Led by Ondřej Jelínek, the TRAU team is now bringing its expertise in building brands and digital products for companies including Rohlik Group, Trezor, U.S.-based Together AI, and dozens of other ventures that have collectively raised more than USD 1.6 billion.
“Any startup with global ambitions will, sooner or later, have to think about entering the U.S. market. Competition is intense, and standout brand and product design can make the difference between being overlooked and getting noticed by both investors and customers. In an era of widespread AI adoption, that matters more than ever. Early investment in strategically led design helps companies tell a stronger brand story and accelerate growth, which is exactly why we’re moving into this type of investing.”
According to Jelínek, brand strategy, visual identity, user interface, website, and app design are just as important to a startup’s success as the product itself or its route to market. Strong design can help companies win new customers, retain existing ones, attract top-tier talent, and generate investor interest. Through its design acceleration model for early-stage companies, TRAU has earmarked USD 25,000–50,000 per startup and currently plans to support up to four ventures each year.
“We’re looking for strong teams with a compelling mix of qualities: innovative technology, a clear vision, strong execution, or early signs of market demand,” Jelínek added. “Alongside the investment itself, which founders can use however they see fit, we also help them tap into the tech community, including the network of investors and partners we’ve built across both the U.S. and Europe.”
One of the first projects backed by TRAU was Rendero, a startup the studio helped incubate and in which it continues to remain involved as an investor.
What it takes to get noticed
TRAU also works with venture capital firms Rockaway and Soulmates Ventures, helping their portfolio companies scale through design after raising investment. The studio further strengthened its ties to the U.S. startup ecosystem this year by joining the European Startup Embassy, which supports Czech and European founders entering the American market.
“What we enjoy most about working with AI and SaaS startups is the pace,” said Jelínek. “It’s a dynamic environment shaped by proactive teams, strong communication, and breakthrough technologies. Because we’re part of the U.S. startup community, we understand its design language and what the market expects. The speed, the collaboration across time zones, and the high bar for quality all push us forward. That’s how we combine the best of both worlds and build a Czech success story in Silicon Valley.”
Five years after its founding, TRAU has delivered design work for more than 30 startups that have gone on to raise over USD 1.6 billion in total. More than 70% of the startups TRAU works with are based in the U.S. They include Together AI, a cloud platform for developing and deploying artificial intelligence, which has raised more than USD 530 million.
Jelínek’s team has also worked with U.S.-based Luxury Presence over the long term, supporting the company from Series A through Series C. In the past, the studio has also partnered with companies such as Rohlik Group and Trezor. Other startups with Czech roots and global ambitions include ArtMaster, Littlebit, Advocate, Carl for Social, and Myriad AI, which closed a USD 7.8 million seed round in September last year.
