On Monday, March 24, 2025, the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic hosted a landmark Startup Conference focused on the upgrade of the Czech startup and investment environment. Organized by the Czech Startup Association and the Parliamentary Subcommittee for Startups, Science, Research and Innovation, the event brought together a powerful mix of policymakers, founders, investors, and innovation leaders.
The morning program unfolded in three dynamic blocks — with startup founders and investors presenting concrete legislative and systemic proposals, followed by political reactions and concluding in an open discussion and Q&A with the audience.
🧭 Key Political Stakeholders Show Genuine Interest
A significant outcome of the event was the demonstrated commitment from Czech political representatives. Politicians such as Karel Havlíček (ANO), Vojtěch Munzar (ODS), Štěpán Hofman (STAN, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade), Ivan Bartoš (Pirates), and Michal Kučera (TOP 09 Vice-Chairman) expressed authentic support and engagement in shaping a more startup-friendly landscape. The involvement of Silvia Doušová, Jan Kavalírek, and Jiří Strýček also underlined the cross-party consensus on the importance of innovation and entrepreneurial growth.
🌱 Founders, Investors and Ecosystem Leaders on Stage
A heartfelt thank you goes to all the speakers for their energy, expertise and contribution to the educational effort — a key ingredient for driving necessary change.
• For startups:
• Ondřej Krátký (Co-founder of Liftago and CEO of grid.online)
• William Jalloul (Founder & CEO of Flowpay)
• For investors:
• Ondřej Tomek (Impulse Capital)
• Petr Šíma (DEPO Ventures)
• Vojta Roček (Presto Ventures, exited founder)
• For the broader business environment:
• Radek Špicar (Vice-President, Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic)
• Aleš Rod (Economist, member of NERV & Director of Research at CETA)
• Ivo Denemark (CzechInvest)
🌐 A Diverse and Committed Audience
The conference attracted dozens of stakeholders from across the startup ecosystem — including early-stage founders, VC funds, angel investors, innovation hubs, business incubators, professional associations, legal experts, and academia. The diversity of perspectives ensured a rich dialogue on how to systematically improve the Czech Republic’s positioning as an innovation-driven economy.
This conference marks an important milestone on the path to more inclusive, progressive and action-oriented startup policy in the Czech Republic. The shared mission? To make the Czech startup ecosystem truly competitive on the global stage.
