That was Green Startup Night 2025 - innovation meets sustainability

10 hours ago3 min read

On 11 March 2025, it was time again: the Green Startup Night went into its second round! This time at the HIZ (Holzinnovatinszentrum) in Zeltweg. Dedicated founders, investors and innovation enthusiasts met there to discuss sustainable entrepreneurship. The event was organised by three strong partners from the region: ZAT Leoben, Regionalmanagement Murau Murtal and Holzcluster Steiermark. Together, they created a platform for green business ideas and pioneering technologies.

An evening full of innovations

The evening was hosted by Angelika Hierzer-Königsberger, project manager of the Green Startup Centre Leoben. After welcoming the guests, she handed over to the hosts: Günter Leitner (Regional Management Murau Murtal) and Remo Taferner (ZAT Leoben). Both emphasised how important sustainable innovation and cooperation between the various players are for the region - both for traditional industries and for high-tech start-ups.

Three start-ups, three visionary ideas

The Green Startup Night once again provided a stage for promising startups from ZAT Leoben. Three teams presented their sustainable business ideas:

🔹 AE Testing Solution (Martin Gamauf): Martin develops wireless audio sensors for industrial condition monitoring. His solution helps companies to reduce maintenance and downtime costs and thus cut emissions - a real benefit for the environment.

🔹Your Motion (Florian Schwaiger & Mario Lechmann): Their aim is to integrate sustainable mobility into existing systems. They want to help companies develop environmentally friendly and efficient mobility solutions by providing personalised advice.

🔹 PolyDecypher (Mario Messiha & Maria Messiha-Awad): This start-up uses artificial intelligence to make the plastics industry more sustainable. Precise data analysis can be used to optimise material testing, cut costs and reduce CO₂ emissions.

All three teams have completed the Startup Combo programme Ecopreneurs, which is co-financed by European funds from the Just Transition Fund.

Funding opportunities for sustainable start-ups

The inspiring pitches were followed by an important item on the programme: Katharina Menzel from the Styrian Business Promotion Agency (SFG) presented the Green Startupmark. This funding programme supports start-ups and companies that want to take off with sustainable innovations. More information can be found at www.sfg.at.

Cars made from wood? Cart Brothers show how it's done

Christian Manser from Cart Brothers GmbH fascinated the audience with a bold vision: to build a car out of wood! Together with his team, he is developing the wood-e 4, a sustainable vehicle for short-distance transport. But that's not all: with the modular PW4 platform, Cart Brothers also offers other companies the opportunity to develop their own environmentally friendly vehicle concepts. In his keynote speech, Christian Manser spoke about the founding of the company, the challenges in an absolute niche and the search for the right team members. His insight into the topic of financing and subsidies for innovative, sustainable products was particularly exciting. Anyone who works in this field knows that finding funding is often a challenge - but Cart Brothers has managed to attract supporters to develop its revolutionary idea.

Support for founders - Heidrun Girz from More:innovation/REM Murau Murtal

After Cart Brothers, Heidrun Girz, founder and Managing Director of More:innovation, took to the stage. As an experienced start-up coach, she supports people on their path to self-employment. This evening focussed in particular on the Murau Murtal Regional Management's start-up initiative, which offers targeted support to budding entrepreneurs.

Heidrun Girz explained how important it is to strategically plan business ideas. Her favourite tool: the Business Model Canvas (BMC), which she uses with many founders to gain clarity about the business model at an early stage. She spoke about the practical steps involved in founding a company, the challenges start-ups face and the funding opportunities available for young entrepreneurs in the region.

A particularly exciting part of her presentation was the insight into the long-term support of founders. After all, in addition to the actual founding of the company, the exchange with other start-ups is also essential - which is why the initiative also offers a strong alumni network in which entrepreneurs can support each other in the long term.

Thank you!

The ZAT team would like to thank all participants of the Green Startup Night 2025. It was an evening full of inspiring insights and exciting conversations. The subsequent networking in particular provided a great opportunity to exchange ideas - valuable contacts were made and new ideas were born!