Dem in München sitzenden Fintech gehörten 2014 unter anderem die beiden Österreicher Florian Prucker (Co-Founder mit Erik Podzuweit) und Patrick Pöschl an. Prucker ist weiterhin einer der beiden CEOs. Pöschl ist dagegen nicht mehr operativ im Unternehmen tätig und war unter anderem Obmann des Vereins Fintech Austria. Auf eine 180 Mio. US-Dollar schweren Finanzierungsrunde zu einer Bewertung von 1,4 Mrd. US-Dollar vor zwei Jahren folgt nun ein 60-Mio.-Euro-Investment – zur selben Bewertung. Das Unternehmen kommunizierte das Investment als Erweiterung der Series-E-Runde aus dem Jahr 2021.
Scalable: Expansion geplant
Wie TechCrunch berichtet möchte das Fintech damit sein Geschäft in den sechs Ländern – Deutschland, Österreich, Italien, Frankreich, Spanien und den Niederlanden, in denen es bereits aktiv ist – ausbauen und in weitere Länder expandieren. Balderton führt die Finanzierungsrunde an, an der sich auch HV Capital aus seinem neuen Wachstumsfonds sowie weitere, nicht genannte Geldgeber beteiligen.
Heute bezeichnet sich Scalable Capital, das als digitale Vermögensverwaltungsplattform begann, als Full-Service-Brokerage. Es hat 1,2 Millionen Sparpläne auf der Plattform, was nach eigenen Angaben mehr als 600.000 Kunden entspricht, und verwaltet fast 17 Milliarden Euro, wobei die Produkte ETFs, Aktien, Fonds, Anleihen, Kryptowährungen und Derivate sowie Kredite umfassen. Die Nutzer können unter anderem in 8.000 Aktien, 2.500 ETFs und 3.500 Fonds investieren.
Aggressiver Ansatz geplant
„Ja, wir sind vier- oder fünfmal so groß wie bei der letzten Runde“, sagte Podzuweit in einem Interview. „Es ist also ein sehr attraktives Geschäft für den Investor. Aber im aktuellen Marktumfeld finde ich es wirklich toll, dass wir das geschafft haben.“
Er bestätigte gegenüber TechCrunch, dass das Unternehmen immer noch „den Großteil des Geldes aus der letzten Finanzierungsrunde“ auf der Bank hat, aber diese zusätzliche Finanzspritze bedeute, dass das Unternehmen ein wenig aggressiver in seinem Ansatz sein kann.
Scalable will nachhaltig wachsen
„Wir können ein bisschen mehr Marketing betreiben, wir können die besten Leute einstellen, aber wir haben auch ein viel größeres Eigenkapitalpolster“, erklärt Podzuweit. Mit dem zusätzlichen Geld soll die digitale Investmentplattform weiter ausgebaut werden und nachhaltig wachsen.
Call for international innovators: Turn your business idea into reality with aws First Incubator
The new program year for aws First Incubator has started! The first call is open until April 3rd and has a special focus on securing international founders, providing financial support, mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities to help new businesses thrive. Success stories like the startups "RacePace" or "nexus. Group AI" prove just how impactful the aws First Incubator program is for new businesses.
Call for international innovators: Turn your business idea into reality with aws First Incubator
The new program year for aws First Incubator has started! The first call is open until April 3rd and has a special focus on securing international founders, providing financial support, mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities to help new businesses thrive. Success stories like the startups "RacePace" or "nexus. Group AI" prove just how impactful the aws First Incubator program is for new businesses.
Are you in the early stages of founding your company or do you have an innovative business idea? All you need now is a project description, an application video, and a budget plan to apply for the aws First Incubator. The application deadline for the first call is open until April 3rd at 12 noon – apply here! This call is specifically looking for international individuals or teams.
Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) is starting with its annual First Incubator program once again. They are looking for innovative minds with an entrepreneurial spirit who are either planning to start a business or have recently founded one and are still in the early stages. The program helps participants take their first steps into the market – from developing a business model to gaining the necessary know-how. brutkasten spoke with two best practice examples that are currently part of the First Incubator program.
Funding up to €55,000 possible
The aws First Incubator offers coaching and mentoring from experienced experts and founders. The funding program also includes a wide range of workshops on startup-related topics, team-specific mentoring, training sessions on business model development, and coaching sessions. Its goal is to help participants develop their business idea and make it market-ready within one to two years.
In addition, aws supports participants financially, including personnel cost subsidies, a project budget, and access to a coworking space. They also gain access to a valuable network of innovators, founders, and entrepreneurs. Projects can receive up to €55,000 in funding – click here for more details. These resources ensure that startups receive not only financial support but also strategic and operational guidance.
Selected projects are invited to the „First Startup Camp“ by aws. There, a jury of experts will decide which teams will be accepted into the First Incubator program.
Success Story: DeepTech-Startup nexus. Group AI
One of the startups currently participating in the aws First Incubator program is nexus. Group AI. The funding-program was a „game-changing moment for us, as we scale our operations and continue the development“, said the CEO. Founded by Andrei I. Cursaru (CEO) and Orion Forowycz (CTO), this DeepTech-startup develops cutting-edge AI solutions designed to strengthen societal resilience. Its flagship product, IRIS, is an AI-powered risk intelligence platform that helps governments, organizations, and enterprises navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape by providing the intelligence needed to reduce risks and enhance security.
“Joining aws First Incubator is a dream come true“, said Cursaru. “This support will allow us to stay focused on our mission“. The funding helped nexus. Group AI on the operational and technical level, allowing them to further develop their AI system. Besides the workshops and the financial support, the founders especially praise the mentorship. “It was great to have a mentor with experience in AI startups. The mentorship is very personal.” Since then, the startup has been able to scale its product, Iris, further, and the founders have gained new entrepreneurship knowledge. The startup recently announced the launch of its pre-seed funding round.
Fitness-Startup RacePace: „For us it was a dream“
Another startup that has already achieved big results with the support of the aws First Incubator is RacePace. The Viennese startup was founded in 2024 by Ido Dassa, Guillermo Alamán Requena and Lee Barad. It offers an all-in-one race day solution, providing personalized insights on pacing, nutrition, and training. The platform tracks your fitness and running route, creating a customized training plan tailored to your needs.
Back when the RacePace team applied for the aws First Incubator, they only had the idea for the platform. „For us it was a dream. We get financial support and expert guidance. And I think for us it sounded like: of course, we need to apply for it because why not? We literally have nothing to lose“, said Barad.
Advantages for foreign founders
In an interview with brutkasten, Barad pointed out how important the First Incubator is for foreign founders. “Sometimes when you’re in a new country and don’t speak the language, you can feel lost. For us, it was pretty obvious that if we wanted to continue here, we must get some kind of support and help. Also as a foreigner, you’re often not familiar with the laws in Austria. On top of that, this is our first startup, so of course it’s scary, and a lot of things can go wrong. What’s amazing is that the aws mentorship covers so many topics“, Barad said. „That is the thing that is super valuable, what’s so different in the aws First Incubator is that we actually get one-on-one support“.
Since joining the First Incubator, a lot has happened for the startup. “We really felt that someone believes in us,” said the co-founder. They launched the platform and now have hundreds of users helping them further develop the product.
Advice for applicants
Asked for one piece of advice to applicants for the aws First Incubator, Cursaru says: “Think big and act efficiently. The judges really want a startup that solves a real problem and has the potential to grow into a successful company in Austria“. Barad also has a similar advice: “First of all, don’t hesitate. Just do it. If you have an idea and a passion for building something, try to really solve a problem and do your research beforehand. I think it’s important to do your homework“.
Key requirements
To join the aws First Incubator program, applicants must meet a few key requirements. Here are the most important ones:
Who can apply?
Individuals and companies registered in Austria
Companies must be no more than 6 months old
Revenue must not exceed €10,000
Team size: 1 to 4 members
Residence status:
Valid residence permit with work authorization in Austria (from June 2025 to at least August 2026)
Applicant must have lived in Austria for no more than 5 years at the time of application
Nationality:
As an individual applicant, you must be a non-Austrian citizen
In a team, at least some members must be Austrian citizens
With a few exceptions, startups from all sectors are welcome. You can find the full eligibility criteria here.
By the way, additional points are awarded for projects with women in key leadership positions and projects that address socio-political challenges (SDGs).
Call for international innovators: Turn your business idea into reality with aws First Incubator
The new program year for aws First Incubator has started! The first call is open until April 3rd and has a special focus on securing international founders, providing financial support, mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities to help new businesses thrive. Success stories like the startups "RacePace" or "nexus. Group AI" prove just how impactful the aws First Incubator program is for new businesses.
Call for international innovators: Turn your business idea into reality with aws First Incubator
The new program year for aws First Incubator has started! The first call is open until April 3rd and has a special focus on securing international founders, providing financial support, mentoring, and valuable networking opportunities to help new businesses thrive. Success stories like the startups "RacePace" or "nexus. Group AI" prove just how impactful the aws First Incubator program is for new businesses.
Are you in the early stages of founding your company or do you have an innovative business idea? All you need now is a project description, an application video, and a budget plan to apply for the aws First Incubator. The application deadline for the first call is open until April 3rd at 12 noon – apply here! This call is specifically looking for international individuals or teams.
Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws) is starting with its annual First Incubator program once again. They are looking for innovative minds with an entrepreneurial spirit who are either planning to start a business or have recently founded one and are still in the early stages. The program helps participants take their first steps into the market – from developing a business model to gaining the necessary know-how. brutkasten spoke with two best practice examples that are currently part of the First Incubator program.
Funding up to €55,000 possible
The aws First Incubator offers coaching and mentoring from experienced experts and founders. The funding program also includes a wide range of workshops on startup-related topics, team-specific mentoring, training sessions on business model development, and coaching sessions. Its goal is to help participants develop their business idea and make it market-ready within one to two years.
In addition, aws supports participants financially, including personnel cost subsidies, a project budget, and access to a coworking space. They also gain access to a valuable network of innovators, founders, and entrepreneurs. Projects can receive up to €55,000 in funding – click here for more details. These resources ensure that startups receive not only financial support but also strategic and operational guidance.
Selected projects are invited to the „First Startup Camp“ by aws. There, a jury of experts will decide which teams will be accepted into the First Incubator program.
Success Story: DeepTech-Startup nexus. Group AI
One of the startups currently participating in the aws First Incubator program is nexus. Group AI. The funding-program was a „game-changing moment for us, as we scale our operations and continue the development“, said the CEO. Founded by Andrei I. Cursaru (CEO) and Orion Forowycz (CTO), this DeepTech-startup develops cutting-edge AI solutions designed to strengthen societal resilience. Its flagship product, IRIS, is an AI-powered risk intelligence platform that helps governments, organizations, and enterprises navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape by providing the intelligence needed to reduce risks and enhance security.
“Joining aws First Incubator is a dream come true“, said Cursaru. “This support will allow us to stay focused on our mission“. The funding helped nexus. Group AI on the operational and technical level, allowing them to further develop their AI system. Besides the workshops and the financial support, the founders especially praise the mentorship. “It was great to have a mentor with experience in AI startups. The mentorship is very personal.” Since then, the startup has been able to scale its product, Iris, further, and the founders have gained new entrepreneurship knowledge. The startup recently announced the launch of its pre-seed funding round.
Fitness-Startup RacePace: „For us it was a dream“
Another startup that has already achieved big results with the support of the aws First Incubator is RacePace. The Viennese startup was founded in 2024 by Ido Dassa, Guillermo Alamán Requena and Lee Barad. It offers an all-in-one race day solution, providing personalized insights on pacing, nutrition, and training. The platform tracks your fitness and running route, creating a customized training plan tailored to your needs.
Back when the RacePace team applied for the aws First Incubator, they only had the idea for the platform. „For us it was a dream. We get financial support and expert guidance. And I think for us it sounded like: of course, we need to apply for it because why not? We literally have nothing to lose“, said Barad.
Advantages for foreign founders
In an interview with brutkasten, Barad pointed out how important the First Incubator is for foreign founders. “Sometimes when you’re in a new country and don’t speak the language, you can feel lost. For us, it was pretty obvious that if we wanted to continue here, we must get some kind of support and help. Also as a foreigner, you’re often not familiar with the laws in Austria. On top of that, this is our first startup, so of course it’s scary, and a lot of things can go wrong. What’s amazing is that the aws mentorship covers so many topics“, Barad said. „That is the thing that is super valuable, what’s so different in the aws First Incubator is that we actually get one-on-one support“.
Since joining the First Incubator, a lot has happened for the startup. “We really felt that someone believes in us,” said the co-founder. They launched the platform and now have hundreds of users helping them further develop the product.
Advice for applicants
Asked for one piece of advice to applicants for the aws First Incubator, Cursaru says: “Think big and act efficiently. The judges really want a startup that solves a real problem and has the potential to grow into a successful company in Austria“. Barad also has a similar advice: “First of all, don’t hesitate. Just do it. If you have an idea and a passion for building something, try to really solve a problem and do your research beforehand. I think it’s important to do your homework“.
Key requirements
To join the aws First Incubator program, applicants must meet a few key requirements. Here are the most important ones:
Who can apply?
Individuals and companies registered in Austria
Companies must be no more than 6 months old
Revenue must not exceed €10,000
Team size: 1 to 4 members
Residence status:
Valid residence permit with work authorization in Austria (from June 2025 to at least August 2026)
Applicant must have lived in Austria for no more than 5 years at the time of application
Nationality:
As an individual applicant, you must be a non-Austrian citizen
In a team, at least some members must be Austrian citizens
With a few exceptions, startups from all sectors are welcome. You can find the full eligibility criteria here.
By the way, additional points are awarded for projects with women in key leadership positions and projects that address socio-political challenges (SDGs).
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