MCI Remains Austria’s Leader in Successful Start-ups

Technical University of Munich study examines resilience and survival of university-related start-ups | MCI leads Austria in active start-ups per 1,000 students

Last year, a large-scale study conducted by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) ranked MCI as Austria’s leading higher education institution for university-related start-ups, based on the number of start-ups per 1,000 students.

A recently published TUM study has now confirmed MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® as Austria’s leading higher education institution when it comes to the resilience and long-term viability of start-ups. Measured by the number of active start-ups – defined as companies that remain in the market or have been successfully acquired – per 1,000 students, MCI achieves the best result of all higher education institutions in Austria and ranks among the top 20 institutions across the entire DACH region.

Analysis and Methodology

The annually published study “Entrepreneurial Impact of Academic Institutions 2026 in the DACH Region – Deep Dive Analysis” by the Chair for Strategy and Organization at the Technical University of Munich – with contributions from researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Innsbruck – analyzes the entrepreneurial performance and impact of higher education institutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

This year’s deep-dive analysis is based on an evaluation of more than 51,000 start-ups founded between 2014 and 2024 across 437 academic institutions. The data sources include national statistical offices, existing country-specific studies (Austrian Startup Monitor, StartupDetector, Startupticker.ch, Startup.ch), commercial databases (Dealroom, PitchBook), as well as social media profiles and company websites.

In addition to the number of companies founded, the latest edition provides an in-depth analysis, for the first time, of start-up survival rates, employment effects, funding success, and the career paths of founders throughout the DACH region. The findings underline the importance of entrepreneurially oriented higher education institutions for innovation, employment, and regional value creation.

Statements

Oswald Wolkenstein, Chairman of the MCI Supervisory Board: “Tyrol’s strength as a business location is driven by the innovative capacity of its economy. For 30 years, MCI has been a highly successful ‘Entrepreneurial School’ in the region, producing not only exceptionally qualified students and alumni and exciting research solutions, but also innovative start-up companies. I congratulate the MCI team on once again being recognized as Austria’s most successful higher education institution for start-ups.”

Benjamin Suitner, MCI Center for Start-ups & Entrepreneurship: “At MCI, entrepreneurship is not an optional add-on; it is firmly embedded in our teaching, research, and knowledge transfer activities. When scientific knowledge is translated into new products, services, and companies, it creates innovation, employment, and value for society. The TUM results demonstrate that MCI is particularly successful in achieving this transfer and that many of the companies founded here also prove sustainable over the long term.”

MCI Rector Andreas Altmann: “Entrepreneurial thinking and action have always been part of MCI’s DNA. We support our students and alumni from the initial idea through to founding a company and beyond. We are therefore particularly pleased that the analysis considers not only the number of start-ups founded, but also their sustainable development. This reflects exactly what we aim to achieve: empowering people to turn ideas into viable companies that create lasting impact for society.”

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Study: Tretow, I., Lemanczyk, P., Treffers, T., Welpe, I.M., Clarysse, B., Füller, J. (2026). Entrepreneurial Impact of Academic Institutions 2026 in DACH Region: Deep Dive Analysis. Chair for Strategy and Organisation (TUM). https://www.entrepreneurshipranking.com