In early December, i2b presented awards to Austria’s best business plans of 2023 at the Chamber of Commerce in Vienna. The coveted awards were presented in front of a large audience. 14 teams were delighted to receive prizes with a total value of over 200,000 euros.
i2b, short for “ideas to business”, was launched in 2000 and is the largest business plan initiative in Austria. i2b supports founders together with a network of experts, partners and sponsors from the private and public sectors in the creation of business plans for the marketing of innovative product and service ideas.
Particularly pleasing for the Management & Entrepreneurship Study Programs: Our graduate and lecturer Gerald Hollaus and his team took first place in the “Services, Trade, Commerce” category. Their business plan describes the development and sale of sunshade replacement covers.
This has already been successfully implemented with their company 2049 Sustainability: “As a family business, we develop, and market replacement covers and protective covers for parasols internationally. Parasol frames usually last longer than 10 years, but the fabric covers only last 3-5 years on average. We only replace the cover, which saves resources and reduces CO2 emissions,” says Gerald Hollaus, explaining the concept.
“We congratulate our graduate and current colleague Gerald Hollaus and his team on this achievement!” says Manfred J. Schieber, Head of Management & Entrepreneurship Study Programs, who is delighted with the award winners.
Graduate, business founder & lecturer Gerald Hollaus
In 2004, Hollaus successfully completed his studies in Corporate Management at FHWien der WKW and founded the sole proprietorship Gerald Hollaus in 2014 with the business areas 2049 Sustainability, 2049 eMobility and 2049 Online Service. He also teaches the course “Turnaround Management and Crisis Communications” at FHWien der WKW’s Master’s program in Executive Management.