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Michael Kowatschew

ThePixelBeat - Forbes 30 Under 30 - Sigma Squared Fellow

Michael Kowatschew is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and climate enthusiast based in Vienna, Austria.1 He co-founded ThePixelBeat, a tech-driven venture builder, where he served as Co-Founder & Managing Director from January 2021 to February 2023.12

Kowatschew has a diverse background that includes:

Entrepreneurial Ventures

  • Founded NOVID20, Europe's first automated contact tracing application, which reached over 150,000 downloads on its first day in Georgia.12
  • Co-founded friendzone, an app helping hostels, universities, and businesses build stronger communities.1
  • Currently serves as President of Sigma Squared Society, a non-profit organization empowering top young entrepreneurs.1

Education and Achievements

  • Studied at WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), specializing in Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Digital Marketing.1
  • Participated in the Ashoka Visionary Program with a full scholarship.1
  • Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2020.1

Sports Career

  • Former Austrian Karate champion, winning multiple national titles and international medals.1

Kowatschew is known for his problem-solving skills, ability to build and lead fast-scaling teams, and passion for impact-driven startups.2 His work focuses on innovation, particularly in times of crisis, and he aims to help businesses adapt to rapidly changing environments.2

Highlights

Jul 22 · linkedin

The right team makes all the difference.

I can’t explain how valuable it is for me to be building Heizma not only with absolute beasts I am amazed by every day, but also true friends.

This makes this (crazy) ride so enjoyable and the development of a great culture so much fun.

To the climate neutral moon and beyond, Alexander & Valentin! 🚀 💚

Ps: We might have been celebrating the end of a great week at the office on this picture 🥂

The right team makes all the difference.



I can’t explain how valuable it is for me to be building
Jun 4 · linkedin

Our new company Heizma is out of stealth mode! 💚🔥💚🔥

A few months ago I embarked on a new journey with my friends and now Co-Founders Alexander V. and Valentin Perkonigg.

We all have worked together individually in the past, but none of us could have imagined, looking back, that our paths would now cross with our biggest adventure yet. 💚

👉 Valentin & Alex started a newsletter (FounderForge) by and for founders in Europe a few months ago, sharing their experiences from building their companies Brickwise and Coinpanion.

👉 Valentin & I worked closely together on Novid20 during the peak of the Covid19 pandemic, where we launched Europe's first automated contact tracing app.

👉 Alex & I started investing together through our investment company morgen ventures, backing young outlier founders.

On top of that, all three of us are proud members of Sigma Squared Society - arguably the best place for founders under the age of 26. 😉

And now, we are building our new company: Heizma

At Heizma we are tackling a problem that is much bigger than anything we have ever tackled before.

We are on a mission to make Austrian 🇦🇹 homes climate neutral by replacing fossil fuel heating systems (like gas or oil) with heat pumps.

Today, around 10% of all CO2 emissions in Europe are the direct result of home heating - making it the third largest CO2 emitter. 🤯

Fortnuately, heat pumps not only save emissions and make technological sense, but now are also the economically better solution.

At Heizma we now offer the whole process, from the first digital visits to offers, installations, subsidies and more, with our team of technicians and partner companies all over the country.

🚀 To this day, we have already sold heat pump installations worth 7-figures, received over 2.500 customer enquiries and are growing fast!

I am not only grateful to be able to work with exceptional people like Valentin and Alex, but also that we have an incredible team that is so passionate (and fun) that on Sundays I can't wait for Monday again! 🫶🏻 #TGIM

Let's do this! I can't wait for the time to come! 🚀 💚

Our new company Heizma is out of stealth mode! 💚🔥💚🔥



A few months ago I embarked on a new jour

Related Questions

What inspired Michael Kowatschew to start his first startup, friendzone?
How did Michael Kowatschew's experience as a karate champion influence his entrepreneurial journey?
What challenges did Michael Kowatschew face while developing the NOVID20 app?
How did Michael Kowatschew's team manage to triple in size within a day?
What role did Matthias Strolz play in the founding of ThePixelBeat?
Michael Kowatschew
Michael Kowatschew, photo 1
Michael Kowatschew, photo 2
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Location

Vienna, Vienna, Austria