Welcome to Startup Kitchen Talk podcasts, where we serve up a monthly dish of education and entertainment, seasoned with insights and soPHỞsticated taste. Hosted by our Katerina Syslova and other co-hosts, cooked for all startup apprentices aspiring to become Master Chefs. Join us for a flavorful blend of advice, anecdotes, and expert interviews, all crafted to help you navigate the startup world.
Bon appétit!
Project Startup Kitchen Talks is co-funded by the European Union through the National Recovery Plan and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic within the Creative Vouchers III call.
This recording is a part of the ICT Technology Transfer Days: For a Greener and more Digital Danube Region, co-organised by Startup Kitchen. Two days of startup pitches, investor insights, and networking with 25+ DDAccelerator startups building the future of digital innovation at FIT CTU Prague. The panel discussion was joined by Ondrej Lipold, Partner at Tensor Ventures, Megi Mejdrechova, Co-Founder & CTO of a hardware startup RoboTwin, Miroslav Kriz, Partner at Momenta VC, and hosted by Tom Cironis.
This recording is a part of the ICT Technology Transfer Days: For a Greener and more Digital Danube Region, co-organised by Startup Kitchen. Two days of startup pitches, investor insights, and networking with 25+ DDAccelerator startups building the future of digital innovation at FIT CTU Prague. Keynote Speech delivered by Vojta Rocek, Partner at Presto Ventures.
Mews, a hospitality technology company with Czech roots, has recently secured a record-breaking $300 million in fresh investment, pushing its valuation to $2.5 billion. Our Andrew Gray sat down with Risa Valtr, the mastermind behind this business journey, to discuss what it means to be the most Valuable Czech Startup, what Pep Guardiola, the Football Manager and Coach of Manchester City, is inspiring in, or how Risa compares entrepreneurship to movie producing. Enjoy!
iO Partners is a Real Estate service provider focused on the CEE region, and now even for startups! Has Prague evolved? And if so, how much in comparison to Berlin and other metropolises? Does Andrew have a corner office? This and much more in our latest episode hosted by Katerina Syslova.
As Head of International Sales at Talentpilot, Simon focuses on advancing AI-powered recruiting technology in the EU and the USA. With expertise in GTM strategy and demand generation, he has contributed to pipeline growth, securing multiple key deals, including Talentpilot’s first US and UK projects. And he’s Irish, as well as our today’s host, Fergus O’Sullivan. Enjoy!
CPTO of one of the Czech Unicorns MEWS, Forbes 30u30 and managing hundreds of people – before even being 30 years old. That’s Joser Starychfojtu, a passionate engineering leader with a focus on people, learning, and continuous improvement. Previously (and still in the spirit) passionate functional programmer.And probably a future coffee-place owner, in the newest episode hosted by Katerina Syslova.
This panel will explore the rising significance of dual-use technologies in modern defense and security environments, focusing on how civilian innovations are increasingly shaping the battlefield. Moderated by Martin Hýža, Acceleration Manager at CzechInvest’s Defence Hub, the discussion will highlight how strategic national initiatives (such as CzechInvest’s Defence Hub) are fostering innovation at the intersection of civilian and military technology. Panelists will discuss current trends, cross-sector cooperation, and the role of dual-use technologies in strengthening national and allied defense capabilities.
Yemi A.D. is a serial entrepreneur and a multi-disciplinary creative force with more than two decades of experience spanning the entertainment industry, arts & technology, alongside a profound passion for social innovation and youth empowerment. He joined us from Ottawa, Canada, for a FireSide chat with Katerina Novakova.
(Podcast in CZE) What happens when bold vision meets structured public support? Step into the world of high-potential startups that are shaping the future through the Technology Incubation project — a Czech national initiative designed to turn ideas into success. This panel explores how strategic funding, inspirational mentoring, and a thriving innovation ecosystem have helped over 250 startups take off. Among the Speakers are Vojta Rocek, Partner at Presto Tech Horizons, Martin Jiranek from Czech Startup Association, Martin Svolba from Ministry of Industry and Trade, our Tom Cironis, and hosted by Katerina Rundova from CzechInvest. Discover the impact of a project that doesn’t just support startups — it builds community and the foundations of a new Czech economy. But what comes next? When support runs out, can we break through the real barriers to startup growth?
The panel focused on space technologies, startups, and industry players shaping the future of the sector. The discussion will highlight current trends, opportunities, and real-world applications of space innovation hosted by Jan Spratek, and joined by Matej Poliacek, Tomas Rousek, and Martin Tyburec.
Filip, founder of Stories.bi (acquired by Workday), and his M&A lawyer, Jakub Císař of NOVALIA, for a candid discussion moderated by Fergus O’Sullivan. They’ll break down the critical moments of the startup journey, offering a unique dual perspective on the high-stakes negotiations and strategies behind a major tech acquisition.
The European Union is preparing legislative initiatives that could fundamentally reshape the startup landscape – from ESNA standards and the 28th regime to the evolution of the Capital Markets Union. But what will these changes mean for startups in the Czech Republic? What role can Czech stakeholders play in shaping these new rules? This high-level panel discussion with Vit Horky, Jaroslav Ton, Jan Jendreas, and Ines Magrico, hosted by Marketa Prenosilova, will provide a unique political and business-oriented perspective on upcoming European legislation and policy shifts aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of the EU startup ecosystem. Join leading voices from the European Commission, national ministries, and key European startup networks such as ESNA and EU Inc. for a debate that bridges policy and practice.
Megi is a developer of advanced robotics and computer vision technologies took a step into the startup world four years ago and founded RoboTwin with two other graduates of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Czech Technical University. Her company automates production in factories and teaches robots to imitate human work – without complex programming, but with the help of artificial intelligence. It integrates workers into the automation process, who teach the robot simply by recording their movements. Enjoy the newest episode with Kate Syslova
Meet Eliska Vamosova, Head of the Engaged Investment Conference, an exclusive, professional VC conference that connects up to 500 active investors and ambitious founders, primarily from Central & Eastern Europe and the Baltics. It serves as a go-to platform for cross-border investments and collaboration, attracting not only regional players but also leading investors from Western countries looking to engage with the CEE ecosystem. In an exclusive interview with our Co-Host, Fergus O’Sullivan.
For the third edition of Startup Cinema by Startup Kitchen, we took the startup world to space- metaphorically (and almost literally). After diving into the stories of Theranos and Wirecard in previous years, this time we focused on crisis management, leadership under pressure, and critical decision-making in moments when failure is not an option – all inspired by the real events of Apollo 13.
William Jalloul is a visionary founder of Flowpay who leverages data and AI to bridge the SME financing gap in Europe. Under his leadership, Flowpay has rapidly scaled, raised significant funding, and is setting its sights on broader European expansion—all while playing an active role in shaping the fintech ecosystem. Enjoy our newest talk hosted by Katerina, thanks to Soulmates Ventures.
Honza is the Head of Marketing at the Czech startup Dronetag, and he joined us to talk about the origins of the company – back then at the ESA Space Application Hackathon in 2018, building Remote ID devices – digital license plates for drones, expansion into the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, and beyond or Public Program Support e.g. ESA BIC, NATO DIANA, CASSINI, or CzechInvest. Enjoy the newest episode hosted by our co-host, Andrew Gray.
Setkání českého startupového ekosystému se zástupci politických stran v pražském byznys hubu Opero, kterým provedou Martin Jiránek, předseda České startupové asociace, a Kateřina Syslová, kreativní ředitelka Startup Kitchen. Pozvání přijali: Martin Kupka | ODS; Karel Havlíček | ANO; Jan Kavalírek | TOP 09; Štěpán Hofman | STAN; Michal Švagerka | Piráti; Benjamin Činčila | KDU-ČSL; Jana Bobošíková | Stačilo!
Štefan is a law & technology enthusiast with the vision of helping tech companies grow through the unique combination of law & technology. He’s the founder of Eldison, a company that combines legal services with its own products to deliver end-to-end solutions to key legal problems such as ESOP operation or B2B contracting. Over the years, Štefan has helped the most innovative startups in the region (such as Exponea or Mews) scale to global companies. What does he like so much about rice? Check out in our newest episode hosted by Katerina Syslova!
Yass’ journey started in Southeast Asia, where she dove into the world of e-commerce with Lazada and later helped launch more than eight startups in under a year. That early experience gave her a sharp sense for spotting opportunities—and the courage to act on them.
In 2015, together with her friend Martin, she co-founded eyerim. From the very beginning, Yass has focused on long-term strategy and building a strong foundation. She believed in the potential of digital optics at a time when few did. And she was right. Even before the launch, her pitch helped secure the company’s first major investor. Since then, Eyerim has raised over 5 million euros and grown into a company that’s changing how people shop for eyewear.
Dobrou chuť!
Don’t judge other people’s style too quickly, and maybe don’t fuss so much over coffee beans either ☕. Fashion and gastro are all about riding the trends just right—without bending too much or selling out. Big thanks to Thea Prokop from ELLE (BurdaMedia Extra) and Lukáš Žďárský (Dudes & Barbies s.r.o.) for such a fun and insightful conversation!
Tento díl našeho podcastu bude speciální, jedná o záznam z našeho eventu #Startup Cinema: Cooking The Books with Wirecard, kde jsme nejen hledali recept na úspěch, ale také se pídili po tom, jak nedopadnout jako německý FinTech gigant.
Proč se právní kanceláře jmenují po svých zakladatelích, zatímco VC fondy jsou většinou “Lorem-Ipsun Ventures”? Co dělají právníci v investorském hrnci a jak se kuchtík stane partnerem v Havel & Partners? Jaká je skutečná návratnost fondů? A není peníze někdy lepší dát do raději do spořáku? Jak rozparcelovat svůj startupový koláč , abych neodradil další investory? O tom všem a také o tom, kdy AI nahradí Jarda Baier v našem Startup Kitchen podcastu.
What on Earth are diggers doing in the startup community? 🌍🚜 “Baby, can you drive my Bobcat?” 🚗🎶 That’s what you can ask Vijay Nerva, Head of Innovation and Acceleration for Bobcat EMEA and also our newest guest.
We cannot wait to try their full-electric, cell-operated, game-like machinery! 🔋 Will Bobcat be like your next GTA car? Where’s Bobcat innovation heading? Is it going to be the next Nokia or the next Tesla? 📱🚗 What was their “innovator’s dilemma”? BTW, you wanna play with diggers most innovatively? 🔧🚧 Bobcat is the way!
What’s the role of advisors in the startup industry? How to find those really relevant? How to convince the All-Star Advisor that you are the one? This and much more in this week’s newest episode with Huyn Park, former Head of Global Offering Management at NOKIA, United Nations Startup Advisor and University of Cambridge and Stanford University Mentor who now serves as a startup advisor globally.
We discussed how to build a Global accelerator fund for passionate B2B founders, and how to distinguish the good from the empty and bloated or why is everything Startup Wise Guys related in Red Color? Enjoy our newest episode with a leading worldwide startup Accelerator and its Boss. Who likes to eat fabada.
Třetí plzeňský BIC Beat přivedl na jedno místo inspirativní VC investory a zkušené foundery, kteří za sebou mají několik investičních kol. Z Depo Ventures dorazila Kateryna Kovalenko, Tensor Ventures reprezentoval Ondřej Lipold, BIC Plzeň (a také Socialbakers) Lukáš Maixner a Delta Green David Brožík. A vše moderoval náš Tom Cironis.
She came to the studio on a scooter eventhough there is -1°C and it’s snowing outside. Linda Võeras has wet hair and a huge smile. She shakes the snow off and is ready to shoot in 30 seconds, explaining how education can also be deep tech and how advancing defense should be called “innovating peace.” 🛡️ Then she hits the sauna. 🔥
Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital – now say it three times quickly in a row! Let’s think about a bottle of gin becoming a unicorn – together with Alain Wildanger & Laurent Hengesch & OTTO. From pre-seed to series C/D – ain’t the same league; it ain’t even the same sport! Or is it? Why are grandmas important? What can Luxembourg VC bring to Czech and CEE startups? Why does a VC firm own half of the volcano? How is fundraising in the Czech Republic going? All that in the latest podcast/videocast/eruption of motivation with our Katerina Syslova.
The panel discussion titled „How to build a company culture while moving the company forward quickly“ took place, exploring strategies for establishing a robust company culture amidst rapid growth.
Lucie Brešová, SVP Groupon Operations, and Marek Vašíček, CTO, co-founder of FTMO and Vratislav Kalenda, Frontman / CEO and Co-founder of Applifting participated in the panel discussion moderated by Filip Mikschik, Founder & CEO of StartupJobs, and Barbora Kebzová, Brand & Marketing Manager of StartupJobs, who also brought an up-to-date perspective from the job market to the discussion.
Karolina Mrozkova, General Partner at Credo Ventures, & our latest master chef in the Startup Kitchen Talk! From fashion runways to startup runways and airport runways, Karolina’s trans-Atlantic journey is a hell of a flight. Why is “Respectible Fighting” crucial in the VC fund? From White Star Capital -> Credo Ventures; Does the European modesty work better than American-boosted culture? Is the principle of “survival of the fittest” more pronounced in the modeling industry or the startup world?
Why does she still feel like an imposter?
Then meet our next precious guest; Zoë Reich from Octopus Ventures in London! She’s an experienced VC investor, successfully exited her own startup (hint crypto market), did research on the Science, Research and Innovation Department at the British Government and now manages a 50M EUR fund focused on DeepTech.
That and much more in our podcast with Matous Kostlivy from CzechInvest, Jan Cizmar from Tolgee.
Tento díl našeho podcastu bude speciální, jedná o záznam z našeho eventu #Startup Cinema s podtitulem Theranos: Blood, Money and Ego, kde jsme nejen hledali recept na úspěch, ale také se pídili po tom, proč se tolik lidí Theranos polívkou otrávilo.
Do panelu přijali pozvání Honza Husták z Hustakomunkejšn (který nám podal úhel pohledu PRisty), Ondřej Zemek ze Sparring Legal (úhel pohledu právníka), Petr Štěpánek z Macromo (úhel pohledu Foundera) a v neposlední řadě také Jana Dusheke ze Seed Starteru České Spořitelny (úhel pohledu VC investora). Užijte si poslech a zjistěte si svou krevní skupinu 🙂
Managing the largest Series A-focused fund in Austria of €150m – investing in the CEE and DACH region – why didn’t they (like Pet Shop Boys) GO WEST? With several investments in Czech companies (GAMEE or TATUM) and leading a diverse team of 8 nationalities, Peter Lasinger sees the regional (startup) cooking differences. He knows who has the best food & beer.
Are we experiencing a Bear or just a Teddy-Bear market?
Who is hungrier: New York City subway’ rats or a hyped investor? Listen to our newest Startup Kitchen Talk with Adam Kocik from J&T Ventures to find out! What is J&T Venture’s relationship with their bank mothership? Do they cook independently?
We also chat about M&A, MBA, and MMA. What a podcast goal!
Poslechněte si a pak nám dejte vědět, jestli jste v tématu work-life balance spíše Kristýna, nebo Ondra Bartoš!
Do investors make “Woo” or “Baa”? ?
In Part 2 of our podcast with Ondrej Bartos, we furtherly discuss the ZOO of CEE startup ecosystems.
How is the Bear doing? Is he staying long?
How to let down your investor – examples included.
Downsizing of your fund – clever move or a lack of LP money?
How superficial is the unicorn hunt, and what rising stars is Ondrej sorry he missed?
Was it possible to “burn out” in the 90s, and what would Curt Cobain think?
Listen to Ondrej Bartos’s podcast, part 2, with our Kate Syslova.
Ondrej Bartos, the devil, and angel, the father of the CEE startup ecosystem. He doesn’t want to be called Gordon Ramsay of the Startup Kitchen and doesn’t like flat white, yoga, and European Investment Fund money.
Founder of Credo Ventures, who prefers questions instead of answering them, joined our podcast to answer some nevertheless. This episode is the 1st part of our unusually high 2-episode-long talk about CEE startup history and Ondrej’s views on life, the kitchen, and everything.
Scaling, Scaling and Scaling! Meet our new podcast guest Lucie Brešová who has a remarkable CV (Ernst & Young or JIC Brno) and is an expert on scaling tech startups. She managed the exponential growth of the travel tech disruptor Kiwi.com, taking the company from 10 to 2000 people globally and setting the financial systems to sustain growth from 0 to 1bn€ in turnover in 4 years. She’s also a Board Member at Pocket Virtuality which develops a unique VR technology.
Michael Schuster is a Former Managing Partner of multi-million dollar VC fund Speedinvest with offices in Berlin, London, Paris, Vienna, and Munich, more than 390 investments, and recently closed €500M new fund to help even more early-stage European tech startups scale to global success. In our newest Episode, hosted by lovely Kate Syslova, Michael discusses and also being a Chef or eating Bulls balls (no kidding 😀 ). What does Michael think of convertible loans? Are they as useful and powerful as Founders think?
This episode was recorded at the beginning of the pandemic, during WeAre Summit 2020. As Head of the Innovation and Ventures Office, Frank is overseeing the largest Space Entrepreneurship network in the world. His team has initiated over 360 industry transfers and supported nearly 1000 start-ups. He supports the exploitation of the ESA patent portfolio and promotes the ESA BA (Business Applications) offer of ESA which has supported an additional over 600 business cases. In the next 3 years, ESA Space Solutions will invest 220 Mio Euro in the seed.
This episode was recorded at the beginning of the pandemic, during WeAre Summit 2020. Katherine Maher is a former chief executive officer and executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, positions she held from 2019 to April 2021 and from 2016 to April 2021 respectively. Previously, she was a chief communications officer. She has a background in information and communications technology.
This episode was recorded at the beginning of the pandemic, during WeAre Summit 2020. Esther Wojcicki is an American journalist, educator, and vice chair of the Creative Commons advisory council. She has studied education and technology and is the founder of the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Program in Palo Alto, CA., and the Co-Founder of TractLearning, Inc publishes the website Tract.app, a peer-to-peer, project-based, gamified learning platform for kids 8 years and over.
This episode was recorded at the beginning of the pandemic, during WeAre Summit 2020. Guy Kawasaki did not invent secular evangelism, but he popularized it. This goes back to 1983 and his work with the Macintosh Division of Apple. He is currently the chief evangelist of Canva, an online, graphics-design company from Australia.
Sometimes we are invited to talk about stuff we care about. Listen to our team members talking about what they love.
Join us for a great chat with Kate Syslova, a passionate communicator and deep tech enthusiast. As the marketing manager of Tensor Ventures and a creative force in the Startup Kitchen community, Kate brings her expertise to the conversation, making the complex world of deep tech startups accessible to all.
S Kateřinou Syslovou o zkušenostech se životem v Indonésii a Severní Americe: studium v Indonésii a nahlédnutí na místní společenské a ekologické problémy vzniklé příchodem západních společností, práce na Aljašce, pobyt v USA a setkání se s překvapující přátelskostí i zpátečnickým smýšlením.
S Kateřinou Syslovou o zkušenostech se životem v Brazílii a Indonésii: práce na Baťově farmě v Brazílii, muslimsko-česká svatba, indonéská filmová kultura, tradice mrtvých na ulici.
Státní instituce a digitalizace. Výzva sama o sobě. Nové rozměry to ale dostává pokud pracujete pro Národní muzeum. Čím je vlastně specifické a jaké zvolit obecně nástroje, aby to všechno fungovalo? Nejen o tom v dnešním díle s Adamem Cironisem z Národního muzea.
V našem prvním díle jsme si pozvali našeho staršího kamárada Huga. Stereotyp ohledně stáří programátora jsme si nevybrali jen tak náhodou, jelikož Hugo patří mezi dinosaury programování a podával si ruku se samotným Janem Žižkou při navrhování jeho vozové hradby. Z nějakého důvodu jsme se dozvěděli, že by Hugo rád chodil venku úplně nahý, ale to už si musíte poslechnout sami.
Hostem jedenáctého dílu seriálu CzechInvest Startup Backstage je masterchef Tomáš Cironis! Místo kuchyně ale tvoří divy v Startup Kitchen. A to není vše, také působí jako Director, Head of Community a boří zajeté hranice s Disraptors. Probereme s ním řadu témat, dozvíte se více o Startup Kitchen a Investiční akademii, kterou jsme si pro vás s našimi partnery připravili v CzechInvestu, řeč padne také na Disraptors a změny, kterými si prošel a zjistíte také to, jestli Tomáš má ambice založit si vlastní startup.
In this podcast episode, Tomas shares his journey and the reason behind starting the community of the Startup Kitchen, what type of services and help they are providing to founders, lessons learned from his conversations with successful people like Steve Wozniak, and his expectations towards the startup ecosystem in the Czech Republic.
Financováno Evropskou unií – Next Generation EU
