They are a mobility and green technology start-up that aims to lead the transition to cleaner forms of energy and create a more sustainable future for everyone.
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 aimed to all employees of the University of Graz with start-up and innovation ideas. Together with experts, your own ideas will be concretized and brought to a prototypical implementation within a few months.
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 and offers coaching, mentoring and international networking together with partners from industry including an individual project plan and an early follow-up strategy.
Urban Tech
- The vision of URBAN Tech project is to contribute to the increase of the competitiveness of European industries in the Health Tech, Greentech and Smart City sectors. Up to 54,350 euros per SME or start-up and other benefits are available for the best solutions from these sectors.
Industrie x Unicorn
- Cooperation with IV Steiermark
- Synergies between start-ups and industry
- Office in Unicorn as IV Space for start-ups
Lunch Talk: Innovation
- Regular Lunch Talk
- Exchange about the latest topics from the start-up and innovation scene
- If interested in holding a talk at Unicorn, please contact us at office@unicorn-graz.at
I-CARE-SMART
- EU project: Development of innovative products and services for elderly care
- Fields: structure, accessibility, mobility & health and social contacts
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. More information
Startup workshop idea phase:
- Only for employees of the University of Graz
- Suitable for all ideas with a way to start a business
- Mediation of the essential content on the subject of self-employment
- Network access to grants and financing
- Supervision by own mentors and experts
- Extension of own skills (website, prototype,…)
- Up to EUR 2,000 for material costs for project implementation
- Optional leave of absence: Coverage of salary costs up to 8 hours per week on a full-time basis
Opportunity for subsequent start-up phase:
- Up to EUR 5,000 for material costs for project implementation
- Coverage of salary costs up to 16 hours per week on a full-time basis
Deadline June 4, 2023
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.
- Spin-off Lab Fellowship worth 150,000.- EUR
- Application open to researchers of University of Graz and all external
- Further development of commercially useable research results to a spin-off company
- Individual coaching and milestone plan
- Startup know-how through workshops
- Temporary full-time employment (12 to 18 months, up to postdoc salary)
- Shared office desk for the duration of the project
- Individual support from mentors and coaches
- Budget for consumables/material costs up to EUR 2.000.- per month
- Involvement in the startup community and relevant networking
- More information
Contact
Spin-off Lab Program Management
If you still have a question, please feel free to contact us!
URBAN Tech
Start of MVP Phase
Last November, 27 companies from across Europe participated in our hackathon as part of the EU URBAN Tech project. Aiming to increase the competitiveness of European industries in the Health Tech, Greentech and Smart City sectors, participants were supported with intensive mentoring, training and inspirational sessions during the hackathon and presented their results in front of the jury at the end. Starting from visual representation of data for citizens to fall prevention system and detection for elderly care. The winning teams were communicated in December 2022 and 8 companies are entitled to enter the next phase of the URBAN Tech program:
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101005301.
Rhoé
CO2mmon
Common is a new generation loyalty system in the form of an app measuring reductions of CO2 emissions resulting from activities performed by individuals.
ChaaargeUp
ChaargeUp makes EV charging easy through convenient booking & billing combined with a simple charging point connection.
let’s dev
let’s dev is a provider of individual software, designing, planning and programming individually tailored applications for national and international customers.
Opus Novo
Opus Novo is manufacturer of the digital care assistant “ELLY”, which is a multifunctional luminaire for elderly people and their caregivers.
tARvel (Acrux Cyber Services)
tARvel combines a platform for creating personalized touristic routes for archives and museums as well as a cross-platform mobile application for tourists.
Founderhood
Founderhood is offering an all-in-one platform that every startup program could use to promote more innovative ideas.
Webmark Europe
Webmark is an innovative webdesign company focusing on improving online awareness. Their portfolio is composed of internet surfaces and individual informatics solutions.
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.
© IV/KANIZAJ
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.
