Vienna’s startup ecosystem has matured rapidly over the past decade. What was once a tight-knit local scene has grown into a credible European hub for early-stage innovation. Alongside this growth, a quiet but important shift is underway: more women are stepping into angel investor roles, backing startups not only with capital, but with experience, networks, and long-term vision. While women remain underrepresented in angel investing across Europe, Vienna stands out for its active female investors, ecosystem builders, and investor-led communities. These women are helping founders get their first cheques, navigate early decisions, and build companies that last. Here are 10 women angel investors and key figures in Vienna who are shaping early-stage funding in 2026.
1. Lisa-Marie Fassl – Building Capital Pathways for Founders
Lisa-Marie Fassl is one of the most recognisable names in Vienna’s startup ecosystem. As the co-founder of Female Founders and managing partner at Fund F, she has spent years helping early-stage founders particularly women access capital and investors. Beyond direct investing, Fassl plays a crucial role in ecosystem design. As Vice President of the Austrian Angel Investors Association, she actively works to professionalise angel investing and make it more inclusive.
2. Nina Wöss – Connecting Ambition With Early Capital
Nina Wöss, also a co-founder of Female Founders and managing partner at Fund F, has been instrumental in building bridges between startups and early-stage investors. Her work focuses on empowering founders to become investment-ready and helping angels identify strong, scalable opportunities. Wöss represents a new generation of investors who combine capital with structured support, education, and global perspective.
3. Selma Prodanovic – A European Voice for Angel Investing
Organization: European Business Angels Network (EBAN)
Selma Prodanovic is one of Vienna’s most internationally connected angel leaders. As Vice President of EBAN, she works at the intersection of policy, education, and early-stage investment across Europe. While her reach extends far beyond Austria, Vienna remains a core base for her work in shaping how angel investing evolves especially when it comes to diversity, professionalism, and cross-border collaboration.
4. Karin Kreutzer – Experience-Driven Angel Investing
Karin Kreutzer brings decades of business experience into her role as a business angel. Recognised as a Business Angel of the Year, she is known for backing early-stage startups and mentoring founders through critical growth phases. Her involvement with the Austrian Angel Investors Association reflects her commitment to strengthening the local investment landscape not just through funding, but through knowledge transfer.
5. Corina Radu – Investing With an ESG Lens
Corina Radu is the founder and CEO of Solutions4Impact, and an active investor with a strong focus on sustainability, ESG, and impact-driven business models. Her angel activity reflects a growing trend in Vienna: investors who look beyond financial returns to long-term societal value. Radu regularly supports founders operating at the intersection of business, climate, and social impact.
6. Laura Egg – Strategic Thinking at the Early Stage
Laura Egg is a managing director at ROI Ventures and an active participant in Vienna’s early-stage investment community. She supports startups not only through capital, but also through strategic guidance, governance, and scaling expertise. Her background makes her particularly valuable to founders navigating the transition from idea to structured growth.
7. Desiree Jonek-Lustyk – Mentorship Meets Angel Advocacy
As the founder of WoMentor, Desiree Jonek-Lustyk is best known for her work in mentorship and leadership development. But her influence extends into the angel investing space, where she advocates for greater female participation both as founders and as investors. Her work helps lower the barriers for women entering early-stage investing.
8. Anna I. – Quietly Active Early-Stage Angel
Anna I. is a Vienna-based angel investor active in early-stage technology and innovation startups. While she keeps a relatively low public profile, her participation reflects a broader trend: more women investing privately and independently in startups they believe in. These quieter angels often play an essential role in first funding rounds.
9. Diana K. – Cross-Sector Angel Backer
Diana K. is another Vienna-based angel investor with interests spanning technology, consumer businesses, and services. Her investment approach is broad, reflecting the diversity of Vienna’s startup landscape. She represents the growing presence of women who invest across multiple sectors rather than specialising narrowly.
10. Women-Led Angel Networks and Collectives
Beyond individual investors, women-led angel networks are becoming increasingly influential in Vienna. Collectives such as Lumus Investment Collective allow women to invest together, learn together, and build confidence in angel investing. These networks are critical for scaling women’s participation in early-stage funding and creating long-term change in the ecosystem.
Why Women Angel Investors Matter More Than Ever
Angel investors often shape a startup long before venture capital enters the picture. They influence hiring decisions, product direction, and company culture. When women are missing at this stage, entire perspectives are lost. Vienna’s growing group of women angel investors is helping correct that imbalance bringing diversity of thought, sector expertise, and a more sustainable view of growth into early-stage funding.
Looking Ahead
In 2026, Vienna’s women angel investors are no longer an exception they are becoming a defining part of the ecosystem. As more women reinvest entrepreneurial success into new companies, the city’s startup scene stands to become stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient. For founders seeking early believers or professionals considering angel investing themselves these women are leading by example.