Markus Wanko
Founder and Managing Partner @ xista science ventures
Markus Wanko is a seed investor at xista science ventures focused on Biotechnology and Risk Management. After a successful fifteen-year career in investments and strategy consulting, Markus started TWIST, IST’s tech transfer organisation, and has been driving the development of IST PARK, the technology park adjacent to IST Austria. His background is in venture capital investing with Safeguard Scientifics and the European Investment Fund, strategyconsulting with the Boston Consulting Group, and principal investment with QIA, the state fund of Qatar. He has supported several startups in the process, energy and tech industries, is a member of IST’s tech transfer committee, is the panel head for Science Foundation Ireland‘s Technology Innovation Award, and is a member of the investment committee of Accent, a local incubation program. He has an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School, an MSc from TU Vienna, and an MIM from WU Vienna and HEC Paris.
- Total investments:
- 8
- Last investment:
- Lead investor:
- 63%
Last updated:
For AI agents: llms.txt
Industries Markus Wanko invests in
Stages Markus Wanko invests in
Countries Markus Wanko invests in
Investment Focus
Industry
- Biotechnology 2 (25%)
- Risk Management 1 (13%)
- Machine Learning 1 (13%)
- Predictive Analytics 1 (13%)
- Information Technology 1 (13%)
Stage
- Seed 2 (25%)
- Series A 2 (25%)
- Pre-Seed 1 (13%)
Investments
| Company | Description | Round | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
Ribbon Biolabs
|
Ribbon Biolabs defines new standards for molecular biology by applying innovative methods for DNA synthesis. | $19.7M / Series A / Jan 31, 2022 | |
|
Ribbon Biolabs
|
Ribbon Biolabs defines new standards for molecular biology by applying innovative methods for DNA synthesis. | $19.7M / Series A / Jan 31, 2022 | |
Ribbon Bio
|
Ribbon Biolabs defines new standards for molecular biology by applying innovative methods for DNA synthesis. | $20.2M / Series A / Jan 31, 2022 | |
|
Ribbon Biolabs
|
Ribbon Biolabs defines new standards for molecular biology by applying innovative methods for DNA synthesis. | Seed / Mar 08, 2019 | |
|
Ribbon Biolabs
|
Ribbon Biolabs defines new standards for molecular biology by applying innovative methods for DNA synthesis. | Seed / Mar 08, 2019 | |
Prewave
|
Prewave and stems from five years of advanced machine learning research. | Pre-Seed / May 01, 2018 | |
|
Prewave
|
Prewave and stems from five years of advanced machine learning research. | Pre-Seed / May 01, 2018 | |
|
Ribbon Bio
|
Ribbon Biolabs defines new standards for molecular biology by applying innovative methods for DNA synthesis. | Seed |
Co-Investors
About xista science ventures
We invest in deep tech startups and academic spin-offs with a strong innovation based on science, engineering and technology. We invest as lead investor in pre-seed and seed stages and have the ability to follow on in later rounds. We understand the needs of science and tech based startups and offer tailored support for entrepreneurs. We areembedded in the venture capital scene, yet understand the language of science and the world of research. Thanks to our diverse team, our expertise and experience in technology, entrepreneurship, finance, legal, IP, and strategic consulting will support your startup right from the start.
xista science ventures Contacts
| Name | Phone | Socials | |
|---|---|---|---|
Alexander Fischl
Tech Transfer Associate
|
|||
Bernhard Petermeier
Partner
|
|||
|
Kavita Surana
Principal
|
|||
|
Markus Wanko
Founder and Managing Partner
|
|||
Alexander Schwartz
Partner
|
Access 48,091 investors
822 industries, 177 countries. Updated daily. Emails and phones included.
Browse database — It's Free!
Find investors for your startup
Search 48,091 investors by industry and country. Emails and phones included.
Similar Investors
Recommended lists
FAQ
What does Markus Wanko invest in?
Markus Wanko invests primarily in Biotechnology, Risk Management and Machine Learning startups, most often at Seed and Series A stage. Most of the 8 investments tracked by Shizune back companies in Austria. The Investment Focus section breaks down every industry, stage and country in the portfolio.
When did Markus Wanko last invest?
The most recent investment recorded for Markus Wanko closed in Jan 2022. Shizune tracks 8 investments in total for this profile, including round sizes, stages and portfolio companies, all sourced from confirmed public funding rounds and refreshed monthly.
Is Shizune's investor data accurate?
Yes — every stat on this profile is calculated from confirmed public funding rounds monitored across hundreds of sources since 2020. This profile was last refreshed in Aug 2026 and is updated monthly. Spotted something off? Use the “Suggest an edit” link near the top of the page.
Contact your first 100 investors today
Find who invests in your industry, stage, and country. Download investor list with emails in 5 minutes.
Find investors — It's Free!
Continue with Google
Continue with LinkedIn
