Wiener Bienen-Startup Hektar Nektar sammelt über Crowd-Invest-Kampagne 200.000 Euro
Die Conda-Crowd-Investment-Kampagne des Wiener Bienen-Startups Hektar Nektar wird bis zum 1. Oktober verlängert. Die beiden ehemaligen kununu-Gründer und Founder der Bienen-Plattform Mark und Martin Poreda möchten mit der sechswöchigen Verlängerung das neue Funding-Ziel von 500.000 Euro erreichen.
Die Plattform von Hektar Nektar ging im Oktober 2017 online und ermöglicht eine direkte Vernetzung unter Imkern. Gegründet wurde das Startup von Martin und Mark Poreda. Das Brüder-Paar aus Wien hatte 2007 die Arbeitgeber-Bewertungsplattform kununu gegründet und 2013 an das Business-Netzwerk XING verkauft.
Mit dem Startup Hektar Nektar haben sich die beiden Gründer dem Bienenschutz verschrieben. Dafür haben sie einen digitalen Marktplatz für Bienenhandel etabliert, mit dem Imker ihre Ausfälle an Bienenvölkern rasch und unkompliziert mit dem Kauf neuer Bienen kompensieren können. Nun wurde die Crowd-Invest-Kampagne auf Conda bis 1. Oktober verlängert, um das weitere Wachstum zu gewährleisten.
Deutscher Bauernverlag mit 35 Prozent Anteile
Auf der Crowd-Invest-Plattform konnte das Startup seit Ende Juni 2019 bis dato fast 200.000 Euro von insgesamt 231 Investoren einsammeln. Hektar Nektar vermochte aber bereits vor der Gründung des Bienen-Startups Business Angels auf seine Seite zu ziehen.
2017 investierte etwa der Deutsche Bauernverlag mit einem sechsstelligen Investment und erwarb 25 Prozent der Unternehmensanteile. Diesen Sommer kamen weitere zehn Prozent hinzu. “Jetzt möchten wir weitere Investoren von unserer Idee überzeugen. Bienenschutz geht uns alle an“, sagt Martin Poreda.
Das Fundinglimit der Kampagne beträgt zu Beginn 300.000 Euro. “Wir möchten aber gerne bis zu 500.000 Euro erreichen”, beschreibt Mark Poreda die Ziele des Startups. Deshalb wird die Kampagne nun um sechs Wochen verlängert.
Bienenschutz-Initiative Projekt 2028
Zudem hat das Startup gemeinsam mit 41 Unternehmen und 150 Imkern eine eigene Bienenschutz-Initiative namens “Projekt 2028” gestartet. Das Ziel ist es, die Bienenpopulation in den kommenden neun Jahren um zehn Prozent zu steigern. In Zukunft sollen auch Privatpersonen durch den Kauf von Honig-Abos die Möglichkeit haben das Projekt zu unterstützen.
Neue Tools geplant
Außerdem soll der digitale Marktplatz von Hektar Nektar um neue Funktionen und Tools erweitert werden. Dazu zählen unter anderem eine Standort- und Honigbörse, sowie Zugang zu Fachwissen rund um die Imkerei. “Mit dem Crowd-Investment erweitern wir Projekt 2028. Dafür vergrößern wir das Team. Ein großer Teil des Investment wird zudem in die Entwicklung der Plattform fließen”, erklären die beiden Gründer.
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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