🌟 Startup Night Business Queens 2025: Ideas, courage and female founder power in Leoben

On 21 May 2025, Montanuniversität Leoben became a stage for courageous visionaries, innovative female founders and impressive ideas: The Startup Night Business Queens impressively demonstrated how diverse, creative and future-orientated female entrepreneurship is in Austria.

Around 100 guests from science, business and the start-up scene came together to celebrate innovation - in the spirit of EU Diversity Month, with a strong female presence, concentrated expertise and great networking potential. The focus was on women who tackle, found and lead - as well as initiatives such as Girls and Technology, which inspire young talents for technology and make female role models visible. Startup Night Business Queens thus sent out a strong signal in favour of diversity, equal opportunities and female empowerment in the start-up scene.

🎤 Keynote: Leadership with attitude

A real highlight was the inspiring keynote speech by Sonja Macher - founder of InnovationsMacherIN, project manager of RoboSDG and committed board member of Mädchen und Technik. In her talk ‘Leadership with attitude - why authenticity is your strongest business tool’, she gave deep insights into her career, her values and her vision of education, female empowerment and sustainability.

💡 MUL:idea – The Montanuni ideas competition

Another highlight of the Startup Night Business Queens was the final pitch of the MUL:idea competition - a platform where students, researchers and employees of Montanuniversität Leoben presented their forward-looking projects to a high-calibre jury. Among others, Rector Peter Moser, ZAT Managing Director Remo Taferner, as well as Eva Wegerer from Diversity Management and Anna Amerer ÖH Chairwoman were present.vvv

The competition was divided into two tracks:

🧪 Track: Researchers & employees

🏆 1st place: Next-Gen Fuel Cell Tech

The ACR team impressed the jury with an innovative hydrogen fuel cell technology for heavy goods transport. Their novel gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) reduce platinum consumption, significantly lower production costs and increase the efficiency of the fuel cells.

🎓 Track: Students

🏆 1st place: Mycolation

The team of students developed an ecological insulating material made from mycelium and textile waste - biodegradable, regionally produced and resource-saving. The idea is in tune with the times and is aimed at sustainable construction projects.

🏁 Visibility, diversity and power

The Startup Night Business Queens was not just a pitch competition, but a place of empowerment, exchange and mutual support. It showed how important diversity, mental health and an open innovation ecosystem are - for the university, the region and the entire start-up scene.