Founded in 2014, the loyalty cloud platform serves clients worldwide to run leading loyalty programs in different industries. Loyalty Prime enables its customers to do much more than a simple earn and redemption processes. It provides all necessary business rules and maximum flexibility for managing high performing loyalty programs. Multiple APIs provide ease of integration to front-end channels, campaign management and other IT systems.

Spearheaded by its two founders – Christoph Straub (based in Munich) and Kunal Mohiuddin (based in New Delhi) –, Loyalty Prime has been able to win several large projects in a short amount of time including. The startup also won the award for the Best B2B Loyalty Program at the prestigious Loyalty Awards in 2015.

Loyalty Prime is the first of its kind cloud-based loyalty solution, which delivers enterprise class functionality to small, medium and enterprise clients, such as Fraport AG, TRW ZF, Preferred Hotels & Resorts to name a few.

Let’s start with Austria. The mountainous country is not only home to the awesome tech event Pioneers Festival, but also to a large number of successful startups. Also, the Austrian government is quite active in supporting entrepreneurs, as they passed a comprehensive startup program last year to make the country more startup friendly.

Given the large amount of interesting startups from Austria, it’s been hard to narrow this list down, but we’ve decided to go with just 7 promising Austrian startups out of different sectors. All of them entered the market within the last two years and each startup has something special to add to to your business life or your personal web experience in 2017.

Byrd: The Vienna-based startup Byrd is a first mile shipping service which allows customers to ship items completely hassle free. They pick up the items, package them, and ship them with the best carrier for a small service fee. Founded in 2016, Byrd offers a simple and effective logistic solution for millions of sellers, who are currently wasting resources on the shipping process. No more amateur packaging, post office queuing, and random carrier prices. In the summer of 2016, Byrd secured €370K in seed funding.

Intellyo is an omni-channel lead generation platform powered by machine learning. The Vienna- and Budapest-based startup analyzes optimal communication on the web and proprietary traffic platforms and then produces hyper targeted content to reach your target customers. Intellyo’s systems drive the consumer through a dynamically adaptive consumer journey while delivering genuine information value throughout the journey. The promising startup was founded in 2016 with the goal to help companies improve their content marketing efforts.

TaskWunder is an online marketing outsourcing platform where freelancers work on tasks like landing page optimization, Facebook marketing setup, content creating and design. The Vienna-based startup was founded in 2015. It uses checklists, videos and online courses provided by industry experts to make sure that customers get state-of-the art online marketing solutions that drive revenue. Freelancers are qualified by completing tests and by constant feedback and working according to KPIs. This results in standardized high quality results as well as effective “on-the-job training”. Currently only available in German, TaskWunder will relaunch the site in a few weeks and will then also be available in English.

pwnwin: Founded in the end of 2015 and based in the little Austrian town Mondsee, pwnwin is a free-to-win eSports competition platform for the most popular games that benefits both players, publishers and developers. Most of pwnwin’s services are free for everybody, while the platform gives its players the chance to win cash and prizes everyday. In December of 2015, pwnwin secured €330K in seed funding. According to SimilarWeb, pwnwin already counts roughly 1 million visits per month.

Ticksa: The Vienna-based startup Ticksa created a pioneering per-click marketplace for content. With Ticksa anyone can monetize their content (video, music, blogs, photos…) anywhere. It easily lets you upload your content, set the price and promote it by inviting your social media contacts. Ticksa also enables white label installations of its SaaS e-commerce, digital eco-system and partner enhancement tools. The ambitious startup was founded in 2015 and seems to have raised no venture capital yet.

PowUnity is a POWerful commUNITY of freeski and extreme sports enthusiasts who use the NeverLose detection and anti-theft system to enjoy the freedom of exploring untouched terrain. PowUnity also offers a bicycle mount so that the NeverLose device can be easily transferred from your winter sports gear at the end of the season to your bicycle. The three PowUnity founders are avid skiers and started the company because of their passion for skiing and sports in general. The Innsbruck-based IoT startup was founded in 2015.

Founded in 2008 by Dr. Markus Riemenschneider and Felix Brand, CardioSecur offers mHealth services and products for people with cardiac symptoms and is building a unique smart data platform for predictive values. The company is based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

In industrialized countries some 200 million people suffer from recurring heart symptoms. The intensity and frequency of occurrence of such symptoms are not conclusive of the risks involved. The event may entail life-threatening myocardial infarction and stroke-threatening atrial fibrillation with only slight sensations, but also harmless extra beats with shockingly noticeable symptoms. Rapidly required action on one hand and unclear symptoms on the other hand present patients with a dilemma. As a result professional help is often contacted too late. People with cardiac symptoms need a reliable trigger to act in order to gain certainty.

In order to solve this issue, CardioSecur offers an instant cardiac monitoring service for private use. It is a smartphone based, personalized ECG device of highest clinical grade quality (15-lead ECG). CardioSecur is worldwide currently the only technology giving an instant feedback on heart symptoms when and wherever they occur.

In the app the user receives in less than a minute a recommendation on what to do next and may optionally share the profound ECG data with his personal physician for further use. CardioSecur gives peace of mind to users, minimizes the seriousness of cardiac events and allows effective chronic disease management. Its easy to use and profoundness of data allow CardioSecur to build a smart data pool for predicting critical cardiac events.

Herman Kienhuis, managing director of KPN Ventures, stated: “We see great potential for digital and mobile technologies to improve the quality of healthcare while reducing the cost. Personal MedSystems has developed such an innovation bringing great value to people suffering from heart problems and to cardiologists. In addition to financially supporting its growth, KPN will help Personal MedSystems in bringing CardioSecur to the Dutch market as well.”

Since its launch in April 2016, Habito has helped more than 20,000 people better understand their mortgage and has completed € 58 million in mortgage applications.

Daniel Hegarty, the founder and CEO of Habito stated: “The response we’ve received from customers has proved what we always knew – there’s a huge opportunity to make the experience of getting a mortgage simpler, more transparent and a lot less painful. The industry has suffered from a lack of innovation for decades and the outdated, paper-based manual processes aren’t fit for 21st century homeowners. Our technology empowers people to take control of their personal finances and protect themselves against getting or staying on the wrong mortgage. We’re excited to continue to build our business and deliver new services.”

Habito’s success to date is signalling a shift in how consumers want to engage with financial services. Over 90% of customers prefer using live chat over a phone conversation to complete and submit their mortgage application. In addition, using artificial intelligence Habito has developed chatbot – Digital Mortgage Adviser – which has halved the average amount of time spent on each case. Coupled with this, the team are always on hand to answer questions – with access to over 10,000 mortgage products across a wide-range of lenders, they can find the best possible deal for the customer.

The funding round was led by Silicon Valley-based Ribbit Capital, with participation from existing investor Mosaic Ventures. Over the next 12 months, habito plans to further develop its machine learning capabilities by creating a fully automated end-to-end platform which will enable it to offer new services, such as real-time mortgage approvals and automatic alerts when a better mortgage deal becomes available to registered customers.

Micky Malka, founder and general partner, Ribbit Capital: “Mortgages are the biggest personal debt most people take on in their lifetime, and Habito brings a level of transparency that customers value and expect. I’m confident that Daniel and his team have the right vision to change the mortgage industry for the better. We look forward to supporting them during this period of exponential growth.”

Founded in July 2015, R3 Communications develops ultra-reliable real-time communication systems that are predominantly used in industry 4.0 and IoT applications. R3’s proprietary technology called EchoRing™ circumvents the problems of common wireless communication systems (deficient transmission reliability, latency, and co-existence). It supersedes the expensive, inflexible and complex use of cables in a vast number of scenarios. First cooperation agreements with well-known industry corporations have already been reached.

Dr. Mathias Bohge, the founder and managing director at R3 Communications explains: “With factories becoming smart and flexible, tethered communication will quickly reach the boundaries of functionality. At the same time, existing wireless communication solutions are not ready to take over, as their reliability and latency performance does not suffice industry requirements. Therefore, the need for reliable wireless communication systems that cope with today’s real-time challenges will constantly rise.”

Today, Berlin electronics company Schleicher Electronic already bases its radio product development on EchoRing™ technology. Florian Bonanati, also managing director at R3 Communications adds: “Moreover, we have secured promising cooperation projects with worldwide market leaders in the industrial automation sector as well as in the automotive and aviation industry. With Creathor and IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft on board we have now the possibility to speed things up while making our technology ready for the market.”

Dr. Gert Köhler, Managing Partner at Creathor Venture, comments: “We are convinced of R3 Communications‘ innovative solution and see great potential for diverse industrial application areas where transfer rate and absolute reliability is of paramount importance, especially in automation, but also in connected vehicles of all kind. We believe that Germany will lead the way when it comes to the development of intelligent industry applications. R3 Communications is well on the way to becoming a very important player in this segment.”

The R3 – Reliable Realtime Radio Communications GmbH (R3 Communications) was founded in 2015 as a spin-off from two leading European engineering universities. The company’s focus is on research, development, production and sales/distribution of ultra-reliable realtime
wireless communication systems and solutions. Current research and development activities include internet-of-things/industry4.0 Smart Factory applications, as well as automotive and aerospace scenarios.

In order to learn more about R3 and its founders, check out the video below. It shows a pitch of the R3 founders regarding their EchoRing. The pitch was recorded by Startup TV, an awesome online TV channel about German startups.

According to the study “The Workplace of the Future”, released by Deloitte in 2016, 25% of professionals in Switzerland are working as freelancers or solopreneurs, and a third of the remaining 75% expect to do the same within the next year. Over the past five years, coworking spaces have been popping up in just about every major city. In 2014, Switzerland was home to 50 coworking spaces. Today, there are over 100, and it is projected that more will emerge over the next few years. Supporters such as Coworking Switzerland and the Work Smart Initiative are dedicated to promoting collaborative working spaces and bringing together Swiss coworking organisations throughout the country.

Here’s where to find the most laidback spots:

Zurich

Citizen Space: The first and largest coworking space in Switzerland. Located near Zurich’s main train station, this coworking space offers five working areas, including an outdoor terrace with a Ping-Pong table and grill. The five coffee machines onsite serve the best java from Kaffeepur. Cost: Choose from four different service packages, starting with the Flex Ticket at CHF 350.— a month.

Impact Hub Zurich: Part of the global network, the Impact Hub Zurich is an entrepreneurial community comprised of more than 750 innovators, startups and corporate partners. It owns five coworking spaces – Viadukt, Colab, Garage, Café Auer & Co and EWZ Unterwerk Selnau – and offers desks, meeting rooms, business coaching, networking and events. Cost: Cowork as little as four times a month for CHF 135.— with the Starter package or get your own desk and unlimited coworking with the Resident package for CHF 550.— a month.

Swiss Startup Factory: A startup incubator with a mission to turn startups into global companies. This coworking space is full of perks: Nespresso Bar, fitness centre, meeting rooms, video studio, postal services and more. Startups can even join the Accelerator Program and receive expert pitch training, mentoring services and input sessions from successful entrepreneurs and investors. Cost: rent a workspace (CHF 390. – per month), a desk (CHF 590. – per month) or a small office (CHF 1250. – per month)

Geneva

Seedspace: Be a part of a global community in an interconnected network of workspaces. Geneva is where Seedspace has its headquarters – over three floors of pure fun, work and playfulness are provided for entrepreneurs to nurture their ideas and grow their businesses. Cost: enjoy global membership for $50 a month or upgrade your membership for access to a desk or private office.

Voisins: A coworking space and café in the heart of Geneva. Rent of workspaces and conference rooms in a calming atmosphere that embraces brightness, greenery, ergonomics and good humour. Cost: pay by the hour or purchase the Voisin Résident package for CHF 375.— per month.

Bern

Effinger: For young entrepreneurs, creatives, craftsmen, people who want to change the world, coffee and beer lovers, culturally affine individuals and aspiring artists. Cost: Buy a day pass for CHF 30.—, or invest in a full-time pass for CHF. 350.— per month.

Urbanfish: Situated in the centre of Bern, the doors are wide open to all freelancers, entrepreneurs, students and artists looking for a space to create. Mingle with like-minded individuals over a latte in the café or step out into the courtyard for some inspirational fresh air. Cost: Day passes are available for CHF 30.—, the Drop-in Pack 10x is valid for three months at CHF 250.— per pack.

Fribourg

Colab Fribourg: An interdisciplinary coworking and event space where entrepreneurs, techies, creators, hackers and consultants can unite and create. Work in quiet and comfortable workspaces or have coffee and a discussion in the lovely café of the Villars Swiss chocolate factory downstairs. Cost: try the first day at Colab for free. If you like it, get a day pass for CHF 25.— or choose from three different packages. The resident packages at CHF 290.— a month is the best deal.

Basel

Kleinhafen: The new coworking place in Basel that encourages you to work with an open perspective. It is the new melting pot where pioneers, progressive thinkers and creatives from every business field enjoy working with a great panoramic view from their desks. This space overlooks the vibrant Basel harbour and frames the mesmerising sunsets over Alsace. Costs: CHF 450.— a month.

Lausanne

Work ‘n’ Share: A community of passionate and creative coworkers, located five minutes from the lake and near a crèche, several car parks and restaurants. This space includes conference rooms, a kitchen, and lounge area and showers for your mid-day run. Cost: After a free trial day, enjoy unlimited access for CHF 305.— per month.

ThinxNet is a Munich-based Internet of Things startup which created the TankTaler – a product which connects cars with the internet in a simple and fast way. If you’re interested in IoT and would like to join the growing team, we’d suggest to apply now as a (Junior) Marketing Manager (m/w).

Marfeel is a Barcelona-based mobile ad-tech startup. It was named as Wired Magazine’s 2015 Top 100 Startup. Join them in sunny Barcelona on their successful journey and apply now as a Native German Business Developer.

BOOK A TIGER is an online market place where customers can easily find reliable and trustworthy cleaners for their home or small office. The Berlin-based startup launches a new Business Unit in Amsterdam and is searching for a Partner Manager for the Dutch market. An exciting opportunity. Apply now!

evania video is an international online marketing company based in the booming digital ecosystem of Berlin. With their team of tech-loving video experts, evania video is a pioneer in the field of programmatic video. Join them now as a Publisher Account Manager. Apply now!

On April 13, we’re going to host the 4th edition of the EU-Startups Conference in Berlin. It’s the annual flagship event of EU-Startups.com where we showcase a selection of Europe’s hottest startups and where we come together to learn from some of the most successful European entrepreneurs of our time. We (Menlo Media / EU-Startups) are currently looking for Volunteers who would like to help us on the day of the event. Interested? Drop us a line!

By the way: If you’re a startup CEO and also looking for some rockstar employees for your company, make sure to publish a job opening with us now. While basic job ads are free, a premium job ad (for €75,-) provides you with the following advantages:

• Your job will be highlighted and always on top of the basic job ads
• Promoted through Twitter (@EU_Startups: 13.500 follower)
• Promoted with a post on our Facebook page (5.500 fans)
• Job/company will be mentioned in our jobs of the week article

Founded by Alexandre Prot and Steven Anavi in 2016, Qonto provides an online banking service that allows entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs to create an account in less than 5 minutes. With Qonto you can instantly receive an IBAN and get started to manage your company’s physical and digital business cards and perform your day to day operations. The young company will enter into beta phase in March and become available to a broader audience by the summer.

This new banking service by Qonto has three goals that it plans to achieve for its clients: Save time, improve the financial visibility and save banking fees.

Biowatch SA developed the first miniaturized wrist vein scanner as a new means of biometric recognition. Once integrated into a module, it can be added to any watch or wearable. Biowatch uses the unique pattern of the user’s wrist-veins to recognise them, hence providing a secure source of authentication. It enables users to unlock a car, access an office, login to the internet, purchase goods and services and sign contracts and digital documents.

Biowatch is currently working with major players in the access control domain, automotive industry, banking industry and in the watch industry to integrate its technology. Founded in 2015, the young company aims to deliver a first series of pre-production products this year to to prove the viability of the product and business model. The startup is based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The oversubscribed seed financing round was led by serial entrepreneur and business angel Patrick Delarive with participation from the Venture Capital fund Polytech Ecosystem Ventures and SICPA Finance. Further investments from various business angels completed the investment. This seed round is following a € 740k grant from the CTI in February 2016 and a € 93k loan from the FIT in June 2016. The funds will be used to secure talents and rapidly expand the engineering team. Also the product is going to be brought to its first wearable version.

Matthias Vanoni, co-founder of Biowatch SA: “Our partners are looking forward to have functional and wearable prototypes so they can test them in a real-life situation. This is a big step for Biowatch’s team as it will give our project more visibility and credibility.”

The parent company of Auctionata is also in several active conversations with investors to recapitalize, fund Auctionata’s strategic development, and further develop its technology platform for professional consigner partners and traditional auction houses. After the the restructuring process, Auctionata plans to continue to operate on a leaner structure with a clear path to break even.

Thomas Hesse, who took over the position as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Auctionata Paddle8 AG from Auctionata-founder Alexander Zacke in September 2016, explains: “Auctionata and Paddle8 have redefined the online market for auctions in art and luxury collectibles. Both companies are leaders in the auction world due to the extraordinary work of our teams, the technology they have built, and their dedication to provide excellent value and service to consigners and customers. The proceedings and the separation will allow each brand and business to realize their potential and are ultimately the best way forward to protect our assets and employees.”

Auctionata purchased the stock of Paddle8 Inc. in May 2016 to jointly expand their categories and sales formats. Auctionata is the inventor of the livestream auction and offers a unique user experience featuring video and diverse sales channels across multiple categories of art and luxury collectibles. Paddle8’s core strengths include timed auctions and benefit auctions with focuses in Post-War and Contemporary Art. The current financial difficulties implicate that last year’s merger wasn’t as successful as both parties might have imagined.

From a legal perspective, Paddle8 operations are not subject to the proceedings. Auctionata will also continue to run auctions and sell merchandise under a special protection regime. Objects are sold on commission and any sales revenues are held in escrow under the protection of the preliminary insolvency administrator. Merchandise in the warehouse is a separate estate that continues to be owned by the consigner.