Review of the 2024 start-up fair
16.03.2024
Messe Graz
START-UP FAIR 2024 - CONCENTRATED KNOWLEDGE & INSPIRING TALKS
There is no one-size-fits-all recipe for the perfect business start-up, but expert advice helps to avoid many hurdles in advance. The new record number of start-ups in Styria proves the great interest in self-employment and the prevailing entrepreneurial spirit. More than 1,000 visitors took the opportunity to take part in countless counselling sessions with the satisfied exhibitors at the Start-up Fair 2024.
ALL UNDER ONE ROOF
Innovative business ideas, outstanding concepts and a wealth of expertise were once again presented at Messecongress Graz in 2024. On 16 March 2024, numerous aspiring young entrepreneurs once again gathered to receive valuable tips and tricks on the topics of founding, setting up a company and launching a business, making the trade fair a complete success. For the MCG together with our main partners – the Styrian Chamber of Commerce, the Styrian Business Promotion Agency SFG, the Province of Styria, Steiermärkische Sparkasse and the City of Graz – the start-up fair was once again an indispensable meeting place for founders. It is regarded as THE place to go for expert advice on all aspects of financing, business models, business plans, market communication and legal forms in order to get off to a flying start as a young entrepreneur.
GLOBAL GROWTH FROM THE KITCHEN TABLE
In his keynote speech, Dominik Angerer from Storyblok described what it means to believe in an idea yourself and to have a team of experts behind you. Storyblok was founded in 2017 with the aim of developing a content management system that enables marketers and developers to work more productively and reuse content for different channels. He told us openly: “Originally, we weren’t planning a spin-off, we were much more interested in finding an optimal solution to a technical error in an external programme.” A few years later, he finds himself as CEO with a team of over 230 employees in more than 40 countries and over 200,000 projects in 130 countries.
FINANCING AS THE BASIS FOR SUCCESS
The panel discussion offered visitors an all-round view of the topic of financing. Angerer’s investor Peter Lasinger from 3VC added: “When investing, it is important to recognise the added value and necessity of a product. The technological upheaval was obvious, the upcoming need for a CMS solution clear – for me, these are good signs for a successful investment.” Oliver Kröpfl from Steiermärkische Sparkasse found parallels between memories of his childhood days and the right time to found a company. If you only learn to ski when the sun is shining, a cloudy day becomes a major challenge. “The same applies to start-ups, we are currently in a difficult economic situation – those who succeed now will benefit twice as much in better times.” In addition to his experiences with crowdfunding, Thomas Winkler from Apflputzn also described “the importance of using advice centres such as the SFG or WKO to get the 1×1 of start-up knowledge.”
SPECIAL TOPIC ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Artificial intelligence is currently on everyone’s lips. Science, technology, financial markets and media alike are currently endeavouring to benefit from this trend. At the start-up fair, the topic of intelligence was examined and discussed in the context of the interaction between human and artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on the cooperative effects. The tenor of all panellists: “Generating and storing data is no longer the problem these days – it’s more about making the data usable.”
THE PERFECT MIX
In the afternoon, there were presentations and workshops on the topics of financing, business plans, self-employment and legal principles. Those who preferred a 1:1 discussion were in the right place at the mentor speed dating event powered by Ideentriebwerk. Here, founders, enthusiasts and experts were brought together to share inspiration, contacts and expertise. The Lessons Learned Sessions (stories of failure and recovery) once again found their place in the gallery this year. True to the motto “You learn from your mistakes”. Networking at its best took place from 5 pm at the Startup Spritzer powered by Ideentriebwerk. The perfect end to a trade fair day full of information.
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Valerie Maltseva
SUMMARY OF THE TRADE FAIR
Armin Egger, CEO of Messe Congress Graz: “As CEO of Messe Congress Graz, I recognise how important it is to use creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to find new solutions to the challenges of our time. As one of the leading events in this field, the Start-up Fair offers an excellent platform for company founders in particular to find out about the latest trends and developments in various sectors and to exchange ideas with experts, leading minds and other founders about innovative ideas, business models and the latest technologies. We are proud that the fair has been so successful in recent years, making it an important event for the regional economy and a must-attend event for anyone looking to further their entrepreneurial ambitions.”
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