Startup Mission – Networking Trips to International Startup Cities

Join us on a tour! Once a year, the SFG’s networking tour takes Styrian startups to the hotspots of the European startup scene. You’ll gain insight into the local startup ecosystem, gain access to new markets, and have time for industry discussions.
Portrait Doris Paier
Doris Paier +43 316 7093 312

Off to New Markets

As diverse as the Startup Mission’s destinations may be, the focus is always on matchmaking, networking, and new ideas. Our goal each time is to provide innovative startups with optimal support as they develop new products and enter new markets, and to connect them with industry peers and relevant partners.

“Three days filled with inspiring conversations, new connections, and valuable insights. Startup Mission helped us expand our network in a targeted way and better understand opportunities in the German market.”
Jakob Pieber, PH Predicting Health

The Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), the world’s largest business support network for small and medium-sized enterprises, provides a key foundation for this. As a member of this network, we support Styrian startups in marketing their innovations within the EU single market by organizing meetings with potential partners in the run-up to the trip, open doors to industry-related companies and institutions, and integrate events into the program that provide participants with actionable insights relevant to their specific field.

What to Expect on the Networking Trip

  • You’ll receive support in advance to help you plan individual B2B meetings.
  • You’ll meet potential collaboration partners.
  • You’ll get a firsthand look at the startup ecosystem on site.
  • You’ll exchange ideas with companies that share a similar focus.
  • You’ll gain access to international markets.
  • You’ll attend top international events that address your company’s focus.
  • You’ll benefit from our Europe-wide network.

The program for Startup Mission 2027 is currently being planned.

On the Road with Startup Mission

Gruppenbild Startup Mission Berlin 2026
Startup Mission Berlin 2026
Ten Styrian life sciences startups set out on the “Startup Mission Berlin 2026” to one of Europe’s most exciting innovation hubs. There, they established international contacts, gathered valuable market feedback, and explored new opportunities for collaboration and financing.
Gruppenfoto in Messehalle
Startup Mission Dresden 2025
Nine innovative startups in the fields of electronic and software-based systems and microelectronics ventured across the state border: The destination of the networking trip was Dresden, a microelectronics hub, with a clear focus on internationalization, networking, and potential collaborations.
Gruppenbild vor Hochhaus und Riesenrad
Startup Mission 2024 – Startupmark Comes to Munich
Startup Mission 2024 took us to Munich, one of the most important startup hubs in the German ecosystem, which is characterized above all by its strong infrastructure, numerous funding opportunities, and proximity to many universities.
Startup Mission PODIM 2023
As part of efforts to strengthen cross-border cooperation between the Austrian and Slovenian startup ecosystems, the Startup Mission 2023 traveled to Slovenia for PODIM.
Startup Mission Hamburg 2022
The first networking trip in 2022 took seven Styrian companies from the green tech and smart city sectors, as well as representatives from the Green Tech Cluster and Science Park Graz, to Hamburg, one of Europe’s most attractive high-tech regions.