More and more Hungarian companies are venturing into the Austrian market. Among them is Hiflylabs, which established its Austrian subsidiary last year. Janos Török, Executive Director for the DACH region and authorised signatory at Hiflylabs, explains the opportunities and challenges involved in expanding into Austria.
Hiflylabs is a data-driven company specialising in data analytics, data engineering and artificial intelligence. The company helps international clients make data-driven decisions and streamline their processes. With around 250 employees and offices in Vienna, London, New York and Budapest, the company supports renowned clients such as Erste Group, Vienna Insurance Group, E.ON, Telekom, Rossmann, RTL and Roche in the fields of data, AI and digital services. In 2026, Hiflylabs was included in the Financial Times’ “FT1000” list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies.
First Steps Through Existing Clients
Török explains that the company’s entry into the Austrian market was no accident. Hiflylabs had already been working with a number of Austrian companies in Hungary, so expanding into Austria seemed like a logical next step based on these partnerships. These initial projects served as important references and facilitated access to the new market. Existing business relationships can therefore play a crucial role when it comes to establishing a presence on the international stage and building trust.
Access to the DACH market as a key factor
For Hiflylabs, one of Austria’s greatest advantages lies in its role as a gateway to the entire DACH region. With a population of around 100 million and numerous large, internationally active corporations, the market offers enormous potential and is a crucial growth factor, particularly for a technology-oriented company. Török also explains that the Austrian market is, in a sense, more conservative and stable than the Hungarian market, which offers companies greater planning certainty and a more stable environment overall.
Quality as a key factor for success
When asked how a newcomer to the Austrian market is most likely to succeed, Török repeatedly emphasises the importance of the quality of the services offered. He notes that the Austrian market is demanding and requires a very high standard of service. “Companies need to ask themselves honestly whether they are truly among the best in their field. Only those who offer high-quality services can establish themselves in the long term,” says Török. At the same time, Hiflylabs also sees this as an opportunity for Hungarian companies: those able to deliver international-standard quality are well placed to position themselves successfully thanks to their geographical proximity. One possible way to enter the market is through partnerships with subsidiaries of Austrian companies in Hungary.
Support with market entry
Török also emphasises that the Austrian Business Agency (ABA) played a key role in establishing the business’s operations in Austria. Among other things, it helped the company find its feet in the local environment, facilitated contacts and recommended relevant professionals such as tax advisers and accountants. This support also proved invaluable in building initial networks. Further information on the ABA’s services can be found here.
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Networks and a local presence are crucial
Another key factor is building trust. According to Török, the Austrian market is highly relationship-oriented, which is why personal contacts play an important role. Hiflylabs therefore places a strong emphasis on maintaining a local presence and invests in building a local network – for example, through events, collaborations and engagement with potential partners. Here too, the company received significant support from the ABA. In Austria, the emphasis is placed above all on trust, which cannot be built overnight, but which makes long-term partnerships all the more valuable and stronger.
Initial experiences and advice for those interested
Although the company is still in its early stages, Török draws a positive interim conclusion. The network is growing, and the first deals have already been concluded. In the long term, Hiflylabs sees Austria as a key building block for further expansion in the German-speaking world. He advises Hungarian entrepreneurs who are also interested in expanding to focus on whether they can offer a service or product that is truly unique and of particularly high quality, as competition in Austria is fiercer than in Hungary. However, if they have the necessary quality and experience, the move can definitely be worthwhile.
For an initial consultation, Janos Török also recommends the Austrian Business Agency, which offers free advisory services to Hungarian entrepreneurs.
You can also read our news in German:
Austria as a hub for innovation: Hungarian companies are coming into sharper focus
