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CIFE - CLIMATE INNOVATION FESTIVAL
24 October 2025, Prisma by Lumia, Vienna, 45+ countries
On 24 October 2025 we brought the Climate Innovation Festival (CIFE) to Vienna: start-ups, researchers, NGOs, companies and ecosystem builders from around the world came together to accelerate solutions to the climate crisis - one day for exchanging ideas, forming partnerships and making climate work visible.
At its heart was the ClimateLaunchpad 2025 Global Grand Final, the world's largest competition for early-stage green business ideas. After bootcamps, national and regional pitch rounds, the best teams from more than 45 countries pitched on stage in Vienna.
The festival is over. On this page we have gathered the recap: programme, highlights, figures and the aftermovie.
THIS WAS CIFE 2025
The aftermovie captures the mood of the festival day - from the innovators fair to the grand final.
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Watch it directly on YouTube insteadCIFE 2025
WHERE THE GRAND FINAL CAME FROM
Discover. Connect. Transform. - 45+ countries in one day in Vienna.
WHAT HAPPENED ON FESTIVAL DAY
Climate Innovators Fair
The day started at 11:00 with the innovators fair, powered by the Vienna Business Agency. In the open exhibition space, the national ClimateLaunchpad winners, the eight regional final champions and selected Austrian start-ups from the 2024 and 2025 cohorts showed their solutions.
Breakout sessions
Six partner sessions added depth to the afternoon:
- KURIER & SENA - Impact Communication: how start-ups and media tell the story of positive change together
- Climate KIC - Beyond the Pitch: building climate collaboration
- Raiffeisen Landesbank Steiermark - Impact or profit: which one wins?
- BMLUK - From Global Goals to Local Action: creating impact in complex times
- BDO Austria - Going Clean: between competitiveness and climate neutrality
- Vienna Business Agency - Smart Climate City: Vienna as a hub for climate and sustainable innovation
ClimateLaunchpad 2025 Global Grand Final
In the evening the eight best teams from the four regional finals pitched for jury feedback, investor access and momentum towards real-world impact:
- Chaja Africa (Tanzania)
- SeaH4 (South Africa)
- EcoGrains (USA)
- OneFly - Feed The Future (Colombia)
- Griffin Research (Australia)
- Atierra (Japan)
- Neela Biotech (UK)
- ecodetect (UK)
The evening before: Vienna as a climate innovation hub
On 23 October the Vienna Business Agency already hosted "Climate Innovation in Vienna" at the Climate Lab - with a fireside chat, a corporate reverse pitch by Wien Energie, Wiener Stadtwerke and ERSTE Social Finance, plus networking. In the evening the City of Vienna welcomed the national winners and global finalists to a reception at Vienna City Hall.
THE FESTIVAL ROUTE
Two days, one thread: from getting to know Vienna's ecosystem to the global grand final.
- 0123 Oct, 14:30
Climate Innovation in Vienna
Fireside chat, corporate reverse pitch and networking at the Climate Lab, organised by the Vienna Business Agency.
- 0223 Oct, 18:30
Welcome reception at City Hall
The City of Vienna welcomed the ClimateLaunchpad winners and global finalists - the official opening of the festival.
- 0324 Oct, 11:00
Climate Innovators Fair
Open exhibition space with international and Austrian climate start-ups.
- 0424 Oct, 14:00
Breakout sessions & panels
Six parallel sessions on communication, collaboration, finance, policy and climate tech.
- 0524 Oct, evening
ClimateLaunchpad Global Grand Final
The top eight teams pitched to an international jury and audience, followed by celebration and networking.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FESTIVAL?
Recaps, media and cooperation requests go through our team.
Thinkubator
CIFE project teamWrite to us - we are happy to share impressions, photos and materials from the festival and to talk about future collaborations.