Deutsch – INiTS

On June 3rd, 2025 INiTS held its 23rd Demo Day at ECOVIS. This important event marked the end of their 100-day Startup Camp program. Many startup founders presented their ideas to investors and industry experts who came to see new and innovative business solutions. A huge thank you to ECOVIS for being such a gracious host and providing the perfect backdrop for this inspiring gathering!

The Startup Camp helps turn great ideas into real businesses. During this 100-day program, new startups get practical business training and guidance from experienced mentors. They also get to connect with investors and industry experts who can help them succeed. The program is quite selective. Of the 108 teams that applied to the SCALEup Incubation Program, eight were selected and presented their solutions at Demo Day #23.

Beyond Problems: A Solutions-Oriented Mindset Takes Center Stage

These eight startups stood out because they focused on finding real solutions to existing problems. Instead of just pointing out what’s wrong, they came up with creative ways to fix things. Each team showed this problem-solving approach when they presented their ideas to the jury and investors.

The distinguished jury panel consisted of Gabi Tatzberger (Wirtschaftsagentur Wien), Niki Futter (invest.austria), Natalie Hammerich (Frequentis), and Oliver Szolar (a:head bio). They provided insightful questions and constructive feedback to each startup team. Their active participation demonstrated the collaborative spirit of Austria’s startup ecosystem in supporting emerging businesses.

The Jury – Niki Futter, Natalie Hammerich, Gabi Tatzberger, Oliver Szolar

A Glimpse into Tomorrow: The Pitches That Wowed

The eight pitching startups represented a diverse range of industries:

AiClearSky: Revolutionizing critical communication, proving that clear communication truly saves lives.
AvatarGuide: An ingenious platform utilizing AI avatars for software walkthrough videos, promising to dramatically cut sales team time and boost conversion rates.
AiResolve: Pioneering an efficient, AI-powered precision medicine platform for the treatment of immune diseases, offering new hope in a complex field.
Algaethera: Charting new territory in biopharmaceutical production and drug delivery through the development of microalgae strains for cosmetics, veterinary, and medical devices.
Cogmotiv: Addressing the pressing challenge of apathy in aging and dementia with targeted pharmacological treatments.
Kleinkraft – Carbon Engineering: Demonstrating a commitment to a sustainable future with an efficient and sustainable process for producing chemicals from CO2 for industrial use.
Neworn: Building trust and personalization in the second-hand children’s market with an AI-driven platform.
OPOP: Empowering real-time operational optimization and reducing production costs with a self-service software acting as a digital laboratory.

Boosting Diversity and Sustainability: Bonuses for a Brighter Future

Innovation must go hand in hand with diversity and climate-conscious solutions. Six of the eight pitching startups demonstrated this commitment with at least one female co-founder; a significant achievement in the traditionally male-dominated startup scene. These six teams, Algaethera, AiResolve, Kleinkraft – Carbon Engineering, Cogmotiv, Neworn, and OPOP, each received a EUR 1.000,- bonus to support their commitment to diversity.

Kleinkraft – Carbon Engineering, Neworn, and OPOP, all tackling crucial topics, also received a EUR 1.000,- bonus, further emphasizing the commitment to a sustainable future.

And the Jury Prize Goes To…

While all eight startups delivered exceptional pitches, only one could walk away with the jury prize: a matchmaking coaching session sponsored by Invest Austria. After careful deliberation, the jury announced Algaethera as the deserving winner! Congratulations to the entire Algaethera team for their outstanding presentation and groundbreaking work.

Demo Day #23 was more than just a series of pitches. It was a powerful testament to the entrepreneurial spirit, and the collaborative nature of the Austrian startup ecosystem. These eight startups are now ready to take their next big step forward. Their innovative solutions will help create a better future; one that’s more inclusive, environmentally friendly, and full of new possibilities. We look forward to seeing how they grow and make a positive difference in the world.

This startup, Carbon Engineering, is focused on developing a process for producing organic carbonates from CO2 and (bio)alcohol. The goal is to create sustainable solutions that utilize carbon dioxide as a raw material, thereby contributing to environmental sustainability. Their innovative approach aligns with emerging technologies in the field of carbon capture and utilization.

This startup is developing a platform that creates photorealistic product walkthrough videos using lifelike AI avatars and voices. The technology aims to enhance user engagement by providing dynamic and realistic presentations of products. It is currently in the incubation stage and targets the ICT industry.

AiResolve is an AI-powered, big data-driven platform designed to revolutionize
the diagnosis and management of immune related diseases such as aGVHD. By
enabling precision medicine, AiResolve aims to reduce mortality rates by 4x,
shorten treatment duration by 75%, and cut treatment costs by over 50%,
significantly improving patient outcomes.

AiClearSky revolutioniert die Kommunikationsanalyse durch den Einsatz fortschrittlicher Large Language Models (LLMs) zur tiefgreifenden semantischen Auswertung von Sprach- und Textdaten. Statt einfacher Signal-Reaktionsmuster erfasst die Technologie Bedeutung und Kontext, was zu einer herausragenden Präzision führt – selbst bei unterschiedlichen Akzenten oder schwierigen Audiobedingungen.

Ein Kernvorteil ist die enorme Flexibilität: AiClearSky benötigt kein aufwändiges Training und kann schnell an neue Anwendungsfälle angepasst und erweitert werden. Dies ermöglicht den Einsatz in kritischen und vielfältigen Bereichen wie dem Flugverkehr (z.B. Pilot-ATC-Kommunikation, Gatezuweisung), der Marine, bei Rettungsdiensten und in der Verteidigung, wo klare und exakt verstandene Kommunikation entscheidend ist. Die Technologie bietet somit eine leistungsstarke Lösung für komplexe Kommunikationsherausforderungen.

Did you know that chemical production sites generate up to 10 kB of sensor data per second?
Much of this data ends up archived — but untapped.

OPOP is an intelligent software solution that turns historical process data into actionable insight.
With soft sensors powered by machine learning, OPOP predicts critical process parameters in real time — even when physical sensors fail or lab results are delayed.

Trained on existing plant data and running without the need for additional hardware or CAPEX, OPOP helps production teams reduce operational costs, improve efficiency, and increase process reliability.

Deutsch: Aus der Vergangenheit lernen, die Gegenwart verstehen.
Intelligente Datenanalysen für mehr Effizienz in der Prozessindustrie.

Wussten Sie, dass in chemischen Produktionsanlagen pro Sekunde bis zu 10 kB an Sensordaten entstehen?
Ein Großteil dieser Daten wird gespeichert – aber kaum verstanden und genutzt.

OPOP ist eine intelligente Softwarelösung, die historische Prozessdaten in verwertbare Erkenntnisse verwandelt.
Mit virtuellen Sensoren auf Basis von Machine Learning sagt OPOP kritische Prozessgrößen in Echtzeit voraus – selbst dann, wenn physische Sensoren ausfallen oder Laboranalysen verzögert vorliegen.

Die Software arbeitet ausschließlich mit bereits vorhandenen Anlagendaten – ohne zusätzliche Hardware oder CAPEX – und hilft Produktionsteams dabei, Betriebskosten zu senken, Prozesse effizienter zu gestalten und die Anlagenrobustheit zu erhöhen.

Neworn is an AI-powered circular economy platform for pre-loved children’s clothing and accessories, as well as unsold new items. Our mission is to reduce textile waste, pollution, and resource consumption in the fashion industry. We empower parents to make sustainable purchasing decisions by providing a personalized, technology-driven solution for the seamless, trustworthy, and user-friendly buying and selling of high-quality children’s items. Users are rewarded with exclusive discounts from our partner brands.

Algaethera is focused on the development of microalgae strains for use in biopharmaceutical production. Their work also extends to drug delivery systems in cosmetics, veterinary applications, and medical products. The startup aims to leverage the unique properties of microalgae to create innovative solutions in the life sciences sector.

Cogmotiv FlexCo is a neuroscience-focused biotech company developing the first disease-modifying treatment for apathy in dementia. We target this critical unmet need with a novel small-molecule approach grounded in cutting-edge neuroscience. Our lead program is advancing through preclinical development toward regulatory approval and commercialisation.

YouTube started as a dating site.
Instagram launched as a check-in app.
Netflix mailed DVDs.

And today?

They’ve become icons of innovation and shining examples of one of the most powerful tools in the startup world:
The Pivot.

What Is a Pivot… and What Is It Not?

A pivot isn’t a panic move.
It’s not “let’s scrap everything and try something random.”

A pivot is a deliberate course correction.
It’s a strategic response to real feedback, real data, and real signals from the market.

According to Eric Ries’ Lean Startup model, every business idea starts as a hypothesis.
And like any good hypothesis, it needs to be tested.

If it doesn’t work, you don’t throw out the vision. You adjust the route.
You change the path, not the destination.

How to Pivot the Right Way – 5 Key Steps

1. Don’t wait for impact before reading the signs.

If your users don’t come back, no one’s paying, or your product’s misunderstood, that’s not a speed bump. That’s the market flashing red lights and shouting: “Check your assumptions!”

2. Trade wishful thinking for validated learning.

Build an MVP. Collect real user feedback. Let the data speak.
No pivot without proof.

3. Pivot from insight, not from fear.

Ask yourself: What is working?
What are our users actually telling us?
What problem are we solving exceptionally well?

4. Let go of the wrong market, not the vision.

This was exactly what Jasmin Hadrany, co-founder of Boolee, experienced.
Her startup originally focused on the cultural sector: museums, galleries, institutions.

The pitch was strong. Interest was high.
But there was a catch:

„We were in dialogue with many museums and galleries. And we realised that the added value is there, but the financial power is not… that people are testing it, but the willingness to pay is not there. That’s why we thought that we’d create a solution that would be suitable and appealing for marketing agencies.”

So the team made a bold move:

Refocus on marketing and sales agencies — a space with strong need and strong budgets.

5. Use everything the first try taught you.

Trial and error is expensive at first.
But by round two, you know how to pitch. You know what sticks.
You’re not starting from zero. You’re starting from experience.

Boolee’s Pivot: From Culture to Commerce

Boolee was born to simplify data analysis for cultural institutions.
But the sector’s limited budgets and low willingness to pay made scaling impossible.

Today, Boolee empowers marketing and sales teams to make data-driven decisions in seconds.
No data team. No dashboard chaos.
Just real-time insights. And save up to 70% of time.

„The real gamechanger? When a major agency compared us to a leading US player — and said we were just as good.”

The Bottom Line: Pivoting Isn’t a Step Back. It’s a Smarter Leap Forward.

A pivot doesn’t mean you were wrong.
It means you’ve learned something.

There’s a moment between stimulus and response, and in that moment lies choice.
In startup life, that choice often comes down to this:

Do you quit or double down with new clarity?

🎙️ Want to Hear What Pivoting Actually Feels Like?

How do you know when it’s time to shift?
What does it feel like to let go of your original market – even if you love it?
And how do you know if the pivot is working?

Tune in to the latest episode of INiTS’ SCALEup Talk, where Boolee’s co-founder Jasmin Hadrany shares her honest take on navigating change, making tough calls, and pivoting with purpose.