eSports-Offensive: willhaben startet eigenen Twitch-Kanal
Seit Ende letzten Jahres verfügt der größte Online-Marktplatz Österreichs willhaben über ein eSports-Team. Die Tickling Tentacles willhaben sind als Profi-Team im weltweit größten Game der Welt aktiv - League of Legends. Jetzt kann man ihnen fünfmal pro Woche beim Spielen zusehen.
“Twitch ist weltweit die relevanteste Gaming-Plattform mit Millionen von Zusehern. Seit heute sind die Tickling Tentacles willhaben ein offizielles Mitglied dieser großen Community und werden rund fünfmal pro Woche für spannenden League-of-Legends-Content sorgen“, freut sich Marketing Manager Franz Vošicky, der die Esport-Aktivitäten von willhaben koordiniert.
Twitch.tv ist die wichtigste Streaming-Plattform in Sachen Gaming und Esports. Eine Präsenz auf dieser Plattform ist praktisch für jedes Team und jeden Spieler fast unerlässlich, um die Zielgruppe direkt zu erreichen. Es geht um Unterhaltung und im Falle von willhaben natürlich auch um effizientes Marketing. Die interessierten Gamer profitieren von dieser Aktion, können sie doch einem der Profi-Teams in Österreich jetzt live über die Schulter schauen. Das in Österreich verstreute Team trainiert täglich und hat große Hoffnungen für die kommenden Esport-Veranstaltungen.
Tickling Tentacles willhaben: Programm wie im TV
Der Sendeplan steht. Von Montag bis Freitag wird, ähnlich wie bei einem TV-Kanal, gestreamt. Dabei wechseln sich die fünf Stammspieler des Teams ab. Spaß, Interaktion mit den Fans und das gemeinsame Lernen stehen auf dem Programm. Die Marke willhaben soll immer ein Teil davon sein, aber nicht im Vordergrund stehen. Die Esports-Aktivitäten sind ein langfristiger Plan. So hat man etwa das Team mit Equipment vom Marktplatz ausgestattet und zuletzt auch ein Esports Camp für die Spieler organisiert. “Nachdem wir im vergangenen Jahr unser Esport-Engagement mit den Tickling Tentacles willhaben gestartet haben, ist ein eigener Twitch-Kanal für uns der nächste logische Schritt. Das verwendete Streamer-Equipment stammt dabei fast zur Gänze von unserem Marktplatz“, erklärt Mercedes Krutz, Head of Marketing & HR bei willhaben.
Twitch.tv ist die weltweit führende Social-Media-Plattform für Fans von Videospielen. Hier treffen sich jeden Tag Millionen Gamer, um Videoinhalte zu streamen, anzusehen und sich auszutauschen. Die Zugriffszahlen des Streaming-Portals beeindrucken in regelmäßigen Abständen: Im Jänner 2018 erreichte Twitch.tv durchschnittlich 962.000 gleichzeitige Zuseher – und erreichte mehr Menschen als beispielsweise CNN. In Österreich gibt es rund 500.000 aktive User pro Monat, davon sind 83 Prozent zwischen 14 und 29 Jahren alt, 25 Prozent der Burschen im Alter von 11 bis 17 Jahren nutzen Twitch.tv regelmäßig.
aws First Incubator: Austria as a Launchpad for International Startup Teams
Austria is becoming a hub for international startup teams. The aws First Incubator, starting again in spring 2025 with a special focus call for international founders, offers financial support, mentoring, and networking to help them succeed — as proven by success stories like the Styrian startup Redeem Solar Technologies.
aws First Incubator: Austria as a Launchpad for International Startup Teams
Austria is becoming a hub for international startup teams. The aws First Incubator, starting again in spring 2025 with a special focus call for international founders, offers financial support, mentoring, and networking to help them succeed — as proven by success stories like the Styrian startup Redeem Solar Technologies.
Austria is increasingly positioning itself as an international hub for innovative entrepreneurs. A significant contributor to this development is the aws First Incubator, which will kick off a new round with a special focus call for international founders in spring 2025. This program, run by the Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws), is designed for startup founders and founding teams, and students who want to establish a startup in Austria or have recently done so.
The aws First Incubator offers a combination of financial support, targeted mentoring, and a dynamic network – a package that helps international founders integrate into Austria’s vibrant startup ecosystem.
Financial Support for Early-Stage Startups
Financial barriers are among the biggest challenges for early-stage founders. The aws First Incubator addresses this by providing monthly personnel cost subsidies and grants for project, rental, and travel expenses. This financial support allows founders to focus fully on developing their business ideas.
However, the program goes beyond financial aid. It offers a comprehensive package of workshops, project-specific mentoring, and specialized coaching sessions. These resources ensure that startups receive not only financial support but also strategic and operational guidance.
Knowledge Transfer Through Practical Workshops
The program’s workshops deliver targeted knowledge on topics critical to startups, such as business model development, marketing strategies, patent law, and funding planning. The practical approach ensures that the content is directly tailored to the needs of the founders.
A key highlight of the program is the direct access to experts and mentors who share their years of experience in the startup and business world. This individualized support helps participants overcome specific challenges and refine their business ideas.
Success Story: Redeem Solar Technologies
An example of the program’s success is the startup Redeem Solar Technologies. Founded by Florian Ehrlich-Sommer (COO) and his international team, the company develops photocatalytic reactors for sustainable hydrogen production. Ehrlich-Sommer explains how the program helped his team sharpen their vision and gain new perspectives: “Interacting with founders from different industries and countries gave us fresh perspectives and helped refine our business model. As engineers, we tend to communicate in technical language. Through the program, we learned to present our idea clearly and understandably.”
Redeem Solar Technologies uses light energy to enable chemical reactions, in order to produce hydrogen in an environmentally friendly way. The startup’s solutions are particularly relevant to the pharmaceutical and fine chemicals industries. Through the aws program, the team not only secured financial support but also made valuable connections in the Austrian startup scene.
Interdisciplinary and International Exchange
One of the most significant benefits of the aws First Incubator’s special international call is the interdisciplinary and international exchange. The participating teams come from various industries – from software startups to sustainability technologies and innovative food products. This diversity allows founders to gain insights beyond their own fields and learn from each other.
Ehrlich-Sommer highlights this exchange as a critical factor: “It was fascinating to talk to founders developing completely different solutions. This helped us question and improve our own approaches.”
Program Structure
The program lasts up to 12 months and includes regular workshops and coaching sessions. Participants meet in Vienna to attend these sessions and learn from experts. Teams rooted outside the city will need to commute to attend the program. This, however, is far worth the effort, as co-founder Ehrlich-Sommer emphasizes: “Being in Vienna helped us get to know the local startup scene and establish valuable connections.”
An essential part of the program is the intensive selection process. During this phase, founders work with mentors and experts to refine their ideas and prepare for the program. This preparation is crucial for consecutive success.
Austria as a Startup Hub for International Founders
The aws First Incubator plays a significant role in positioning Austria as an attractive destination for international founders. The combination of financial support, targeted knowledge transfer, and a dynamic network creates optimal conditions for innovative business ideas.
The program not only supports the individual development of participating startups but also strengthens Austria’s startup ecosystem as a whole. International founders bring new impulses, ideas, and perspectives to Austria, helping to enhance the country’s innovation potential.
Applications for 2025
The next round of the aws First Incubator’s international call starts in spring 2025. Founders with an international team who want to establish their startup in Austria or have recently done so should not miss this opportunity. Applications will soon be open – a chance that could be a crucial step for a startup’s future.
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