Unicorn at the University of Graz and ZWT at the Medical University of Graz: Tailored support for founders and start-ups

“Unicorn and ZWT are well connected – to provide the best possible support to start-up founders in the life sciences sector, for example when it comes to contacts, infrastructure or collaborations. Our services are coordinated,” explain Anke Dettelbacher from the ZWT management team and Bernhard Weber, Managing Director of Unicorn. 

Whilst (prospective) founders at Unicorn are prepared for setting up their businesses through training on topics such as law and finance, as well as through university-internal programmes such as the Start-up Workshop or the Spin-off Lab, the services offered by the ZWT build on these processes. This is because anyone wishing to set up in one of the two ZWTs to benefit from the ‘Medical Science City Graz’ environment must already have developed their business plan. “Many start-ups in the life sciences sector then find the ideal infrastructure at the ZWT, as they can rent office and laboratory space in the immediate vicinity of the LKH University Hospital Graz and the Medical University of Graz,” explains Thomas Mrak from the ZWT management team. In addition, ZWT Accelerator GmbH is offering a ‘Pre-Seed Programme’ for aspiring founders in the life sciences sector, available until June 2027.

The best of both communities

However, contact with Unicorn remains even after they have moved in, as Bernhard Weber, Managing Director of Unicorn, knows from experience: “The founders remain firmly rooted in our community, and we continue to support them with advice on a wide range of issues.” A prime example of this is BRAVE Analytics: The founder laid the scientific foundations in a PhD thesis at the University of Graz, but, due to the life sciences focus, moved to the Medical University of Graz for further research and moved into premises and laboratories at the ZWT ACCELERATOR. There is still regular contact with Unicorn. Phytocore and enzyan Biocatalysis can also attest to the close and productive links between the university and Unicorn on the one hand, and ZWT and the Medical University on the other, as they too “emerged” from the University of Graz and are now tenants at the ZWT ACCELERATOR. 

Networking

“Talking brings people together,” as the saying goes – and it’s no different here. “We’d naturally like to invite the founders from Unicorn into our network, and vice versa,” emphasises Anke Dettelbacher, referring to networking events. Contacts with the ZWT community do not always have to lead to a move into the ZWT – often they result in exciting collaborations for the start-ups or simply a fruitful exchange of experiences and lessons learnt within the start-up scene.

Events

There are regular opportunities for exchange: the ZWT ACCELERATOR hosts a networking breakfast several times a year, as well as an afternoon event called ‘ZWT Connect & Pre-Seed’. And the Unicorn, for example, hosts ‘Lunch Talks’, which also regularly provide opportunities for fruitful discussions and connections for entrepreneurs and potential founders.

Advice, offices, laboratory space and core facilities

“The community is one of the most important factors, because you can benefit enormously from it,” says Anke Dettelbacher. The networking opportunities are therefore one of the four areas of synergy where founders and start-ups can benefit from both Unicorn and the ZWTs. “Added to this is the infrastructure, comprising laboratories and offices, and the advisory services, including information resources. At Unicorn, the emphasis is on the start-up phase and the fundamentals of business management; at the ZWT, we focus on the specific requirements in the fields of MedTech and life sciences. At our events, for example, we provide access to information on clinical trials, which only become relevant to start-ups later in the development process,” explains Thomas Mrak. 

Finally, the fourth level of synergy consists of specialised services such as the core facilities at the ZMF of the Medical University of Graz. Researchers and start-ups benefit from these through a wide range of research-supporting services. Services such as contract analysis and consultancy, as well as access to instruments, technologies and methods, are available. New developments are constantly being added – for example, image analysis software tools for data evaluation and access to state-of-the-art bioimaging technologies.

No matter how far along you are in the start-up process, questions always arise – and this is another area where founders are keen to make use of the existing support: “At the ‘Office Hours’ sessions at Unicorn, which we organise regularly, lawyers are on hand to answer their questions, for example,” says Bernhard Weber, describing the wide range of support options available.

Services for founders at Unicorn

• Start-up Investment Academy 
• Start-up Workshop 
• Spin-off Lab
• Office Hours: short consultation sessions with experts (e.g. on legal matters)
• In addition, the University of Graz regularly offers courses on relevant topics such as business plan development.

Upcoming events at the ZWT

• ‘ZWT Networking Breakfast’ on 17 September 2026 at 8.15 am at the ZWT ACCELERATOR
• ‘ZWT Connect & Pre-Seed’ on 26 November 2026 at 4.00 pm at the ZWT ACCELERATOR