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Florian Gschwandtner is an accomplished Austrian entrepreneur and investor, widely recognized as the co-founder of the successful fitness app Runtastic. Following Runtastic's acquisition by Adidas, he transitioned into investing, now serving as a Partner at 8eyes GmbH.
Florian Gschwandtner primarily invests in early-stage technology companies through 8eyes GmbH. His investment focus areas include SaaS, consumer tech, e-commerce, health and fitness technology, mobility, and education technology, often supporting startups in the DACH region.
Florian Gschwandtner works as a Partner at 8eyes GmbH, which is his investment firm. He leverages his entrepreneurial background to invest in and mentor promising technology startups.
Florian Gschwandtner is a Partner at the venture capital firm 8eyes GmbH and Co-Founder of the leadership development platform Leaders21, based in Vienna, Austria. He previously co-founded the fitness application Runtastic in 2009, serving as its Chief Executive Officer until 2018 and scaling the platform to over 300 million downloads. Under his leadership, Runtastic was acquired by Adidas in 2015 for €220 million, marking a significant exit within the European consumer technology sector. Gschwandtner holds dual Master's degrees in Mobile Computing and Supply Chain Management from the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria and has participated as an investor on the television program 2 Minuten 2 Millionen. His current focus centers on early-stage venture investing across the software, artificial intelligence, and health technology sectors, managing a portfolio of over 20 investments through 8eyes GmbH.
Florian Gschwandtner stands as a prominent figure in the European tech and investment landscape, currently serving as a Partner at 8eyes GmbH. This firm acts as his primary investment vehicle, through which he channels his extensive expertise and capital into promising early-stage technology companies. His journey from a visionary entrepreneur to a strategic investor is marked by significant achievements and a deep understanding of scaling successful digital businesses.
Gschwandtner is perhaps best known as the co-founder of Runtastic, a groundbreaking fitness app that revolutionized how millions tracked their health and workouts. Under his leadership, Runtastic grew from a startup into a global phenomenon, eventually being acquired by Adidas in 2015. This monumental success provided him with firsthand experience in product development, market penetration, team building, and navigating the complexities of a major acquisition. His transition from an operational role to an investment capacity was a natural progression, driven by a desire to empower the next generation of founders.
At 8eyes GmbH, Florian Gschwandtner's investment focus is broad yet strategic, primarily targeting early-stage technology ventures. He has a keen interest in sectors such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), consumer technology, e-commerce, health and fitness technology, mobility, and education technology. His investment philosophy often involves not just providing capital but also offering mentorship and leveraging his vast network to help portfolio companies achieve their growth ambitions. He is particularly active in the DACH region, supporting local innovation.
His career background as a founder gives him a unique perspective, allowing him to identify scalable business models and resilient founding teams. Florian Gschwandtner's notable investments and advisory roles include companies like Tractive, a leading pet GPS tracker company; Storyblok, a headless CMS platform; Byrd, an e-commerce fulfillment solution; refurbed, a marketplace for refurbished electronics; and GoStudent, an online tutoring platform. These investments reflect his commitment to backing innovative solutions that address real-world problems and have strong market potential. Through 8eyes GmbH, Florian Gschwandtner continues to shape the future of technology by investing in and nurturing the startups that will define tomorrow's digital economy.
