UNTERNEHMA WOS #3 goes STARTUP SOUTH!

Building Bridges through a Tunnel: STARTUP SOUTH! Connects the Scenes in Carinthia & Styria.

The opening of the Koralmbahn marks a historic turning point, transforming two neighboring provinces into a shared economic and living space. To seize this momentum, a powerful alliance has formed: the Kärnten Gründungsnetzwerk and Ideentriebwerk Graz have launched the STARTUP SOUTH! initiative.

An Impulse Workshop on Rails

The initiative kicked off in January 2026 with an experimental collaboration format. Delegations traveled to their neighboring province in a reserved “Moving Workspace” train car. While traveling at 200km/h, participants engaged in a moderated workshop to explore how the startup scenes in Carinthia and Styria can merge into a unified “STARTUP SOUTH!” region.

Two Cities, One Goal

The exchange took place over two key dates:

January 8, 2026: The Styrian community visited Klagenfurt for the third edition of UNTERNEHMA WOS.. Central Carinthian players—including BABEG, build! Gründerzentrum, FH Kärnten, KWF, Makerspace Carinthia, University of Klagenfurt, Startup Carinthia, and the WKO—presented news and pitches to spark new cross-border cooperations.

January 15, 2026: The Carinthian delegation returned the favor, traveling to the Startup Spritzer in Graz. This event opened doors to the Styrian ecosystem, facilitating direct exchange with local startups and investors.

Taking Flight Together

“We are using the Koralmbahn not just as a new connection between two cities, but as an opportunity to rethink our startup ecosystems,” says Iris Einöder, Board Member at Startup Carinthia. Andrea Udier, President of Ideentriebwerk Graz, adds: “We are putting both provinces on the same track so that innovation knows no state borders in the future”

The journey was made even more impactful by the diverse group of founders on board. Startups like xm systems, bischof snowboards, Gamer-Tag, Duramea, simplyai, must-visibility, MOVEVO, Leon Talents, Skilami and many others were part of this historic first step toward a collaborative South.

Thanks to the support of our partners and the cities of Klagenfurt and Graz, participation—including the train journey and event access—was free for all delegates. The southern economic area is growing together, and the startup community is leading the way.