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Plug and Play Austria opened its new headquarters at Vienna airport on Tuesday. As part of the opening, Plug and Play Austria organized the so-called “Selection Day”. A total of 30 startups from the tourism and hospitality sectors and smart cities presented their technology solutions and business ideas, reported the brutkasten.
As part of the inauguration, Renée Wagner, Managing Director of Plug and Play Austria, gave us an exclusive tour of the new premises at the new headquarters and gave us an interview about the future plans of the Californian startup forge in Vienna.
Renée Wagner has been Managing Director of Plug and Play Austria since 2019 and has many years of experience in the travel and hospitality industry. She previously worked as a coordinator at the Federal Chancellery during the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU. In addition, the Native American is a voluntary integration ambassador for “Austria Together”.
What specific support do startups that are part of the Plug and Play program receive?
In a first step, we first analyze the extent to which the respective startups have developed, using a “stage-independent” approach. This means that the size of the companies we have in the program varies greatly.
The definition of plug and play startup also includes, for example, companies that have more than 200 employees and have already scaled their business ideas. Therefore, the support in the program is very flexible and is based on the needs of individual startups.
Support includes, for example, polishing your tone, organizing meetings with potential investors, support in the area of business development, or linking with the right investors. We try to find first-class and good mentors for startups.
What added value do Plug and Play corporate partners have through the association?
Our corporate partners have several options for using the “plug and play” partnership. You will receive your own streams of offers from us, which we will work on individually based on your needs.
As plug and play, we then take a look at the innovative solutions our startups offer in this area. Solutions in the travel and hospitality sector can also come from the FinTech and InsureTech sectors. Our corporate partners benefit not only from local startups, but also from our global network, to which they have access.
From a plug and play point of view, what is the Vienna USP as a location?
Vienna is an excellent location because we can take advantage of its central location in the heart of Europe. Furthermore, we are not only located in Vienna itself, but also in Vienna Airport. We want people to arrive comfortably to do their business here. We also have direct access to the train station here, with the express train service to Budapest and Bratislava which will be further expanded in the future. This also plays into our hands, as the Central and Eastern European market is our target market.
Will business travel continue to play a role in the future in times of crown and digitization?
I think the human aspect will continue to play an important role in the future, especially when making deals. Maybe I’m a bit old school, but before I start a deal, I want to get to know the other person personally. Of course, companies in the field of business travel will be even more strict in the future. But I think there are certain times when you just have to be physically there.
How do you want to connect with the Austrian startup ecosystem?
We also try to build a good relationship with all the local accelerators as there could possibly be good investments for us there. We have been working with Speedinvest for years and I also have a good relationship with TheVentury. In addition, Plug and Play has been a partner of WKO and the Advantage Austria program for several years.
Is Plug and Play looking for investments in Austrian startups?
Yes, we are currently actively looking for investments. To do this, I am in close contact with our analysts, who also exchange ideas around the world. Right now there are five startups that are on my “wish list” and they come from the field of sustainability and smart cities.
