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The program

What the CPI involves

The Creative Pre-Incubator® helps students, graduates and employees transform their innovative business ideas into companies.  Along with workshops and personal coaching, the teams will be introduced to the startup scene and meet people from the industry, gain access to funding bodies and share ideas with other startups.

(Foto: Nodale Consulting)

CPI support

Workshops

Workshops on starting a business with experts from the startup scene

Coaching

Individual coaching sessions to discuss managing issues and receive advice

Midterm Review & Demo Day

Get feedback and tips from external experts and a final pitch with great prizes up for grabs

Co-Working Space

Gain access to co-working spaces at your university

Networking

Rub shoulders with other teams and players in the startup ecosystem

Summer School Icon

NÖ Summer School

Experience the spirit of silicon valley in person

i2B

Find out what your business plan should look like and get feedback

Weiterbetreuung

Individual further support

We continue to provide support after the end of the CPI

Other support mechanisms

accent

The technology incubator for the state of Lower Austria

Accent Boot Camp

accent Bootcamp

Take a close look at your business model and pitch with startup expert Gigi Wang

Esa Logo

ESA

accent is the local incubation partner of ESA BIC Austria

CERN

Provides Austrian startups with access to CERN expertise and its professional network

NÖBEG

Finances production facilities and offers investments

TECNET

Early-stage equity investments

Coaching

Personal coaching sessions are offered to the teams during the Creative Pre-Incubator program. The aim of these sessions is to take a look at any questions, aspirations and potential obstacles the team may face. During the sessions, the CPI project managers will also discuss your milestone plan to record progress and offer feedback by drawing on the extensive networks maintained by accent Inkubator GmbH and the universities.  

Midterm review & demo day

The midterm reviews give CPI teams the opportunity to demonstrate how far their business idea has come to representatives from their university along with guests and experts from the startup scene and world of business. In turn, the teams will receive constructive and useful feedback to determine the next stages of their project. With these presentations, we aim to refine the pitch deck for future meetings with potential funding bodies and investors.

The demo day marks the end of the CPI program. Teams from each university pitch their business ideas to an external jury one after the other. The best teams are awarded with prizes, ranging from tickets to startup festivals, places on boot camps and much more.

Jurypitch CPI

Co-working space

Each team that participates in the CPI program receives free access to a co-working space at their university. Complete with coffee machine, printers and WiFi, these spaces can be used around the clock to realise business ideas, host meetings or network. The CPI teams are also welcome to work at the accent Inkubator GmbH offices in Wiener Neustadt, Tulln and Office Park 4 at Schwechat airport during their time in the CPI program.

Networking

Regular networking events with CPI teams from all of the universities of applied science in Lower Austria give Creative Pre-Incubator program participants as many opportunities to interact as possible. The events are also attended by startups that have previously gone through the program along with experts and teams from the AplusB or ESA programs managed by accent Inkubator GmbH. We provide the CPI teams with regular updates on interesting events and competitions in the startup scene.

Lower Austria Summer School

Each summer, we send a team from one of the universities in Lower Austria to the Lower Austria Summer School to experience the spirit of silicon valley in person and take part in the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp at UC Berkeley. During their time at boot camp, participants will learn about the Berkeley Method of Entrepreneurship under the supervision of the team from Open Austria, the Austrian consulate in San Francisco.  The team will also have the opportunity to visit major tech firms like Google and Meta.

(©Foto: warrify)

More information on the Lower Austria Summer School

i2b - ideas to business

i2b is an Austrian initiative that helps entrepreneurs draft their business concept. In addition, i2b offers a wide range of tools and services free of charge to registered users. During the CPI, project managers from i2b introduce the program, shed light on the optimal structure of a successful business plan and provide valuable support with questions on this important topic.

More information on i2B

Workshops

At Creative Pre-Incubator®, we support our teams with a variety of workshops on how to start a company. Our workshops are hosted by experts from the startup industry and the topics covered vary according to each team's needs. During the workshops, the CPI teams benefit from the knowledge gained and are able to actively contribute their thoughts and ideas. Each CPI program involves around 8 workshop days.

Selecting the right business model is crucial to the success of a company. At the first workshop, the teams learn what a business model entails and why it's so important. The host offers in-depth insights into the business model design process, highlighting the available tools and how they can be used for each startup idea. Special attention is given to the business model canvas and the topics of key resources, key partners, USP, costs and business model.

Startups often fail because they simply overlook the market. This workshop helps participants research the markets for their projects. What does the market currently look like in my industry? Which research methods are most effective and how can I verify information found online? Participants learn about effective market research tools, receive search tips for their research and learn to analyse the market and competition.

The sales workshop focuses on marketing, positioning and sales tailored to startups and young companies. What is the ideal customer profile and how can I find the right customer base? How do I start a successful sales process? Participants are introduced to the basics in individual subject areas followed by practical exercises to reinforce everything they've learned so far. This involves simulated phone calls, emails and video conferences.

Only those with a strong pitch will manage to attract suitable investors, new customers and other backing for their company. At this workshop, we explore the theoretical and practical aspects of a pitch. By the end of the day, each participant should have perfected their presentation and be able to gain the full attention of their audience with a captivating 2-3 minute pitch.

The intellectual property workshop gives participants insight into the world of trademarks, design protection and copyright law. In addition to explaining the terms and their functions, the workshop also covers the differences between different types of protection and the rights of rights holders. Trademark protection and registration are also discussed. Which tools are best for verifying existing industrial property rights? Participants work together to research their ideas and develop an IP strategy.

What does an entrepreneur in Austria need to know about financing and liquidity? This workshop helps you develop your own financial plan. Together, we run through the figures, import them into a tool designed for startups and analyse them. Legal issues related to financing and liquidity are also covered, exploring issues such as the link between controlling and all other departments like marketing, sales and production. Questions on your business idea will be discussed in the group and with other teams.

There's no shortage of financing instruments available to startups. But which is the right one for your idea? Would equity or debt financing be better? What types and options are there? What is venture capital? At this workshop, we provide an introduction to the various forms of financing, support schemes in Austria and explore the venture capital financing process in detail.

With so many options available in Austria, teams can often struggle to seek out the right funding, particularly during the initial stage. Two nationwide promotional banks, aws – austria wirtschaftsservice and FFG - Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, provide information on available funding options and answer any questions you may have. Teams also receive regular updates on funding opportunities and tenders.

accent

accent is the technology incubator launched by the state of Lower Austria and one of the six AplusB centres in Austria. Under the motto ‘Competence and Passion’, the teams have the opportunity to complete an intense course on startup-relevant topics and receive support at impulse sessions, boot camps, networking events and coaching sessions.

More information on accent

accent boot camp

At the accent boot camp, teams fine-tune their business models, strategies, storytelling and pitch techniques in little under a week. The experience ends with a pitch to experts and business angels. The boot camp is led by Gigi Wang, a lecturer at UC Berkeley's Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship. Teams registered on the CPI program can take part in this boot camp every year.  

More information on accent boot camp

CPI Besprechung Vortrag

CERN

accent Inkubator GmbH is the official Austrian BIC (Business Incubation Center) for CERN, giving all Austrian startups access to CERN expertise and the CERN professional network.

More information on CERN BIC Austria

ESA

accent Inkubator GmbH is also the LIP (Local Incubation Partner) of ESA BIC Austria. ESA BIC startups receive access to the expertise of the European Space Agency combined with an extended grant from the ESA and the state of Lower Austria and support in the form of impulse sessions, boot camps, hackathons, networking events and coaching.

More information on ESA BIC Austria

Vortrag CERN

tecnet

Following the incubation stage at accent and once a proof of concept has been drawn up, startups are eligible to apply for additional support from tecnet. With a focus on early-stage equity investments, tecnet provides support in the form of coaching and early-stage investments (co-investments with business angels, SAFE convertible notes and VC investments).

(©Foto: Michael Beck)

More information on tecnet equity

NÖBEG

NÖ Bürgschaften und Beteiligungen GmbH offers financing for production facilities and investments. To gain access to its services, teams first need to have recorded turnover, enjoyed market success and provide a clear business strategy. NÖBEG is therefore primarily relevant for startups in a later stages of development.

More information on NÖBEG

Teamfoto circly