As Czechia (The Czech Republic) continues to establish itself as a leading player in Central and Eastern Europe’s tech ecosystem, its cities are becoming hotbeds for innovation. While Prague often takes center stage as a tech hub in Czechia, Brno, the second-largest city in the country, is emerging as a dynamic and innovative city in its own right, with a growing reputation across various sectors.
Known for its strong industrial roots, Brno has evolved into a center for cutting-edge technology, life sciences, IT, and engineering. According to Dealroom, €31.1M has been invested in the South Moravian Region technology companies in 2023.
The city’s strategic location, combined with a rich network of universities and research institutions, makes it an ideal environment for startups seeking both talent and collaboration opportunities.
Brno’s thriving sectors include everything from advanced manufacturing to artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and biotech, drawing in both local entrepreneurs and international companies.
This diverse industrial ecosystem, coupled with a supportive business environment like JIC (South Moravian Innovation Centre), which fosters innovation through incubation programs, networking opportunities, and access to funding, has transformed Brno into a breeding ground for innovation, creating new opportunities across multiple sectors.
Here are 15 pioneering startups that are putting Brno on the global map:
Kiwi.com
Kiwi.com, a travel tech company led by Oliver Dlouhy, disrupted the travel industry with its innovative algorithm that enables users to find better route options and prices other search engines can’t see, performing billions of price checks per day across 95% of global flight content.
The company continues to push boundaries in the travel tech space with enhancements to customer experience and route options.
Their latest funding of €100 million in 2022 enabled them to continue to build up their tech and achieve partnerships and integrations with companies such as RyanAir and EasyJet.
Flatio
Flatio is a rental platform that specializes in mid-term accommodation, catering to digital nomads, remote workers, and expats seeking stays from one to 12 months.
Founded by Radim Rezek, the company simplifies the rental process by offering fully furnished apartments, flexible lease terms, and a streamlined online booking system.
Operating across multiple European cities, Flatio provides a solution for people looking for hassle-free living arrangements.
As remote work becomes more prevalent, Flatio continues to grow, making it easier for individuals to find a home away from home.
ThreatMark
ThreatMark, founded by Michal Tresner, is a cybersecurity company that specializes in advanced fraud prevention and authentication technology tailored for financial institutions and high-risk sectors.
Using a combination of behavioral biometrics, artificial intelligence, and real-time monitoring, ThreatMark detects and mitigates cyber threats, identity fraud, and sophisticated attacks.
ThreatMark’s technology is trusted by banks globally, cementing Brno’s reputation in cybersecurity innovation.
Tatum
Tatum.io is known for simplifying blockchain development. The startup offers a robust API that helps developers integrate blockchain technology into applications without deep blockchain expertise.
The platform supports multiple blockchains and is designed to make decentralized application development more accessible.
The startup, founded by Jiri Kobelka, and Samuel Sramko, won the Startup World Cup competition in 2021, before that, it went through the Skydeck accelerator and reached the finals of the TechCrunch Disrupt startup competition.
YSoft
YSoft specializes in enterprise office solutions. The company founded by Vaclav Muchna is a global provider of workflow solutions and printing services.
Their flagship YSoft SafeQ product suite includes print management, document capture, and workflow automation tools, primarily aimed at medium to large enterprises.
Today, YSoft employs more than 300 people, 260 of whom are based in the Czech Republic and 42% are in R&D.
Since 2019 the company has had its own VC fund YSoft Ventures, investing in B2B tech startups in Central and Eastern Europe.
Kentico
Kentico is a digital experience and content management company. It provides software solutions to enhance digital marketing and content management capabilities for global clients.
Originating as a bachelor thesis project by founder Petr Palas in 2004, the company has significantly evolved and established itself as a global entity. Today, Kentico is the backbone for over 90,000 websites and growing.
This year, the company celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of continuous evolution in the field of digital experience platforms and content management.
IDEA StatiCa
IDEA StatiCa is a global leader in structural analysis and design software led by Juraj Sabatka. Since 2009, the company has expanded its team to 110 employees and established offices in Philadelphia, London, Dortmund, Eindhoven, and Singapore.
The company’s revenue has exceeded € 10 million, with 90% generated from exports, and operates across five continents, serving over 8,000 customers in 80 countries and performing approximately 14 million structural calculations annually.
Whalebone
Whalebone is a cybersecurity company that develops user-centric, no-installation security products for telcos, internet service providers, enterprises, public institutions, and governments.
The startup, founded by Richar Malovic, has grown into the official provider of secure DNS resolution for the European Union and aims to protect 100 million people and whole governments from advanced cyber threats.
The startup has managed to skyrocket and is now the #20 fastest-growing company in Central Europe according to Sifted and #22 in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 CE 2023.
Codasip
Codasip, founded by Karel Masarik, is a leader in processor cores and tools based on the RISC-V standard.
Following years of research at Brno University of Technology, Codasip has become a key player in the RISC-V movement, supporting open standards for embedded processors.
Its core product, Codasip Studio, enables developers to design tailored RISC-V processors, offering a competitive edge by allowing customization to specific workloads, which is ideal for industries focused on performance, power efficiency, and differentiation in hardware design.
Madfinger Games
Gaming studio Madfinger Games, founded by Marek Rabas, is recognized for its high-quality, visually stunning mobile games (Dead Trigger, Shadowgun, etc.), now stepping up into the PC games segment.
In 2024 it released a realistic shooter PC game, Gray Zone Warfare, that dominated the world charts and was one of the fastest-selling Czech games.
The studio’s success is attributed to its small but highly motivated team of around fifty in-house developers in Brno, led by Rabas’s vision of creating games that emphasize player freedom. There are big plans for expanding the game, which, in their words, is still only at 10% of its market potential.
Vrgineers
Vrgineers, founded by Marek Polcak, is a leader in immersive virtual and mixed reality (VR/MR) solutions for enterprise-level training, particularly in aerospace.
It has developed the XTAL VR headset, which is used globally by military and aviation professionals, including clients like the United States Air Force and NASA.
The XTAL system integrates advanced simulation technology with high-resolution displays, enabling realistic and customizable training experiences.
Vrgineers manufactures their headsets in Brno.
NenoVision
Founded by Jan Neuman, NenoVision is the first spin-off from the Brno University of Technology and the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC).
It continues with the established tradition and expertise in the region within the field of microscopy and brings innovative correlative probe and electron microscopy technology to the market.
Its flagship product, LiteScope, an atomic force microscope, has research applications across a range of industries, including material and life sciences as well as semiconductors.
In 2024 NenoVision was honoured with the esteemed R&D 100 Award in the Analytical/Test category for a groundbreaking atomic force microscope module.
Maia Labs
Maia Labs is a health tech company founded by Lukas Loun. The company is fighting cancer with AI technology and helps doctors, who do not see 50% of the findings during endoscopy.
Their endoscopic device detects many types of lesions and patterns in real-time.
It highlights areas with visual characteristics corresponding to different types of abnormalities, such as polyps and lesions of all shapes, sizes, and morphologies.
The renowned Mayo Clinic is also interested in its unique technology and chose the company to be part of its accelerator. The company is a 2024 finalist in Global Startup Awards.
Groundcom
Groundcom is a space tech startup led by Jakub Lajmon. Founded in 2020, the company operates a global network of ground stations that enable real-time communication and data transfer for satellite operators.
These stations reduce latency, supporting crucial functions like earth observation, IoT, and navigation for commercial and research satellites.
With scalable, mission-critical solutions, Groundcom says it empowers its clients to monitor and control satellites efficiently, addressing the rapid growth in satellite deployment from the current 9,000 to more than sixfold expected by 2030.
Wereldo
Wereldo, a startup founded by Tomas Zahradnik, digitizes the corporate transport sector by providing logistics staff with the optimal and most economical mode of transport based on their transport requirements.
In addition, Wereldo connects its clients to a large platform, enabling further and more advanced optimization based on market prices.
In the long term, Wereldo is building a sharing economy platform in the corporate logistics industry.
The company is the Brno region startup of 2023 and gained a Sustainability award.
