and look forward to the variety of pitches,” says Kröpfl.
Of course, real startup experts are needed to choose the best young company of the year. Once again, a top-class jury will evaluate the young companies. Sitting on the jury:
- Mariana Kuehnel, Deputy General Secretary WKO
- Fabian Stenzel, Head of Retail Austria Erste Bank
- Markus Kuntke, Head of Trend and Innovation at REWE International AG
- Karen Kreuzer, Business Angel
This year, investors in the #believeinyourself challenge can also vote in the final. All investors are there live with a representative and together award additional points that can help the startups to win.
In recent years, the #believeinyourself challenge has proven to be a real milestone for local startups. The winners of the last two rounds in 2021 and 2022 were the young companies enspired and HydroSolid. enspired, a Viennese company that uses AI to make manufacturers of renewable energies much more efficient on the electricity market, raised a financing round of 7.5 million euros shortly after the win. HydroSolid, a Lower Austrian company developing a groundbreaking hydrogen storage facility, has been inundated with inquiries since winning last year.
Register now for a free final ticket!
Winning the #believeinyourself challenge not only means prize money, but also draws the eyes of the entire local startup scene to the happy young company. So on May 24th in Vienna, the audience may be able to experience the beginning of a success story that may one day even lead to Austria’s next unicorn. In order not to miss this spectacular show, register online now for one of the free tickets!
>>> Registration for the final of the #believeinyourself challenge <<