As head of the Deep Technologies Department at the Austrian federal promotional bank, Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (aws), Johannes Sarx is in charge of strategic planning and the implementation of measures that help put start-up ideas in the areas of high tech, innovative business models and services into practice and strengthen Austria as a prime business location. He is responsible for the funding programs PreSeed and Seedfinancing and additional measures supporting start-ups on their way toward success. These include advanced training and networking opportunities, business plan competitions, as well as international trade shows and partnering events. Moreover, Johannes Sarx is a member of the supervisory board of KHAN-I, a € 70 m translational research fund focused on drug development, and serves as a lecturer at the University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine. Since 2010, he has also been representing the aws as managing director of the Viennese life sciences platform, LISAvienna. Prior to this, Johannes Sarx worked for several years as a senior consultant at Alcimed, a strategy consultancy specializing in life science and pharmaceuticals. After completing his studies in molecular biotechnology at the Dresden University of Technology, he obtained an MBA with a focus on financing and entrepreneurship at the University of Arizona.