Alumni

2024-26

Stories from Marc

Digitising production with VELLO Bike

Efficient operation processes allow companies to scale, maintain quality and customer satisfaction. However, when a startup grows, processes can become a challenge that requires expertise to crack and solve. An unharmonized supply chain coming from explosive growth of the company was experienced by VELLO Bike, an Austrian leading company creating high-quality folding bicycles and an alumnus of our Marc program.

What is VELLO Bike?

Vello Bike is a reference when it comes to high quality folding bicycles. This Vienna-based company has manufacturing processes in Europe and China. Currently they produce approximately 3,000 bikes which then are distributed via more than 120 business partners in Europe and Asia.

Producing such an amount of bicycles in house, doesn’t come without challenges. “Due to the high demand, we realised how important it is to keep track of the inventory – each bike has over 80 SKUs, and we have 13 different bike models and 40 or more VELLO accessories. Keeping a close grip on stock was important to keep the production flow going” explains Valerie Wolff, co-founder of VELLO Bike. Overcoming this operation process was key to becoming investment-ready and attractive to investors: “there’s an imminent market demand for 7,000 extra bikes. And we are growing fast and planning to hit the 30,000 bike mark in the next year. ”, shares Wolff to explain the European demand for bikes.

VELLO Bike meets Marc

As demand was increasing, VELLO Bike’s founders knew that they needed to find funding to boost their production capacity, so they joined Marc to become investment ready.

That’s where they worked with Linda Vasilescu, Lead Coach, who started with a detailed consultation on their status. “Marc is a highly personalised program, that’s why we start with a conversation to understand the real challenges that the ventures are facing. From there, we figure out the concrete needs of the startup and the expert that suits best to help them”, explains Linda. “That’s why we reached out to Stefan Müller”. He is a seasoned professional, with decades of history in setting up manufacturing operations based on automation, in different countries. It was through his advice that they spotted a big need for the company. “VELLO Bike needed to streamline and upgrade their manufacturing processes and inventory control”, pointed Vasilescu.

Through the support offered within Marc, VELLO Bike’s founding team found a space to step back and reflect on their own resources and networks. That’s precisely how they reached out to Robert Kiss, an expert in the cycling industry. “Founders often have the needed connections, especially when they are in an advanced stage such as Vello Bike. We did this exercise of stepping back and that’s how they found Robert Kiss, who’s now part of their leading team”.

The outcome

Robert Kiss, formerly part of Woom, worked along with Valerie Wolff and her team to develop an efficient solution: a complete digitization of their entire production process. This digitization not only provided a clear inventory overview but also enabled them to increase production. “Robert started to work with us as part of the expert hours that the Marc program offers, but now he also joined the team”, says Valerie. Both outcomes help them to become investment ready.

With a current revenue of 4 million euro per year, the VELLO Bike’s team is ready to scale their production with a clear and digitised inventory and process. For that, they are now looking for investment. “We are looking for 2 million”, concludes Valerie Wolff.

Sharpening the pitch with Infrared.City

In the high-stakes world of startups, securing investment often hinges on one critical factor: the ability to have an effective pitch. It’s not enough to have a groundbreaking idea or a brilliant solution; founders must effectively articulate their unique value proposition in a way that resonates with investors. This task is surprisingly challenging and it was exactly the work that the team of Infrared city concentrated on in Marc.

What is Infrared.City?

Infrared.city is a company enabling microclimate analysis through climate simulations and AI-driven models. Infrared.city is designed for urban areas, catering primarily to architects and urban planners. Their software enables climate simulations for buildings and urban spaces, helping organizations make data-driven decisions to enhance climate resilience.

Founded as a research spin-off in 2023, Infrared.city evolved from a license sale within a technology institute to an independent startup. The company currently has a team of 13 (soon growing to 15), with clients including an architecture firm in the city of Hamburg.

Having launched their product in December, Infrared.city was entering a critical phase: preparing to raise their seed round with a target of €3 million. While the team had a strong product, they needed to refine their market size in a consistent way with their ambitions strategy.

Infrared meets Marc

Through Marc, Infrared.city’s team identified and worked on two main areas: the market fit and the subsequent road to market. “We built the customer journey through Marc, and also the user experience. But most of all we now know that we are pitching the right thing”. Explains Angelos Chronis, CEO and Founder, who brings years of research experience in computing, architecture, and climate resilience. “Marc really helped me understand the important parts of the pitch and rethink the market size. It made me think deeply about where we stand and what we need to do next.”

He also appreciated the personalized coaching from Linda Vasilescu, highlighting how she adapted support to each participant’s needs. “I knew Infrared.city for a few months, as they made a very good impression at Green 100 in ‘24”. Says Linda Vasilescu, referring to the largest green finance fair in Austria. “ I was very happy to learn that Infrared.city joined our program. Angelos is a very structured person, so it was easy for us to create a plan and further construct a relevant story for investors”.

The outcome

Thanks to Marc’s guidance, Infrared.city achieved a clearer understanding of their approach on the market and is now able to execute a significant funding round with well-defined goals and messaging.

Based on the connections created at Green100, they are now starting their seed round with a €3 million target.

Delivering differentiation with TOURMIX

To stand out in the market, your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) needs to resonate with two crucial groups: the public and, just as importantly, investors. For many ventures, being a pioneer in establishing specific, impactful partnerships can serve as this powerful differentiator.

Being the first in the market in establishing strong and specific partnerships can be the USP that a venture needs. This was precisely the case of TOURMIX, participant in the Marc Program.

What is TOURMIX?

TOURMIX is at the forefront of customer-focused logistics, reimagining parcel delivery and returns to be seamless, convenient, and environmentally conscious. Based on its mission to „turn sadness into smiles for dissatisfied customers,“ TOURMIX offers a unique alternative to traditional logistics companies. They prioritize the customer, allowing requested delivery times—even on weekends and evenings—and provide simple, convenient, and green solutions for both premium deliveries and hassle-free returns. By utilizing pedestrian couriers, bicycles, and public transport, TOURMIX is actively contributing to „Green and Social Cities“ because their service reduces traffic, carbon emissions, and waste.

The challenge. Redefining logistics.

Before engaging with the Marc program, TOURMIX already had a bold vision: to transform a frustrating customer experience and a carbon-heavy industry. Their ambition was to offer a superior delivery and returns service that not only delighted customers but also provided significant business advantages to webshops by keeping revenue within their business (unlike standard returns) and reducing undelivered packages.

While their innovative approach and commitment to sustainability were strong, scaling a novel logistics model required deep operational clarity, strategic integrations with existing infrastructure, market validation, and a clear pathway to expansion.

TOURMIX Meets Marc

Recognizing the need for a robust framework to solidify their operational excellence and articulate their distinct value, TOURMIX joined Impact Hub Vienna’s Marc program. The program is renowned for its highly personalized approach, connecting ventures with the precise expertise needed to overcome their specific challenges and accelerate their readiness for growth.

Through detailed consultations, Impact Hub Vienna’s program team identified TOURMIX’s core needs: define their place in the context of existing courier landscape and the way they can harmonize both parts of their business: B2B and B2C. As part of the Marc program, TOURMIX was connected with specialized mentors and resources designed to strengthen their resilience and streamline their operational processes.

„The Marc program isn’t about generic advice; it’s about deeply understanding a venture’s unique ecosystem and connecting them with the exact tools and people they need to thrive,“ explains an Impact Hub Vienna program lead. „For TOURMIX, this meant focusing on validating their efficiency, integrating with key platforms, and crucially, proving their environmental benefits.“

The Outcome

The support provided through the Marc program empowered TOURMIX to achieve significant milestones, solidifying its position as an impactful logistics innovator.

A key operational achievement was the successful integration with Postis, a last-mile logistics and delivery platform that connects retailers, e-commerce businesses, and logistics providers. This crucial step offered them quick access to most e-commerce platforms of Europe. The integration with Postis came unplanned, after the meeting with one of the program’s mentors Mircea Stan who trusted their vision and decided to promote them further.

With a cleared USP, a proven, measurable impact, and crucial technological integrations like the one with Postis, TOURMIX is well-positioned for future expansion. The strategic insights gained through the Marc program have enabled them to build a robust model ready to scale their unique blend of customer-focused and sustainable logistics.

They continue their journey with Impact Hub by benefit from investment support consulting in their current funding round

Finding a future-proof structure with Hobby Lobby

Growing an organization sustainably means more than raising money, it means building the internal structures and funding base that can carry that growth long-term. This was the challenge facing Hobby Lobby, an Austrian venture and alumnus of our MARC program, as it looked to scale its impact into new countries.

What is Hobby Lobby?

Hobby Lobby offers free leisure courses for children and young people at 15 locations across 3 countries, opening up access to non-formal education and contributing to greater equity of opportunity. Through courses spanning sports and movement, creativity and art, and technology and knowledge, young people can discover their talents, unlock their potential, and build social skills. The programs create a space where participants‘ mental and physical health is demonstrably strengthened.

As the organization grew, its founders realized that scaling further would mean facing two central questions head-on: what a future-proof organizational structure should look like, and how to finance growth sustainably. „We joined MARC because we were immediately impressed by its tailored approach for each participant,“ says Rosa Bergmann, co-founder of Hobby Lobby. „The program isn’t about a one-size-fits-all approach, but genuine engagement with the specific challenges each venture faces.“

Hobby Lobby meets MARC

To tackle these questions, the team was paired with Michael Kubiena, expert in Organizational Design & Change and Strategic HR & Leadership, and Magdalena Radova, expert in Regional Innovation Systems and Systems-Led Venture Design.

Together with their mentors, the Hobby Lobby team critically examined their existing structures and worked on new approaches to diversifying and stabilizing their funding base long-term. „The outside perspective was particularly valuable,“ the founder explains. „Our mentors helped us see and name things we had sensed internally but hadn’t yet clearly named.“

What stood out most was the quality of the conversations themselves. „As a founder, I felt genuinely seen and deeply valued. Our mentors listened carefully, asked the right questions, and gave concrete impulses we could take directly into our work.“ Along the way, new ideas surfaced that hadn’t been on the team’s radar at all. MARC gave them the space to step back from day-to-day operations and think strategically, a luxury that’s often overlooked in the rush of daily workflow.

The Outcome

Hobby Lobby now has a clearer vision for its sustainable fundraising strategy and a more concrete plan for scaling its impact into new countries. Along the way, it also became clear that strong internal processes and workflows will be essential to support that growth for the long term.

Preparing for fundraising with AGAi

Building a strong impact business is one thing, becoming genuinely investment-ready is another. That was the gap AGAi faced heading into MARC: the foundations were already in place, but the push toward serious fundraising still required focused, 1-on-1 support.

What is AGAi?

AGAi is tackling one of the defining challenges of our time: sustainable agriculture in the face of extreme weather and growing climate volatility. The Austrian-Bavarian deep-tech startup develops intelligent, AI-driven solutions that start from the ground up, literally, helping farmers make better decisions for healthier soils, stable yields, and stronger climate protection. At the center is its digital soil advisory tool, „Frag den Bodenpapst,“ which combines soil data, agronomic knowledge, and predictive AI to deliver individual recommendations that are accessible, practical, and resource-efficient. In doing so, AGAi helps reduce erosion, store CO₂, and strengthen agricultural resilience, bringing climate transformation to where it begins: the soil.

AGAi came to MARC already well underway. Through the EIT Climate-KIC ClimAccelerator and the Greenstart 2025 program by the BMLUK, the team had built out its impact measurement approach, business model, and product-market fit. „We were approached by MARC based on our participation in those programs,“ says Thomas Hiebaum, founder of AGAi. „What we were missing was a tailored, investor-focused push. Not a one-size-fits-all approach, but real 1-on-1 guidance on our journey towards becoming investment-ready. MARC promised exactly that, and delivered.“

AGAi meets MARC

To support that push, AGAi was paired with coaches Lena Gangsterer and Ryan Grant Little.

Where ClimAccelerator and Greenstart helped AGAi articulate its purpose and structure its impact goals according to the PHINEO standard, with the aim of establishing soil health as a measurable, manageable asset within agrifood supply chains, MARC picked up where those programs left off. The focus shifted squarely to investment readiness and financial viability. Through 1-on-1 coaching rather than group sessions, the team sharpened its financial planning, defined its capital strategy, and refined its pitch narrative around what investors actually need to hear.

What stood out most was the directness of the program leadership and mentors. „Direct, honest, and without sugarcoating,“ Thomas explains. „Someone who points out what does not work is often more valuable than someone who simply applauds.“ Alongside the coaching, AGAi also built out its network within a new ecosystem: impact-oriented investors, fellow startups from the CEE region, and connections expected to continue well beyond the program.

The outcome

AGAi’s time in MARC brought increased visibility within the impact investor ecosystem, a presentation in the Impact Deal Room, and first contact with Capacura. The team also received professional coaching on financial planning and investment readiness, and an invitation to CEE4Impact in Budapest, where they built connections now feeding into their ongoing fundraising round.

„MARC was not a traditional accelerator,“ Thomas concludes. „It was a structured preparation for what comes next: a serious fundraising round.“