ABOUT US
We are
Technology Business Architects
Silicon Castles is a Strategic Business Accelerator for technology intellectual property (IP) licensing businesses.
What we do
We focus on European Diamonds: Technology startups with a unique business idea, scalable technology and outstanding intellectual property – the key to global success.
We invest in early-stage startups with a great team, a promising idea, and innovative technology – we like pain killers, not vitamins.
We help Diamonds to form a strong IP portfolio – protect ideas and file the right patents.
We support global business development with our own global sales team – identify the target market and get the first deal.
We assist with the creation of a legal framework for licensing businesses – from the NDA to the licensing agreement.
We coach Diamonds during their scale-up phase in various areas, such as marketing, strategic teaming and executive coaching.
We provide access to a global network in all major technology hotspots in Europe, the US and Asia – leverage the global Silicon Castles network.
Our network
Silicon Castles is operating a global network with access to hotspots in Europe (Berlin, Munich, Amsterdam, Barcelona, London, etc.), the United States (Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, New York etc.) and Asia (Tokyo, Beijing, Shenzhen, Hongkong, Seoul, Singapore, Mumbai etc.).
Acceleration
Our acceleration programs transform ideas, lead growth, mentor and educate talents & teams.
Telling Your Story & Building Your Brand
Developing a clear marketing and brand strategy is as essential as the financial forecasts and product roadmaps. By using basic building blocks such as a company mission, vision and positioning statement and combining it with a strong company story, clarity and context are povided and a powerful message is created.
This strategic marketing program helps teams to develop brand strategy and corporate narratives. This program is led by Catherine Ogilvie, whose extensive experience brings alignment, focus and a clear direction to the marketing strategy and to business development, the product, and recruitment functions.
Global Sales Team
Knowing your customers is easy, gaining access to them is difficult, but closing a big deal is tough and requires a sales team that can explain the customer benefits and show how the product will create an opportunity or solve a problem. After the initial technology and/or product readiness, a startup must focus on landing the first big deal. Small deals are not sufficient, investors want to see real customers with growing revenues and are willing to invest in a professional sales organization. Silicon Castles provides a dedicated Global Sales Team (GST) with over 100 years of combined experience in technology sales in Europe, the US, China, Korea, and Japan whose network includes large, potential customers.
Silicon Castles Global Network
A great network that includes major technology players can be the key to success for startups. However, building a global network is time-consuming, so startup executives spend a lot of time on trade shows, startup events and industry meetings to get to know the right people.
Silicon Castles developed a global network that connects major players in the technology business and supports startups by introducing them to relevant target partners, customers or individuals. We have strategic relationships with global investment organizations including Silicon Valley venture capital firms, global family offices, and corporate venture organizations worldwide.
The Art of Deal-Making
Investors want to see real licensing agreements, rather than a Letter of Intent or a Memorandum of Understanding. Licensing agreements represent the bedrock of a successful startup, but fail to realize their potential without the right structure and scheme in place. This prevents companies from growing. Deploying an international licensing scheme that is in accordance with accepted licensing practices allows startups to fine-tune their engine, gather momentum and secure successive deals. David Kinsella, General Counsel of Silicon Castles, and Andreas Spechtler, also a lawyer by profession, have developed a program to ensure that startups generate solid revenues based on waterproof contracts.
People Development Program
To harvest creativity, innovation, and employee motivation, and to prevent the loss of key people and know-how, it is essential to rethink the organizational and cultural structure and to align the company’s strategy with the people-side and the culture to secure continuous growth. The long-term results are the retention of key people, the continuous attraction of new talents, the personal development of employees, organic growth, sustainable innovation, and success.
With Dr. Petra Meyer’s expertise in teaming and driving growth, we designed a program that starts with a compact analysis and helps founders understand the management approaches from the organizational- and the people-perspective. The program supports the individual implementation of organizational learning to steer sustainable growth and harvest success.
Innovation Confidence Program
Startups are required to be innovative to develop their product, stay on top of the competition and win and keep customers. The success of a startup is driven by their innovation power. This is why the innovation process should be of high importance inside a startup. Unfortunately, startups often lack the time and the confidence to drive innovation. Companies need to build an ideation-friendly ecosystem, that includes a culture of empathy and trust to foster disruptive thinking, psychological safety that enables your teams‘ ability to ideate and trust to build meaningful relationships with coworkers, clients, and partners.
For thsi program, led by Professor Thomas Grundnigg, we use Design Thinking to moderate and manage the initial idea creation process that leads to future product development.
Our Diamonds
Selected Silicon Castles Diamonds
Diamonds are technology startups with a unique business idea, scalable technology and outstanding IP.
Their products are not incremental innovations that are just quick fixes or add features to existing products.
Diamonds represent real stand-alone solutions that solve problems and create value worldwide.
Diamonds are global players.
We’re searching for Diamond Talents!
You’ve always wanted to be a part of an exciting startup?
Tell us more about yourself, get admitted into our Diamond Talent pool, and join one of our teams as a co-founder or employee!
Startup Executive Academy
The Startup Executive Academy (SEA) is an international and exclusive five-day Go-to-Market program for early-stage (seed, A or B phase) startup founders and executives to accelerate their business and inspire growth. The SEA takes place every summer at the historic Castle of Urstein in Salzburg, Austria and aims to equip the participants with the necessary skill set to overcome startup-specific challenges.
Learn moreSESSIONS
The highly practical, hands-on Go-to-Market sessions cover topics such as pricing, sales, venture capital, leadership, investment
proposal, negotiation and legal matters.
FACULTY
The program is led by Prof. Baba Shiv from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. The faculty body includes executives and former leaders of global technology companies like Porsche, Dolby, Huawei, and Sony.
SEA CIRCLE
The SEA Circle is the Alumni network of former SEA participants and enables continuous learning. SEA Circle members can share their experiences on success and failure and receive advice from peers. Members meet annually at the SEA for a one-day training.
OUTCOME
The participants leave the SEA with new ideas, knowledge and feedback that they gathered during the sessions and the one-on-ones with faculty members and peers. They can immediately use this input to accelerate their business and take their company to the next level.
Diamond Labs
Silicon Castles‘ aim is to discover gifted talents in Salzburg and all around the world, lead them and their ideas to global success, and turn them into true Diamonds.
To identify and shape the ideas of people from different disciplines, experiences, ages, and cultures, Silicon Castles believes in the methods of Design Thinking – guided workshops, led by experts, and focused on developing new ideas in the field of new technologies.
Diamond Labs are organized in collaboration with Cultural and Corporate Partners to find solutions to their specific business problems.
Biosphere Lab
Silicon Castles supports the Biosphere Lab, a regional initiative that aims to develop the potential of „UNESCO Biosphere Park“ regions. The first Biosphere Labs took place in Spring and Autumn 2019 in the mountain region Lungau in Salzburg, Austria in cooperation with the Regionalverband (regional association) Lungau, the Chamber of Commerce Lungau, and the Raiffeisenbank Lungau. The goal of the initiative is to take the next step towards becoming a sustainable and unique innovation region. The Biosphere Lab develops technologies specifically tailored to the unique characteristics of these unique areas, adding value and driving quality growth in the region. The ultimate goal is to create regionally and globally successful startups that generate new, quality jobs and opportunities for the coming generations. Silicon Castles facilitates the development of ideas and concepts through the Creators Camps, Design Thinking workshops with groups of locally-connected innovators.
The winning team of the Creators Camp then takes part in Silicon Castles‘ Global Acceleration Program that transforms a great idea into a global startup.
Biosphere Lab Creators Camp 3 coming soon!
Culture Tech LAB
The Culture Tech LAB is a two-day design thinking workshop on innovation in the cultural sector. Art and culture stand for creativity and constant change – today’s cultural institutions have a huge potential for innovation!
The Culture Tech LAB is hosted in collaboration with the Salzburg Festival, the Karajan Institute, and Startup Salzburg. Innovators, creatives, inventors, startup founders and students will come together in teams to develop new ideas, applications, and solutions for technology in culture.
A world-class jury will choose a winner who receives further support by the partners to transform their idea into a global and scaleable bsuiness. The winnig team will participate in Silicon Castles‘ Global Acceleration Program.
The Culture Tech LAB takes place on April 1 & 2, 2020 on the stage of the historic Horse Riding School of the Salzburg Festival. Applications are open until March 14.
Our Team
Andreas Spechtler
Founder & CEO
Pascal Levensohn
Senior Strategic Advisor
Catherine Ogilvie
Senior Marketing Advisor
Bianca Magnus
Acceleration Manager
Laura Egger
Acceleration Manager
Eva Weigt
Acceleration Manager
Eva-Maria Schitter
Acceleration Manager
David Kinsella
General Counsel
Dr. Petra Meyer
Senior Advisor for Strategic Team Development
Thomas Grundnigg
Senior Advisor Innovation Confidence Program
Zeynep Demirbilek
President of the SEA CIRCLE
CEO of ServiceClub
Thomas Weiss
Senior Technology Advisor
Castles
Silicon Castles believes in the innovation power of regions around smaller cities. Often, such regions are the home of very innovative companies and are seen as hidden technology champions.
The first castles of Silicon Castles are based in the town of Puch, south of Salzburg, more castles are to come in the future. Salzburg is a unique European region with an attractive high-tech ecosystem. Salzburg developed its business culture centuries ago through its flourishing salt, gold and silver mines that was then traded across the Alps. The city is known all over the world being for being Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s birthplace, the setting of Sound of Music, home to the world famous Salzburg Festival for classical music as well as the Karajan Institute.
Today, the Salzburg region has developed into an internationally known hub for both for global players like Red Bull, Porsche, Spar Austria Group, Sony DADC, Skidata, Palfinger, KTM, Atomic, Kaindl, Kiska, Sirona, Vale, RealNetworks, Carbo Tech as well as unique start-ups like Authentic Vision, Findologic and NativeWaves. Salzburg’s educational and research infrastructure is impressive for a city with a population of some 150.000 people as it is home to five universities and two research organizations.
All of these factors and the great quality of life attract many entrepreneurs and is the reason why the number of Salzburg startups has grown steadily. Silicon Castles supports this innovation ecosystem and engages with high potential startups to help them accelerate to global success.
