Hello Veronika, great to see you, and thank you for joining us.
Veronika: Hey, thanks for having me!
Tell us in one sentence what Ment2Grow does.
Ment2Grow helps B2B startups with global ambition to scale their business both in Czechia and abroad through a 6-month-long acceleration program and other services tailored to their needs.
How many of you/your team members are there helping you prepare this program?
I’ve been running Ment2Grow for a year now, and for most of the time, it was a one-woman show. 😀 Only recently, and with the growth of the services we provide for startups, a new program coordinator joined me. However, I always been and am surrounded by amazing board members and partners who help me when needed, and of course, can’t forget the spiritual father of Ment2Grow and Opero business hub, Pavel Přikryl.
What gap in the Czech or Central European startup ecosystem was Ment2Grow created to fill? And is that gap still there today?
Ment2Grow was created 8 years ago, originally under the British Chamber of Commerce in Prague, to kickstart the growth of Czech B2B startups and connect them directly to potential corporate clients through the BCC network. After some time, M2G moved under the Opero business hub. From then on, and still today, we have kept our focus on the B2B segment, particularly on more developed startups in the seed or series A stage, that already have paying customers and are ready to expand internationally. The goal has always been to encourage founders not to remain local, which, oftentimes, we can see as one of our weaknesses among Czech startups, but to scale their businesses beyond their home market.
What are the biggest obstacles that you are dealing with?
One of the biggest obstacles we deal with is selecting the right startups for each new cohort. It’s not just about choosing high-quality startups individually – although that is, of course, essential. The real challenge is making sure they are at a similar level of maturity and development so that the program truly works for everyone. Ment2Grow is highly tailored. We design the content around the specific needs of the cohort, so alignment is key. The program must fit each startup, but also make sense for the cohort as a whole. For example, every year we adjust the content of our workshops based on what the group is primarily struggling with. If most of the startups are focused on sales, we strengthen the sales-related sessions. If another topic becomes dominant, we adapt accordingly.
There are many accelerators and mentoring programs out there. What does Ment2Grow deliberately not try to be, and where do you think it offers the strongest added value?
From the very beginning, Ment2Grow was built on a “no BS” principle. That means practicality and ensuring that startups take away specific steps they can implement. It is truly tailored to the startups. Ranging from one-on-one matching with the ideal mentor to a series of workshops with top experts and experienced founders. Additionally, startups in the program share experiences with each other and the alumni community, so there is always someone to turn to for advice. M2G is not for early-stage startups, so it’s not one of those incubators where you’re working on your business canvas.
You work with a relatively small number of startups each year. What are the most common reasons promising teams don’t get accepted?
Yes, every year we try to select the maximum top 10 startups from the applicants to join the cohort. The number of startups allows for the program to be, as I mentioned earlier, really tailored to their individual needs as well as the needs of the whole group. We are also doing these “chemistry” online meetings with the founders to really get to know them and figure out if and how we can really help them. So there are many factors in the selection process – analytical as well as personal. But sometimes, certain startups really catch our eye. Like this year, we have 13 startups and not all at the same founder stage, as some are spin-offs of established startups with highly skilled founders. It makes me proud that they’re still eager to improve and learn, and even prouder that they’ve chosen M2G as the place to do so. At the end of the day, it all works seamlessly and actually adds even more value to the peer-to-peer mentoring within the cohort.
Who have been your biggest supporters so far?
We are lucky to have an amazing base of partners who support Ment2Grow long-term, for example, Czech Founders, Presto Ventures, Hustá Komunikejšn, Prg.ai, and many different chambers of commerce. This year, we successfully onboarded new partners such as Reflex Capital, OAK’S LAB, Eldison, Raynet, JIC, and RaiffeisenBANK. With all these partners, who mostly actively participate in the program, we can provide our startups with not only valuable connections but also hands-on support, mentoring, and access to a wider network of resources and expertise. Their involvement allows us to offer real-world insights, strategic partnerships, and potential funding opportunities, ensuring our startups are better equipped to scale and succeed.
What makes a good mentor–founder relationship in practice — and how do you intervene if that chemistry simply doesn’t work?
First of all, the mentors we match 1:1 with our startups are not doing mentoring for a living. They are people from practise, whether it’s a senior expert in a corporation or a founder who is a few years ahead or exited. Furthermore, there is no “pool of mentors” that we select from every year – sadly for us 😀 because we have to do the matchmaking every year from 0 with the help of your board members. Every startup needs a slightly different approach, and mentors have different capacities, but we really try our best to make a right fit thematically as well as chemistry-wise, and oftentimes they become friends, the mentor stays in touch even after the programme, makes an investment, or even starts working for the startup. That’s where we say we really did a good job. Luckily, there were just a few cases where we had to match maybe also a second mentor or switch him/her completely.
How does one reach out to you? When is the next deadline?
I’m always one phone call or an email away. The original 6-month-long acceleration program runs from January to June, and the applications are open during October/November the year before. Ment2Grow, however, grew to provide multiple services, so it’s not “just an accelerator” anymore. In the near future, there is a special, intense 2-month programme called Pitch Booster that focuses on creating a strategy for successful fundraising, how to talk to investors and understand them, fine-tune the pitch deck, and prepare a financial plan and a clear product vision. The applications are open until the 6th of March 2026. After that, we also prepare another specialized programme, focused just on sales, called Sales Bootcamp, that takes 3 months, is built with the top CRO, CFO, and CSOs, and will start mid-April 2026. Recommend checking updates on the Sales Bootcamp website.
Also! Come see us at our legendary Pitch Night, an event open to the public, where startups of this year’s cohort will present their business in one minute elevator pitch to potential partners, clients, and investors. You can also look forward to other interesting guests and discussions, such as the discussion with the Startup Ambassador Martin Jiránek on “Building a Startup Ecosystem in the Czech Republic” or an inspirational keynote from Macaly startup.
Can you describe one concrete example where Ment2Grow measurably changed a startup’s trajectory — not just mindset, but results?
I can share examples of last years succes stories. The first is the investment secured by the startup Everbot from Fazole Ventures. When Everbot started the acceleration program, they had lower hundreds of clients. Now they have over a thousand. Another one was the start of expansion into the UK by the startup CodeNOW after traveling with us there for the London Tech Week and making valuable connections.
How do you see the Czech startup ecosystem evolving compared to five years ago — and where are we still falling behind Western Europe or the US?
The Czech startup ecosystem has improved over the past five years with better early-stage funding, a more sophisticated investor landscape, and growing entrepreneurial hubs. Platforms like CzechInvest, JIC, and the Czech Startup Association have also contributed to creating more visibility and resources for emerging businesses. However, it still lags behind Western Europe and the US, especially in accessing later-stage funding and scaling. While seed-stage investment has increased, many startups struggle to grow beyond the local market and often lack global ambition. The legal environment has also been slowly improving, so that’s a plus, but still, bureaucratic hurdles and high taxes remain challenges.
There is also a slowdown in VC funding since 2022, which reflects broader global trends of tighter investment conditions, but this shift may encourage startups to focus on sustainable, profitable growth. Compared to larger ecosystems, Czech startups still face challenges in attracting global talent and competing in cutting-edge sectors like AI and biotech. Long story short, I think while the Czech ecosystem is progressing, it needs to focus on scaling, building sustainable businesses, and encouraging international expansion to truly compete with Western Europe and the US.
How does Ment2Grow fit into Opero’s broader mission as a business hub? Is it more about education, community-building, or long-term ecosystem shaping?
It’s all of it. Opero was created with the vision of bringing together people from diverse fields – business, research, art, and more – to foster connections, collaboration, and networking. Beyond this, its mission is rooted in supporting the Czech economy. This is brought to life through various programs and conferences. In addition to Ment2Grow, which focuses on startups, Opero offers the DoToho! program, helping small entrepreneurs grow their businesses, and hosts impactful conferences like FutureEdu, among others.
If we were having this interview in five years, what would success for Ment2Grow look like — in numbers, influence, or reputation?
In five years, Ment2Grow will be 13 years old, and just that would be a success for a startup accelerator to run this long and still be relevant and bring value to the changing and evolving ecosystem. By that time, we would have over 150 alumni, each of whom has made their mark on the business world. We’ll have helped launch at least 50 companies, with a high success rate in terms of growth, funding, and market impact, and I believe our influence in the ecosystem will be significant.
All right, let’s focus now more on your personal journey. How did you get into the world of startups?
I was curious a long time ago about startups, especially at the time when I was studying business and management at university. But properly, I was introduced to this world when I came back from my travels to Prague and started working at the CzechInvest agency as a project manager at the startup acceleration department, where we supported startups through education as well as finances. After my work there was done, it was only logical to continue the startup support efforts at Opero and lead the Ment2Grow accelerator.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you love to be doing instead?
I’m afraid I will always find myself some project… but the startup world, I’m here to stay. End of last year, I co-founded a new spin-off of our NGO called BLURRED, which is the first-ever Czech platform to systematically tackle the phenomenon of drink spiking through education, victim support, and an innovative biotech solution. That is something I will continue building 🙂
What was your background before OPERO?
It was mixed 😀… I can never be one thing. As I mentioned before, I studied business for my bachelor’s degree, and during that time, I worked in PR and marketing agencies. Then for the masters I chose to study diplomacy and international relations and even stayed for some time in Geneva Switserland for my internship with the United Nations. I always had a strong sense of justice and impact, and so throughout all my student years, I was also building and managing an NGO called Beat Sexism, which focuses on women’s rights advocacy and education on gender based discrimination of all kinds.
And so even now it all mixes together, and I bridge the nonprofit and startup worlds as a COO at Beat Sexism, co-founder & COO of BLURRED, and Head of B2B startup accelerator Ment2Grow – combining technology and long-term social impact.
What’s the most rewarding part of helping Ment2Grow startups? And what’s the hardest part no one sees?
From where I stand, I see both perspectives – building a startup and also supporting one. And the most rewarding part is seeing the founders progress from uncertainty to clarity, where they begin to see their ideas take shape and start making real traction. But the hardest part is often the unseen grind, the constant problem-solving, the pivots, the fundraising challenges, and the exhaustion that comes with pushing through obstacles. The “startup world” is often glamourized, like it’s so cool – and it is, but not always… the non-cool parts of it, however is where the real growth happens.
How do you personally define success—for yourself, and for Ment2Grow?
One word – impact. I know it’s a cliché, maybe, but it’s real. I want to see the impact, I want to be the impact, whatever I do, and the same goes for M2G. We are here to make an impact on our startups and help them make their own.
And what do you do to stay sharp and creative—books, podcasts, habits?
When I have time, usually in the gym, I listen to audiobooks or podcasts – sometimes even Startup Kitchen Talks or our own M2G Growcast. So that’s my sharpening multitasking 😀
And our last question. What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?
Canť even remember, but I ate a lot of weird shi* when I was traveling through Vietnam 😀Really recommend it.
Thank you for joining us. We wish you the best of luck!
It was a blast, thank you for the space.
