Start-up Programme
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.
Start-up Werkstatt
Die Start-Up Werkstatt richtet sich an alle Mitarbeiter:innen der Universität Graz mit Gründungs- und Innovationsideen und ist thematisch offen. Verfolge deine Idee in Richtung Selbstständigkeit. Für das gesamte Projekt erhalten die Mitarbeiter:innen der Universität Graz einen Wert von bis zu 40.000,- EUR.
Startup Werkstatt Ideenphase:
Chance auf Verlängerung des Programmes (3 Monate):
Bewerbung Deadline: 15.06.2025
Zusendung der vollständig ausgefüllten Bewerbungsunterlagen an office@unicorn-graz.at
Kontakt
Start-up-Werkstatt Programmmanagement
Sollte dennoch eine Frage offen bleiben, kontaktiere uns gerne.
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!
Industrie x Unicorn
Die steirische Industrie ist ein starker und langjähriger Partner der Universität Graz. In Kooperation mit dem Unicorn und dem Verband für Standort und Gesellschaft Steiermark wird diese Zusammenarbeit gestärkt. Dabei sollen nicht nur engere Verbindungen zu Forscher:innen und Studierenden der zweitgrößten Universität Österreichs hergestellt, sondern auch eine verstärkte Vernetzung von Start-ups und Industrie gefördert werden.
Gründungen und Spin-Offs der Uni Graz
Die Universität Graz zeichnet sich durch unternehmerische Aktivität aus und ist im Forschungs- und Lehrbetrieb vielseitig aufgestellt, was eine hohe gesellschaftliche Relevanz mit sich bringt. Im Rahmen von Forschungsprojekten entstehen regelmäßig interessante Spin-off-Gründungen. Einige sind hier angeführt (wird laufend erweitert).
PureSurf
PureSurf ist ein EIC Transition Projekt, das sich mit der Herstellung von nachhaltigen Tensiden aus lokal verfügbaren Abfallströmen mittels Grüner Chemie befasst. Tenside sind unter anderem in Waschmittel, Agrarchemikalien, Farben & Lacken und Körperpflegeprodukten enthalten, werden aber derzeit größtenteils entweder aus Erdöl oder Importwaren wie Palmöl hergestellt.
LinoEx
Der intensive Einsatz von synthetischen Pflanzenschutzmitteln führt zur gravierenden Umweltproblemen und gefährlichen Wirkungen auf die menschliche Gesundheit. Mission von dem Spin-off LinoEx ist die Herstellung biologischer Pflanzenschutzmittel basierend auf natürlichen Ölen und damit die Auswirkungen synthetischen Pestiziden zu mildern.
Innophore
Die Innophore GmbH ist ein Spin-off-Unternehmen der acib GmbH und der Universität Graz. Sie beschäftigen sich mit der der Identifizierung und Entwicklung hochwertigen Enzymen und effizienterer, umweltfreundlicherer „grüner“ chemischer Produktionsprozesse und neuartiger Biosimilars für medizinische Behandlungen.
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 startup programs. You can accept and evaluate startup 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.