An analytical tool for e-shops from MonkeyData s.r.o. and the information portal of SPINDO s.r.o. that supports exclusively small local firms in a particular region were the winning projects at the Investment Forums for start-ups which took place in Brno and Prague on 18 and 23 June 2015. The purpose of these important events of CzechInvest’s CzechEkoSystem project was to bring start-ups together with potential investors.

“The Investment Forums are the culmination of the CzechEkoSystem project, which is an important milestone in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. More than one hundred firms participated in the project, which helped them to find opportunities for expansion in the Czech Republic and to penetrate foreign markets,” said Karel Kučera, CEO of CzechInvest, at the start of the Prague forum. Kučera wished the start-ups success in their projects and mentioned the importance of supporting them, as they help to improve the business environment and to increase the competitiveness of the Czech Republic. “CzechInvest will definitely continue with similar projects to support start-up companies in the future,” he added at the conclusion of the event.

During the event, selected start-ups that participated in CzechEkoSystem in the past received an exceptional opportunity to present their business plans and address investors that could help them in their further development. The expert jury selected six firms – three in Brno and three in Prague – which received an award in the form of a one-year membership in the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic, the general partner of the event. The event’s main partner, Deloitte awarded to the grand-prize winners of the Brno and Prague forums a voucher to finance participation in a foreign conference of their choice.

“A lot of people have ideas, but there are far fewer who persevere to the end and work hard on them, which is the most important thing in business,” said Karel Havlíček, chairman of the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Crafts of the Czech Republic.

The jury selected the winning firms based on criteria such as the innovativeness and feasibility of their projects, as well as the quality of their presentations. However, the Investment Forums primarily enabled the attending entrepreneurs to present their projects to investors, attempt to obtain funding for their businesses’ further development and gain valuable feedback.

Brief profiles of the winning start-ups are provided in the appendix to this press release.

About the CzechEkoSystem project

CzechEkoSystem, or Ecosystem for Venture Capital, is a project implemented by CzechInvest within the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation 2007-2013. The objective of the project is effective development of innovative start-ups in the environment of small and medium-sized enterprises by means of providing discounted consulting services. The project is focused on accelerating the development of SMEs’ business activities, gaining of practical experience in commercialising their products and services, practical application of their business plans and enhancement of their marketing and management skills. CzechEkoSystem also includes support for start-ups in seeking out possibilities of financing in the form of capital entry by an investor. A total of 111 firms successfully participated in the project.

More information is available at www.projekt-czechekosystem.cz.

For more information please contact the CzechInvest Press Centre

Petra Menclová, spokesperson, phone: +420 296 342 430, petra.menclova@czechinvest.org