Austrian Demo Night 2025 at SAP Labs San Francisco
Open Austria Co-Director Isabella Tomas with attendees of the Austrian Demo Night. Photo: Open Austria San Francisco
On Wednesday, October 8, more than 140 investors, founders, mentors, and friends of Austria gathered at SAP Labs San Francisco for the Austrian Demo Night 2025, which proudly joined SF Tech Week for the first time as an official event. The evening offered a high-energy showcase of innovation, with twelve Austrian startups from the GoUSA Silicon Valley 2025 cohort pitching their ideas in true Silicon Valley style - each team had just 180 seconds to present its vision, and the diversity of solutions reflected Austria’s dynamic startup ecosystem.
The audience vote crowned noknots, founded by Susanne Hauer and Christian Pittner, as the Audience Award winner for its AI-powered platform that simplifies product data management in e-commerce. The system transforms chaotic product information into structured, compliant data, helping brands and retailers align more efficiently and scale faster.
The Raising Star of the Night award went to Onchestra, founded by Werner Seidel, for its AI-based onboarding platform that helps banks streamline client journeys with built-in KYC, risk handling, and secure workflows. The solution has already proven its effectiveness across European financial institutions and represents a significant step toward digital transformation in the banking sector.
All 12 Startups (RacePace, ALL MEDIA AI, noknots, ParaStruct, Main Sequence, Dianai.ai, Sodex Innovations, Together App, Raitify, tagbase.io, Talo IT Gmbh and Minerva) delivered impressive performances and showcased their learning during the Bootcamp, run by “Silicon Valley in your Pocket”.
The event highlighted how Austrian startups are pushing boundaries in AI, sustainability, and digital transformation. With the support of SAP, the Austrian Business Agency (ABA), and the SF Tech Week community, the Austrian Demo Night 2025 became a remarkable celebration of entrepreneurship, collaboration, and innovation in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Photo: Open Austria San Francisco