Start-up Programs
Unicorn provides an infrastructure, but also supports innovation projects at the university campus. In cooperation with partners from the university and beyond, we offer a lot of support. Regular events & talks with exciting guests are also on the program.
Start-up Werkstatt
The Start-Up Werkstatt is open to all employees of the University of Graz with start-up and innovation ideas. Pursue your idea towards self-employment! For the whole project the employees receive a grant of up to 40.000.- EUR.
Startup workshop idea phase:
Opportunity for Program Extension (3 months):
Submit the fully completed application documents to office@unicorn-graz.at
Contact
Start-up-Werkstatt Program Management
If you still have a question, please feel free to contact us!
Spin-off Lab
The Unicorn spin-off lab is aimed at all researchers who would like to set up their own business based on their research idea. Beside the R&D work supported by the host research group, Unicorn offers coaching, mentoring and international networking together with partners from industry. An individual project plan including milestones and an early follow-up strategy for the time after the fellowship will improve the quality and the success rate of the spin-off lab project.
Application Deadline: 15.06.2025
Send the completed application documents to office@unicorn-graz.at
Contact
Spin-off Lab Program Management
If you still have a question, please feel free to contact us!
Industry x Unicorn
Styrian industry is a strong long-standing partner of the University of Graz. Through the collaboration between Unicorn and the Verband für Standort und Gesellschaft Steiermark this partnership is strengthened by bringing researchers and students of Austria’s second largest university, start-ups and industry closer together.
Start-ups and spin-offs of the University of Graz
The University of Graz is an entrepreneurially active and very broadly positioned university in research and teaching with high social relevance. Time and again, research projects turn into interesting spin-off companies. Some of them are listed here (will be updated continuously).
PureSurf
PureSurf is an EIC Transition project that focuses on the production of sustainable surfactants from locally available waste streams using green chemistry. Surfactants are found in detergents, agrochemicals, paints & coatings, and personal care products, but are currently largely produced either from petroleum or imported goods such as palm oil.
URBAN Tech
The EU project URBAN Tech supported the acceleration of competitive success for European SMEs and start-ups through three funding stages. This was achieved by facilitating the market launch of new or significantly improved products and services with higher value in the Health Tech, Smart City, and Greentech industry sectors. Unicorn, as a member of the URBAN Tech consortium, actively collaborated with project partners, which contributed to the success and impact of URBAN Tech’s mission.
URBAN Tech provided an opportunity for startups to propose solutions to more than 300 challenges defined by corporations and organizations. Under the lead of Unicorn, more than 500 solutions were collected during the Open Call phase.
– Over 160 companies validated their solutions during Hackathons with Challenge Owners
– 80 companies advanced to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)
– 33 companies progressed to the Piloting stage, supported by mentors and experts
– 23 of these companies moved on to the Market Discovery Phase
In November 2022, 27 companies from across Europe joined our hackathon in Graz, organized as part of the project. During the event, participants received intensive mentoring, training, and inspirational sessions, culminating in presentations before a jury. Below, you’ll find the 13 teams that Unicorn actively mentored and co-mentored.
Also on the 6th of June 2024, the consortium organized the final event of the project as part of Impact Days 2024 at ViennaUp. Unicorn served as the main contact point with local organizers, ensuring smooth arrangements, effective collaboration, and connecting all participants with the Austrian startup ecosystem.
Thank you to everyone who contributed and supported this journey. Let’s continue to innovate, collaborate, and create a sustainable future!
Greencent is a loyalty system in form of an app that tracks reductions in CO2 emissions achieved through individual activities. Users can spend their accumulated greencents at partner establishments including shops, restaurants, and within the local region.
let’s dev is creating Tailwind, a platform which is using smart meters connected to wind turbines to receive real time data of the power generated. This data is linked to the investment in the app, showing the investors the energy produced by their wind turbine.
tARvel combines a platform for creating personalized touristic routes as well as a cross-platform mobile application for tourists. The project aims at attracting more people to learn the history of their native city and region including the younger generation.
Rhoé is a mobility and green technology start-up. Their solution inBOARD is an API dictionary that can translate complex data into actionable insights and visually appealing representations, enabling citizens & policy makers to engage with smart city data.
easily makes electric vehicle charging easy with additional charging options enabled by simple connections to private and semi-private charging points as well as convenient billing wherever you are.
Opus Novo is the manufacturer of the digital care assistant “ELLY”, which is a multifunctional lamp designed to address the challenges faced by family caregivers. ELLY helps prevent falls, provides lighting for night time navigation, etc.
Spacetify, their space element inventory software and application as a PWA (progressive web application) is a complex web and mobile application, which is able to register the space elements owned by either municipalities or organizations.
Founderhood is a platform where you can run engaging & efficient virtual, hybrid, and in-person start-up programs. You can accept and evaluate start-up applications, host live online sessions, provide resources and perks to founders, etc.
With their solution co-town they want to enable people to visually express what they want their city to look like. Every user can submit a self-made urban collage and add a text comment as a complement to the visual proposal.
Owners Partners wants to boost sustainable mobility in the city by customizing stations for parking and charging personal mobility vehicles, for bikes/e-bikes, with the possibility of adding scooters/e-scooters later on.
Local Food Kidz offers a transparent, educational and fun way for children and their adults to learn about the food they are eating at school. It enables local farmers to showcase their products and schools and kindergartens to compose menus, keep track of deliveries, etc.
Everyrun is a C2C platform that helps connect runners and race organisers who want to run together and get fit in unique and creative places by making it super easy to host, monetise and join running events.
Their solution GreenSheep is a web application that allows citizens to access, in a visual and easily understandable way, information about air quality in their local community.
