Infineon Austria Startup Challenge fosters twelve tech startups from around the world

Business & Financial Press

Oct 02, 2025

Villach, Vienna, October 1, 2025 – The third Infineon Startup Challenge was dominated this year by pioneering product developments in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). A total of twelve tech startups from eleven countries made it onto the shortlist and presented their technological applications to a panel of experts in Vienna. The winner: Austrian startup NOSI scored points with AI-supported technology that recognizes complex odor patterns in real environments to detect potential hazards such as fires at an early stage. The winner now goes to the "Infineon Startup Night" on 22 October in Munich and into a long-term cooperation with Infineon Austria.

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Austria: "The Startup Challenge is a real accelerator for innovation and shows impressively how global tech players challenge and support up-and-coming young companies. This is where ideas are realized and where high-tech meets inventiveness. The startups work with the latest semiconductor solutions, benefit from the expertise of a leading semiconductor company and gain access to the global Infineon network. Together, we dynamically develop forward-looking solutions for the challenges of our time. I congratulate all participants on this success!"

Innovative spirit for AI applications

This year, the interest in the Startup Challenge was once again overwhelming. A total of 49 applications were received from all over the world. Twelve deep-tech startups from the fields of AI, Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technology as well as health and well-being were invited to take part in the challenge following a high-caliber jury selection process. They further developed the Infineon demo kits for future-oriented applications. The result was, for example, an intelligent sensor platform for monitoring air quality in refrigerators to prevent food spoilage. Furthermore, an AI-supported technology that recognizes varroa mites in bee colonies at an early stage and a smartwatch that solves the problem of non-adherence to medication. The participants of the Infineon Startup Challenge 2025:

  • from Austria the startup NOSI - Network for Olfactory System Intelligence GmbH,
  • from Germany the startups The Hazardous Goods Companion (TMA) and AIDY Health GmbH,
  • from Poland the startup semiQa,
  • from Kenya the startup Nuruforge,
  • from the UK the startup ScareCrow Intelligence,
  • from Slovenia the startup Lemon Squeeze,
  • from South Korea the startup InHandPlus,
  • from Serbia the startup wellpet.ai,
  • from Ukraine the startup FrigoSense,
  • from Bulgaria the startup Innovariver Ltd,
  • from Norway the startup AIMSES As.

Intelligent IoT sensor systems based on EdgeAI

For their developments, the teams received  two hardware kits at an initial technical workshop in July: the PSOCTM 6 AI Evaluation Kit and the PSOCTM Edge AI Evaluation Kit from Infineon, which includes AI technology, sensors and microcontrollers. Technical training from Infineon experts enabled the startups to create their own AI models and integrate them into their prototypes.

Growing partner network

The teams are not only supported by Infineon on an ongoing basis. Eight partners are actively supporting the startups with their expertise during the challenge, including: EIT Manufacturing, Würth Elektronik, eureka, Bridgio Tech Accelarator, Podim, Science Park Graz, INiTS and the build! startup centre Carinthia. After various business coaching sessions such as pitch training and competition analyses, the startups presented their prototypes at the Infineon Startup Demo Day to a selected jury made up of eight experts from within and outside Infineon.

Andreas Mühlberger, Strategic Partner Manager Infineon Austria: "I am very pleased that the Infineon Austria Challenge is attracting more and more startups and is also attractive for important partners - startup sponsors, intermediaries, investors and business angels. We have thus created a perfect framework for further developing high-tech innovations and turning them into real business cases. Everyone involved benefits from this."

You can find all the photos from the Infineon Austria Startup Challenge 2025 in the APA photo gallery. 

About Infineon Austria

Infineon Technologies Austria AG is a subsidiary of Infineon Technologies AG, a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Semiconductors are essential for mastering the energy-related challenges of our time and helping to shape the digital transformation. Infineon's microelectronics drive decarbonization and digitalization and enable groundbreaking solutions for green and efficient energy, clean and safe mobility as well as a smart and secure IoT.


Infineon Austria pools competencies for research and development, production as well as global business responsibility. The head office is in Villach, with further branches in Graz, Klagenfurt, Linz, Innsbruck and Vienna. With 5,977 employees (including around 2,500 in research and development) from 78 nations, the company generated revenue of EUR 4.8 billion in the 2024 fiscal year (ending 30 September). With research expenditure of 686 million euros, Infineon Austria is the strongest research company in Austria.

Further information is available at www.infineon.com/austria

Press Photos

Panel Discussion Infineon Austria Startup Challenge

Panel Discussion Infineon Austria Startup Challenge

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO Infineon Austria, Alan Southall, Senior Vice President Software Transformation Infineon, Alexander Gerfer, CTO Würth Elektronik eiSos Group, Stefan Rohringer, Country R&D Officer Infineon Austria, Klaus Grössinger, General Partner Onsight Ventures, Andreas Mühlberger, Strategic Partner Manager Infineon Austria

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Winner team NOSI Infineon Startup Demo Day 2025

Winner team NOSI Infineon Startup Demo Day 2025

Left: Eva Frei Head Innovation Services WKO, middle: winnder startup NOSI: Péter Börzsei, Data Scientist, Patrik Aspermair, CEO, Baris Senyer, Software Engineer, right: Lamin Ben-Hamdane, Head of Startup Cooperations Infineon

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Infineon Austria Startup Challenge 2025

Infineon Austria Startup Challenge 2025

Infineon Startup Demo Day 2025

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All winners of the Infineon Austria Startup Challenge 2025

All winners of the Infineon Austria Startup Challenge 2025

f.l.t.r.: 2. place - Startup ScareCrow Intelligence: Cevdet Bulut, CEO und Nikolay Litov, Co-founder; 1. - place Startup NOSI, Patrik Aspermair, CEO; 3. place - Startup AIDY Health, Eszter Varga, Operations Analyst und Henrik Grünfeld, CEO

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Jury Infineon Austria Startup Challenge 2025

Jury Infineon Austria Startup Challenge 2025

Bodo Ischebeck, Cross-Divisional Portfolio Manager Infineon Austria, Urban Lapajne, Program Manager PODIM, Yordan Petrov, Managing Partner Serdica Capital, Barbara Stampf, Venture Partner Cloudberry Investments, Lukas Wirkestand, System Application Engineer Imagimob, Lamin Ben-Hamdane, Head of Startup Cooperations Infineon, Marion Wagner, Startup Manager Würth Elektronik eiSos Group and organiszer Andreas Mühlberger, Strategic Partner Manager Infineon Austria

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