Entrepreneurial Leadership Program
Turning Austria's brightest minds into future founders
Turning Austria's brightest minds into future founders
The Entrepreneurial Leadership Program is a community for those who go and build rather than complain about problems. It’s a one-year immersive program centered around startup-skills, leadership development and mutual support.
The fellows participate in 8+ hands-on workshops where they are able to learn relevant startup skills ranging from growth hacking, business model development to funding in order to work in their own startup idea in the second semester.
In the second semester of the program, every fellow gets a mentor from the Austrian startup scene. We carefully select and match mentors and mentees, according to ambitions and interests of both parties. Through the mentorship program as well as community events, fellows get introduced to the Austrian startup ecosystem and are enabled to start building their own network.
During the one year program, fellows take part in at least 8 Thinker's Lab sessions, where they engage in discussions on controversial topics entrepreneurs are regularly confronted with. In the past we covered topics such as 'Where is AI Heading?', 'the Metaverse' or 'Corporate - Startup Partnerships'.
With 8+ workshops on personal development, we want to enable our fellows to grow also on a personal level and address important topics such as building a team, getting what you want or personal reflection.
During their first semester the fellows work in small teams on a promising future technology of their choice where they identify its current impact and areas of application.
Active participation in weekly workshops & discussion sessions on Thursdays from 6pm onwards.
Future technology deep-dive with your peers and working on your own startup.
Full commitment to the whole program including two kick-off and two hack weekends.
Start your entrepreneurial journey.
Dive into the big challenges of our time.
Learn it first-hand from the people who’ve done it themselves.
Co-Founder Punkt vor Strich
Co-Founder Punkt vor Strich
Partner, TheVentury
Partner, TheVentury
Co-Founder & COO, Female Founders
Co-Founder & COO, Female Founders
Associate, Speedinvest
Associate, Speedinvest
Co-Founder, RealLifeConnect
Co-Founder, RealLifeConnect
Managing Director, Social Entrepreneurship Network Austria
Managing Director, Social Entrepreneurship Network Austria
Head of Startup-Services, WKÖ
Head of Startup-Services, WKÖ
Managing Director, WU Entrepreneurship Center
Managing Director, WU Entrepreneurship Center
COO, Kaleido AI
COO, Kaleido AI
Co-Founder & CEO, eiria
Co-Founder & CEO, eiria
Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer ZIRP
Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer ZIRP
Head of Digital & Emerging Tech Austria, EY
Head of Digital & Emerging Tech Austria, EY
Co-Founder, Circly
Co-Founder, Circly
Co-Founder, Seedback
Co-Founder, Seedback
Head of Quality & Regulatory Affairs, XUND
Head of Quality & Regulatory Affairs, XUND
Partner & Head of IT, The Ventury
Partner & Head of IT, The Ventury
Founder & CEO, VALANX Biotech
Founder & CEO, VALANX Biotech
Founder & CEO, EnliteAI
Founder & CEO, EnliteAI
CEO & Founder, RebelMeat
CEO & Founder, RebelMeat
Venture Architect at trive studio
Venture Architect at trive studio
Co-Founder, palamo
Co-Founder, palamo
Co-Founder, Phocus
Co-Founder, Phocus
Co-Founder, Metropole
Co-Founder, Metropole
Co-Founder, yodel.io
Co-Founder, yodel.io
Creative Entrepreneur & Author
Creative Entrepreneur & Author
CEO, danube.ai
CEO, danube.ai
Co-Founder, AustrianStartups
Co-Founder, AustrianStartups
Birgit Van Duyvenbode
ELP Intake Summer Semester 2021
Founded REEDuce, aiming at mitigating noice in an effective, sustainable and ecological manner.
Read more
Krystian Stankov
ELP Intake Winter Semester 2020
Co-Founded adorares, a platform for unique craftmenship.
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Alexandra Brandl
ELP Intake Winter Semester 2020
Co-Founded Hero Box (acquired by Vytal).
Read more
Julia Kruslin
ELP Intake Winter Semester 2020
Co-Founded beatvest, the Duolingo for finances.
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Leo Sulzmann
ELP Intake Winter Semester 2021
Founded SennSenn, producing vegan cheese from local vegetables.
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Oliver Alf
ELP Intake Summer Semester 2020
Co-Founded enlivio, enabling digitally supported physiotherapy for a sustainable rehabilitation.
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Timo Nothdurft, Katharina Herzog, Ulrich Penitz
ELP Intake Winter Semester 2021
Founder team moneycare, a platform for sustainable investing
Read more
Matthias Gruber
ELP Intake Winter Semester 2021
Co-Founder Circly, no code AI-algorithms for production and trade.
Read more
February 12, 2023.
After a pre-selection, promising candidates receive an invitation to a team task and interview.
No. The full €5.000 program fee is currently covered for all participants through scholarships from Markus Wagner, Hansi Hansmann and AustrianStartups. Nevertheless, we expect full commitment from our participants. Therefore, we take a down payment of €300 in the case of acceptance. We transfer this money back to you when you participate in at least 80% of the sessions.
Our meetings will take place physically in co-working spaces around Vienna. Depending on covid and space availability some meetings might also take place online.
Around 30 fellows are selected each semester.
No, you don't need to have a business idea to become part of the program.
No, we encourage all age groups to apply. In any case, we strongly recommend you read through the program (see above) and individually decide if it is a fit for you.
Unfortunately not - the workshops and the discussion groups always take part on Thursday evening. As they are the main part of our curriculum it is not possible to complete the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program without attending these sessions. However, if you are interested in getting involved with AustrianStartups you can still come to our monthly Stammtisch events.
No, definitely not - we encourage people from all different backgrounds to apply.
Unfortunately this is not possible.
After this one very intensive year, you will be ready to join the ELP alumni group. This network of 90+ curious minds will be your life long entrepreneurial community. Through various workshops and social events you will be able to engage and connect with your former peers and active intakes.