Das Unicorn bietet nicht nur Infrastruktur, sondern unterstützt auch Innovationsprojekten am Campus der Uni. In Kooperation mit PartnerInnen aus der Universität und darüber hinaus bieten wir einiges an Unterstützung. Auch regelmäßige Events & Talks mit spannenden Gästen stehen am Programm.

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 EUR 180.000,-
• 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

Application Deadline: to be announced

Send the completed application documents to office@unicorn-graz.at

Accelerating innovation in Health Tech, Smart City and Greentech

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!

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101005301.