Top position in academic start-up creation across the entire German-speaking region

Fifty‑one start‑ups founded between 2014 and 2024 earned an impressive eighth place overall – and when adjusted for the number of students, FH Upper Austria even ranked fourth, just shy of the podium. The comparison, conducted as part of the ‘Entrepreneurship Ranking,’ includes universities across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
Dr. Gerold Weisz, head of the Startup Center at FH Upper Austria, is rightfully proud of this track record, which, as he puts it, ‘has many mothers and fathers.’ Above all, the top ranking reflects the strong integration of entrepreneurship and start-up education within the university’s curricula.

Since the founding of the Startup Center in 2007, Weisz has been the FH Upper Austria’s ‘founding professor.’ In just the past ten years, more than 200 potential and actual start‑ups have received guidance under his leadership. He lays the foundation through lectures and workshops within the various degree programs, the ‘Wannabe a Founder’ podcast, the TikTok channel Founder Buddies, pitch trainings, and a total of three co‑working spaces.

FH Upper Austria drops anchor in the start‑up ecosystem of the Tabakfabrik

The Linz Tabakfabrik — Austria’s most distinctive start‑up ecosystem — is playing an increasingly important role. Weisz now teaches several courses in its spaces and works closely with ‘Startrampe,’ the accelerator located on site. Starting this fall, the Startup Center will strengthen its physical presence even further by moving into its own office on the ‘Strada del Startup.’

A selection of well‑known start‑ups from the past ten years includes names such as Airmate, Winkk, Vereinsplaner, Voidsy, Fit‑Up, Tonestro, StreamTV, Carployee, and EasyWerkstatt.

Potential for Future Start‑Ups Emerging from the Higher‑Education Sector

What does the future hold? Gerold Weisz expects continued successful start‑ups to emerge from FH Upper Austria across the full thematic spectrum. Still, he identifies two fields with particularly strong prospects:
‘In the areas of AI as well as medical informatics and medical technology, I see especially high potential in the medium term. This is also tied to another strength in which FH Upper Austria is among the leaders across the entire German‑speaking region: applied research and development.’

(AI-generated translation)