Upstrive GmbH has officially been awarded Austria's Verified Social Enterprise (VSE) certification — joining an elite group of 85 organisations nationally recognised for placing social impact above profit. For the 60,000+ teens already using Upstrive, and for every school leader, HR professional, and parent who believes that mental health prevention starts early, this milestone matters.
Austria's VSE label is administered by the Austria Wirtschaftsservice GmbH (aws) on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economics, Energy and Tourism (BMWET), in partnership with the Social Entrepreneurship Network Austria (SENA) and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ). The certification was introduced in 2022 to make social enterprises more visible and to clearly distinguish them from other economic and social organisations.
To be certified, an organisation must demonstrate that the 'Impact First' principle is legally embedded in its articles of association or statutes — meaning that social and environmental outcomes take precedence over financial returns. In May 2026, 25 new organisations received the label at a ceremony held at the Federal Ministry in Vienna, bringing the total number of certified social enterprises in Austria to 85.
Upstrive was built on a single, urgent premise: 1 in 2 teenagers say their emotional wellbeing is in crisis, and 1 in 3 experience anxiety or depression — yet the prevention tools available to them have often been generic, adult-oriented, or simply ineffective for young people's real lives.
The VSE certification is external validation that Upstrive is not just a product — it is a mission. The 'Impact First' commitment, now formally enshrined in Upstrive's legal structure, means that every feature built, every school partnership formed, and every AI interaction designed must serve the prevention of emotional struggles and the active wellbeing of young people above all else.
For schools and educational institutions — Upstrive's core partners — this certification provides an important assurance: when you integrate Upstrive into your student wellbeing programme, you are partnering with an organisation legally bound to prioritise your students' outcomes.
Upstrive was founded by Sven Maikranz and Linda Bonnar alongside a team of psychologists and coaches. Every feature is grounded in established psychological frameworks — not wellness trends. The platform is GDPR-compliant, carries zero advertising, and operates with a privacy-first approach: what happens in Upstrive stays in Upstrive.
Upstrive Education, the school-facing arm of the platform, is already trusted by leading schools across Europe. It gives teachers dashboard-level wellbeing insights (without breaching student privacy), enables early intervention, and provides a structured, evidence-informed approach to student wellbeing prevention that integrates with existing pastoral care frameworks.
If you want to see how structured wellbeing and school wellbeing can be implemented in your school or organization, book a personalized demo with the Upstrive team.
👉 Book a 30-minute strategy session
https://calendly.com/upstrive-edu-demo/upstrive-30min-strategy-session
Read more
Brutkasten – 25 neue Social Enterprises mit VSE-Label ausgezeichnet https://brutkasten.com/artikel/25-neue-social-enterprises-mit-vse-label-ausgezeichnet/16
WKO – 25 neue Social Enterprises mit VSE-Label ausgezeichnet https://www.wko.at/oe/news/verified-social-enterprise-2026
