“Tech Happy Hours is the main event organized by CzechInvest within Czech Startup Week. Together with our partners, we’ve prepared a program full of top domestic and international guests from among investors, entrepreneurs, and experts in topics that are moving the startup world. Thanks to the Technology Incubation project, we can present them with a wide range of innovative companies entering the global market. For one week, Prague will become the center of attention for startup Europe — right where it belongs,” says Ivo Denemark, Director of the Startup and Investment Division at CzechInvest.
Among the most notable guests visiting Prague will be Vojtěch Horna from the globally successful venture capital fund Index Ventures, Arthur Jordao from the European Startup Nations Alliance, CTO and co-founder of the startup Atomiver Veronika Šedajová, Commercial Director of Slovak company RV Magnetics Vladimír Marhefka, investor from Presto Tech Horizons Oleksandr Bulatnikov, CEO of startup Goldilock Tony Hasek, and Vítek Horký from Czech Founders.
One of the key topics, besides future technologies, will be the so-called “28th regime,” which could allow startups and fast-growing companies to operate across the European Union under a unified set of rules.
“The topic of privacy policy is important to us not only because of the upcoming elections but also because of the mission of our organization, Czech Founders — to be a partner to startup founders with global ambitions thanks to active support from more than 40 successful Czech founders,” explains Barbora Werdmölder, Director of the Czech Founders nonprofit.
Tech Happy Hours will open its doors to all major players in the startup ecosystem, as one of the most important aspects remains networking and creating new synergies across sectors.
“Following the success of the first edition of Tech Happy Hours, we’re sticking to the classic ‘bigger and better’ motto. That’s why we’ve taken the opportunity to host the event in the newly renovated Prague Planetarium, which has reopened to the public after two years of reconstruction and now features a revolutionary LED dome — one of the largest in the world,” says Tom Cironis of Startup Kitchen.
A new flagship topic of Tech Happy Hours will be SpaceTech, one of the fastest-growing technological sectors today. The space innovation panel will feature, for example, space architect Tomáš Rousek from the London studio XTend Design and ESERO space outreach specialist Jan Spratek. The topic will also be reflected in the final part of the program during the ESA BIC Launchpad, dedicated primarily to startups supported by the ESA BIC Czech Republic incubator. The program financially supports young companies in developing their technologies, finding investors and launching innovative solutions on the market. “Since 2016, we have supported more than 60 companies. Our statistics show that for every euro invested from ESA BIC funds, more than 10 euros come from private investors, clearly proving the quality and importance of the entire incubation program for the future of the space industry in the Czech Republic,” says Michal Kuneš, Program Manager of ESA BIC Czech Republic.
Another opportunity to boost entrepreneurship will be CzechInvest’s Technology Incubation #Demoday, which will showcase the achievements of the Technology Incubation project. It currently connects over two hundred young companies across the Czech Republic. “This is the largest event of the Technology Incubation program, enabling the top 18 finalists to present their results to key players in the domestic and international startup community and gain valuable feedback or even their first investment. Pitching in English before investors is one of the main disciplines we systematically prepare founders for within the incubation. The winners will then advance to the Top Startup Selection at the Engaged Investments Conference and win further valuable prizes to support their growth,” highlights the event’s significance Tereza Kubicová, Deputy for Technological Development at CzechInvest. The showcase will feature companies from progressive fields such as artificial intelligence, mobility, Tech4Life, and sustainable innovations. One of the main supporters of Technology Incubation #Demoday is JPF Czech, which has been a partner to successful Czech and Slovak leaders for 15 years. “A good business idea is not the only factor in a company’s success. That’s why we will support selected Technology Incubation startups not only financially but also through expert training that will prepare them to manage a growing company with perspective and efficiency — or even through direct use of our services,” adds Milan Špaček, Regional Director of Business Unit Bohemia at JPF Czech.
The entire event will take place on October 22 at the newly renovated Prague Planetarium in Holešovice, at the address: Královská obora 233, 170 00 Prague 7. Tickets are available in several waves on the website www.techhappyhours.com.
The Czech Startup Week initiative, whose flagship events include not only Tech Happy Hours but also the Engaged Investments Conference, unites all key events of the Czech startup ecosystem into one week, showcasing the very best of what’s currently driving the world of innovation. An overview of all events can be found at CzechStartups.gov.cz.
