The programme is designed for startups seeking to accelerate their growth, achieve their goals efficiently and avoid unnecessary missteps – all while retaining full ownership of their ventures. Starting on 8 January 2025, the Startup Accelerator will guide startups in developing robust financial plans, finalising their MVPs or products, and identifying the best strategies to acquire their first customers. Quickly and without any avoidable missteps. The programme will offer mentoring with successful entrepreneurs and managers, as well as professional training, meetings with investors and a financial award of up to CZK 300,000. These benefits are available to entrepreneurs who have set up a startup company in Czechia.
Up to 100 hours with business mentors (90% covered by SIC)
SIC offers mentoring in both Czech and English under extremely favourable conditions. With Startup Accelerator, you can access up to 120 hours of mentoring and pay only 10% of the mentor’s fee. Mentoring gives startups the opportunity to advance their projects in key areas such as sales, marketing and business strategy. Participants will also have the chance to present their projects to investors, experts and the public at the final Pitch Night. The best candidates will receive a financial award of up to CZK 300,000 to develop their business.
For a symbolic fee, startups can also access professional workshops (in Czech) to help them choose the right topic for their projects and improve their skills in key business areas.
Benefits of the Accelerator from the participants’ perspective
“The Startup Accelerator laid the foundation for the development of our startup in business, finance and marketing. It has been a major asset for us,” says Pitch Night winner Kateřina Komrsková from Molecule 46, a startup focused on improving assisted reproduction.
“The Startup Accelerator has helped us move beyond the prototyping phase – thanks to its support, we are now making sales and customers know about us,” explains Ondřej Veverka, co-founder of ComboSki, a startup that has created an innovative product combining the functions of snowshoes, mini skis and skis.
“The most valuable part of the mentoring for us was the in-depth business planning and the focus on European grants,” adds Tomáš Slavík from PSP Technologies, a startup developing technology to increase the resistance of stressed metals.
What makes the SIC accelerator unique?
The Startup Accelerator is the brainchild of the Central Bohemian Innovation Center (SIC), which has already helped to accelerate more than 350 startups and established companies. As a public agency, SIC sees investment in startups as an investment in the quality of life in the Czech Republic, which is why, unlike most other programmes of its kind, it does not seek shares in the startups for its services. “All we ask from startups is full commitment to their own projects,” says programme guide Marek Heřman.
“Last year, we aimed to accelerate startups’ progress by years in just a few months – and the first year showed that we have strong startups and the tools to support them effectively. We’ve set the bar high and I’m excited to work on new projects. Our goal is to build a thriving startup ecosystem, from the ground up, driven by honesty and hard work,” adds Marek.
