Joining the fund’s team is Lucie Bresova, an investor and top-level executive who previously led the rapid global expansion of Kiwi.com.
Backed by a unique partnership between the VC firm Presto Ventures and Michal Strnad’s industrial technology group, Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Presto Tech Horizons is poised to invest €150 million in the most promising tech projects from NATO countries and their allies.
“For the future of CSG, it’s crucial we stay at the forefront of global technological innovation. Alongside our own R&D, investing in and partnering with startups is a logical step. Support for talented tech entrepreneurs is also the best way of ensuring the long-term security of the Western world. The first few months of our partnership with Presto, and the first portfolio companies of the joint fund, confirm that we are on the right path,” says David Chour, Vice Chairman of the Board and COO of the CSG Group.
“Since the spring, we’ve jointly evaluated over 1,200 startups from 15 countries and met with hundreds of skilled tech entrepreneurs. We’ve selected the 25 best opportunities for further in-depth analysis, and we’re now making our first investments,” explains Premysl Rubes, Founding Partner of Presto Tech Horizons.
“We expected strong interest from startups to partner with us, given what we can offer through our collaboration with the CSG Group. Yet, our experiences in the initial months have far exceeded those expectations. We’re already assisting the founders of our new portfolio companies in overcoming major challenges on the path to global success. The business and product synergies within the group make it easier for them to access customers, open up foreign markets, and drive rapid growth,” adds Rubes.
The first investments will support the following tech companies:
Bavovna | The US-Ukrainian team has developed a hybrid AI-driven navigation system that allows unmanned vehicles (UVs) to operate autonomously, even in environments where remote navigation is disrupted. This applies to drone operations in areas with compromised GPS signals and, in the future, logistics such as last-mile drone delivery.
Vidar Systems | A tech firm specializing in portable AI-driven acoustic locating systems. The technology can be used on the battlefield to detect hostile attacks, as well as to enhance the protection of strategic assets and civilian objects. Their products are already being successfully deployed by the Ukrainian military to defend against artillery shelling.
Tur.ai | A Dutch startup developing next-generation robotic process automation (RPA) for enterprises. Their AI tools can automate not only internal business operations but also processes that involve customers and partners – and do so in real-time. This is particularly useful for financial institutions, telecom operators, and logistics companies, for instance.
Joining the Presto Tech Horizons team as Partner, Lucie Bresova will be involved in shaping the fund’s operations and working with startups. “I look forward to working with our portfolio companies. Being a founder with a great idea doesn’t automatically translate into being ready to lead a growing company. My goal is to guide founders through this transformation. I leverage my experience to develop their leadership skills and help them navigate the challenges associated with scaling their business,” explains Lucie Bresova, Partner at Presto Tech Horizons.
Presto Tech Horizons also focuses on investments in innovative defense and security technologies, a topic that is becoming increasingly important today. “Security studies suggest that in the next five years, we’ll be fortunate if active armed conflict doesn’t spread to our territory. Wishing for peace does not mean turning a blind eye to reality; rather, it requires actively participating in preparation and prevention. Just as we currently harness nuclear fusion (for now) for energy production rather than destruction, I believe our portfolio companies will contribute to keeping our world safe,” adds Bresova.
The fund is preparing further investments. These include, for instance, the application of general AI for industrial robots, and an intelligent system for securing railway transportation. Also shortlisted for future investment is a startup developing quantum algorithms to tackle the most complex computational challenges in cryptography, logistics, and drug development.
