Coworking space meets startup incubator: sektor5 in Vienna to run global incubator “5starts” in 2016
The Viennese coworking space sektor5 is so much more than “just a coworking space”. In the past 5 years it has naturally evolved into an accelerator/incubator and has helped various startups like Codeship, Blossom and MySugr reach success on an international scale.
Now it’s time to take it to the next step and formalise sektor5’s status as an incubator. So, with support from the AWS JumpStart initiative, sektor5 will officially start its own incubator — called 5starts — in 2016.
The initial batch of four startups will kick off on January 8, 2016 and run for 5 months. The startups participating are already part of sektor5’s own community:
The startups participating in the first batch of 5starts are:
- ExtraSauber (extrasauber.at), Austria’s first online cleaning portal,
- ChillBill (chillbill.co), a solution for automating receipt management, and
- Vienna Skill Smiths (viennaskillsmiths.at), a platform for low-threshold learning and teaching
“We feel that sektor5's incubator program 5starts fits the AWS JumpStart initiative particularly well, given their track record and the number of now internationally acclaimed startups that set their first steps at sektor5.”
Viktor Pasquali, Program Manager AWS JumpStart
“Historically we’ve supported startups with their recruiting process and by introducing them to the larger ecosystem, as well as supporting them with team desks at our space,” says Floor Drees, the managing director of sektor5, “we’re excited that we can now put a system in place to offer ongoing assistance to startups we believe in.”
The 5starts incubator kicks off with a screening session on January 8, during which the 5starts managers, external professionals and the incubatees themselves will agree on clear goals and focus points for the upcoming months. Later this January month, an informal Meet & Greet will allow the startups teams to get to know other sektor5 members, their 5starts mentors and invited guests from the ecosystem.
The first 2016 batch will formally end with a Demo Day, where the startup teams get to pitch in front of a jury consisting of representatives from AWS, AustrianStartups, sektor5, and the investor ecosystem.
About sektor5:
sektor5 is one of the most established coworking spaces in Austria and was crowned “Best Coworking Space in Austria” by the CESAwards in 2015. Since its founding in 2010 sektor5 has been home to a diverse community of startups, developers and freelancers. sektor5 hosts numerous startup events and meetups. The owners are particularly committed to fostering the involvement of women in the tech and startup industries.
About AWS JumpStart:
aws JumpStart supports incubators, which assist startups in non-academic environments by providing infrastructure and services as a one-stop-shop, thereby significantly speeding up startup development. Funding is aimed at incubators and accelerators which haven’t yet benefited from existing national programs.
Publications on the 5starts incubator:
The Press Release of AWS (in German): awsg.at/Content.Node/presse/4180.de.php
A piece on Der Brutkasten (in German): derbrutkasten.com/a/150-000-euro-fuer-jumpstart-sieger/
An interview on Fillmore (in German): fillmore.at/wirtschaft/coworking-space-sektor5-startet-incubator-mit-wirtschaftsministerium-und-aws/
