Startup.Club kufstein 2026 #2

From 16:00 To 17:30

HOK | Hochschule Kufstein
Thu 19 Mar

Invitation

Startup.Club Kufstein is an open forum for exchange and dialogue for students, alumni, and anyone interested in entrepreneurship, start-ups, and innovation. Instead of traditional lectures, the focus is on short presentations by speakers, which provide space for discussion, questions from the audience, and personal exchange.

Where does the courage to start a business come from - and what does it mean in the everyday life of a new company?

In the second edition in 2026, two entrepreneurs will provide insights into different phases of entrepreneurial development: from the decision to start a business to building a new technology-oriented company.

In the subsequent workshop discussion, Karin Steiner and Reinhold M. Karner, together with the guests, will explore key questions relating to entrepreneurial decisions, opportunities, and challenges in setting up new companies.

The discussion is deliberately designed to be dialogue-oriented and invites the audience to ask questions and actively participate in the exchange.

Focus

What participants can expect:

Insights into different perspectives on entrepreneurship and start-ups
Exchange with experienced practitioners on an equal footing
Space for questions, discussion, and networking
Opportunity to present your own ideas as part of the open pitch

Moderator: Karin Steiner, Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

This Startup.Club is also part of Tyrolean Innovation Week, which brings together events throughout Tyrol focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and future technologies, and connects players from business, science, and the regional startup ecosystem.

Guests

Juliane Sigl

Head of the AI Competence Center | Expert in Innovation, Product Development, and Technology

Dr. Juliane Sigl bridges technology, product development, and business. In leadership roles – most recently as Chief Technology Officer – at the Norwegian startup ThinkOutside AS, she oversaw the development of technology strategies and the execution of innovation projects.

Her focus is on turning ideas into market-ready products – from concept through MVPs to implementation. Central to her approach is the courage to adopt new technologies and translate innovation into concrete results.

Alexander Zimmerer

Alexander Zimmerer is an engineer, tech leader, and founder of GreenSense Robotics. With over ten years of experience in systems engineering and software architecture in the automotive industry, he has worked on technologies related to autonomous driving, drone systems, and automated data collection, and has led international development teams.

With GreenSense Robotics, he is currently building a company at the intersection of robotics, sensor technology, and data-based environmental and safety analysis. At Startup.Club, he talks about the courage and challenges involved in building a technology-oriented startup - from the technical vision and initial applications to the real-world decisions made in the early stages of a company.

Gregor Gebhardt (canceled)

Gregor Gebhardt is an investor and real estate developer with a passion for innovative usage concepts and strong networks. In his work, he combines entrepreneurial development with creative ideas and pursues the goal of creating places where collaboration, entrepreneurship, and new ideas can flourish.
In his keynote speech, he talks about the importance of courage when starting a business - about personal decisions on the path to becoming an entrepreneur, about opportunities and risks, and about the role of networks and the right environment for entrepreneurial success.