7. 4. 2026
JIC launches a venture capital fund for startups. President Pavel came to Brno to support the development of innovation and the knowledge economy
The innovation agency JIC has officially launched the new venture capital fund JIC Ventures, which will invest in early-stage technology startups from the Czech Republic and Central Europe. The EUR 16 million fund aims to contribute to the transformation of the Czech economy. The official launch in Brno took place in the presence of President Petr Pavel, as well as representatives of investors and innovation centres from across the country.
The structure of JIC Ventures is unique in the Czech environment. Most of the capital comes from private sources; however, the fund was initiated by the innovation agency JIC, whose founders are the South Moravian Region, the City of Brno, and four Brno universities. The Region has also joined the fund as an investor.
“We have been systematically supporting innovation and technology entrepreneurship in South Moravia for more than twenty years. But if we want to remain competitive in Europe and globally, we need to look for new tools to support the creation and growth of companies. This fund takes innovation policy to a new qualitative level,” said Jan Grolich, Governor of the South Moravian Region, explaining the rationale behind linking a public institution with venture capital.
“In the past five years alone, companies supported by JIC have achieved exits worth EUR 640 million. We initiated this new fund so that many more globally successful startups can emerge and help lay the foundations of a new economy for the Czech Republic while strengthening Europe as a whole,” confirmed Petr Chládek, CEO of the innovation agency JIC.
The creation of the fund is part of a broader effort to develop an economy based on innovation, research, and technology entrepreneurship. The ability to create innovative products and services is what determines whether a country moves towards higher added value and can compete globally. Startups and technology companies are among the main drivers of such a shift.
This area has long been one of the priorities of the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel, who, through his presence in Brno, expressed support for the development of the local innovation ecosystem as well as for other regions. He described the model created by JIC as an inspiring example that can help strengthen technology entrepreneurship across the Czech Republic and Europe.
CTP sees JIC Ventures as an opportunity to systematically strengthen the creation and growth of technology companies in the region and support the transformation of the economy towards higher added value - in line with the “in Europe, for Europe” trend, meaning development and manufacturing closer to European customers.
“We have long believed that Europe’s future depends on innovation, technology, and the ability to turn know-how into real manufacturing and global business. That is exactly what Brno and the whole South Moravian region are good at, thanks to strong universities, technical talent, and a functioning ecosystem around JIC. We see joining the fund as an important step towards strengthening this ecosystem and helping to create more companies. At CTP, we build the infrastructure for growth, and we want to be a partner for innovative companies from the very beginning,” said Jakub Kodr, CEO of CTP in the Czech Republic.
Česká spořitelna has also decided to become one of the main investors in the VC fund. Among other reasons, it sees this as an excellent example of real support for the second economic transformation, emphasised Tomáš Salomon, Chairman of the Board of Česká spořitelna.
“Hardly anyone today still doubts the necessity of an economic transformation based on innovation and high added value. What we are looking for, however, are ways to support this transformation as effectively as possible. Connecting private capital with an initiative from an innovation agency established by public-sector institutions can serve as a model for effective cooperation and as an example for similar projects,” says Tomáš Salomon. “It is also crucial that this initiative is emerging from the bottom up - in the South Moravian Region, which has strong universities. We are pleased to support the effective transfer of knowledge from the scientific and academic environment into business.”
The fund’s impact is further strengthened by the involvement of successful entrepreneurs who have decided to return part of their capital to the innovation ecosystem. “Years ago, we started at JIC as a technology startup ourselves, and we know how important it is to have the support of experienced mentors at an early stage. We want to contribute not only capital, but also experience,” said Juraj Šabatka, CEO of IDEA StatiCa.
JIC Ventures has not yet reached its final close, which means it still represents an opportunity for additional qualified investors to join.
“We work closely with universities, where there is significant potential for deep tech projects, and we have strong direct access to investment opportunities. We have also been working with many startups for years through incubation and acceleration programmes,” said managing partner Radim Kocourek, who leads the fund together with Miloš Sochor.
JIC Ventures will focus primarily on startups in the pre-seed and seed stages and plans to invest in around twenty technology companies from Central and Eastern Europe over the next four years, with a natural priority given to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Individual investments in projects in deep tech, SaaS, and other advanced technologies may reach up to EUR 1 million.
JIC has been developing its investment activities since 2015, when it began investing smaller amounts in fourteen startups as a co-investor. The new fund represents the next step - substantially larger capital and the role of a lead investor that not only finances startups but also actively helps them grow to a global level.
“We have been systematically supporting innovation and technology entrepreneurship in South Moravia for more than twenty years. But if we want to remain competitive in Europe and globally, we need to look for new tools to support the creation and growth of companies. This fund takes innovation policy to a new qualitative level,” said Jan Grolich, Governor of the South Moravian Region, explaining the rationale behind linking a public institution with venture capital.
“In the past five years alone, companies supported by JIC have achieved exits worth EUR 640 million. We initiated this new fund so that many more globally successful startups can emerge and help lay the foundations of a new economy for the Czech Republic while strengthening Europe as a whole,” confirmed Petr Chládek, CEO of the innovation agency JIC.
The creation of the fund is part of a broader effort to develop an economy based on innovation, research, and technology entrepreneurship. The ability to create innovative products and services is what determines whether a country moves towards higher added value and can compete globally. Startups and technology companies are among the main drivers of such a shift.
This area has long been one of the priorities of the President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel, who, through his presence in Brno, expressed support for the development of the local innovation ecosystem as well as for other regions. He described the model created by JIC as an inspiring example that can help strengthen technology entrepreneurship across the Czech Republic and Europe.
Private capital from major companies and successful founders
This vision is also shared by private investors, who have contributed most of the fund’s capital. There are around forty of them in total, including major players on the European market - the largest European developer and owner of industrial parks, CTP, the bank with the longest tradition on the Czech market Česká spořitelna, and investor Jan Barta - as well as successful entrepreneurs from the Brno region technology sector, such as the Family holding of the owners of IDEA StatiCa, Artin, Kinalisoft, Milan Šimek, founder of Sewio, Jan Neuman, founder of NenoVision, and others. The participation of the Diocese of Brno is also of note.CTP sees JIC Ventures as an opportunity to systematically strengthen the creation and growth of technology companies in the region and support the transformation of the economy towards higher added value - in line with the “in Europe, for Europe” trend, meaning development and manufacturing closer to European customers.
“We have long believed that Europe’s future depends on innovation, technology, and the ability to turn know-how into real manufacturing and global business. That is exactly what Brno and the whole South Moravian region are good at, thanks to strong universities, technical talent, and a functioning ecosystem around JIC. We see joining the fund as an important step towards strengthening this ecosystem and helping to create more companies. At CTP, we build the infrastructure for growth, and we want to be a partner for innovative companies from the very beginning,” said Jakub Kodr, CEO of CTP in the Czech Republic.
Česká spořitelna has also decided to become one of the main investors in the VC fund. Among other reasons, it sees this as an excellent example of real support for the second economic transformation, emphasised Tomáš Salomon, Chairman of the Board of Česká spořitelna.
“Hardly anyone today still doubts the necessity of an economic transformation based on innovation and high added value. What we are looking for, however, are ways to support this transformation as effectively as possible. Connecting private capital with an initiative from an innovation agency established by public-sector institutions can serve as a model for effective cooperation and as an example for similar projects,” says Tomáš Salomon. “It is also crucial that this initiative is emerging from the bottom up - in the South Moravian Region, which has strong universities. We are pleased to support the effective transfer of knowledge from the scientific and academic environment into business.”
The fund’s impact is further strengthened by the involvement of successful entrepreneurs who have decided to return part of their capital to the innovation ecosystem. “Years ago, we started at JIC as a technology startup ourselves, and we know how important it is to have the support of experienced mentors at an early stage. We want to contribute not only capital, but also experience,” said Juraj Šabatka, CEO of IDEA StatiCa.
JIC Ventures has not yet reached its final close, which means it still represents an opportunity for additional qualified investors to join.
A strong foundation for startup growth
The fund will support startups in their growth and international expansion not only through the involvement of founders already participating in the ecosystem, but also through a network of additional experts and mentors, as well as the full infrastructure of the innovation agency JIC.“We work closely with universities, where there is significant potential for deep tech projects, and we have strong direct access to investment opportunities. We have also been working with many startups for years through incubation and acceleration programmes,” said managing partner Radim Kocourek, who leads the fund together with Miloš Sochor.
JIC Ventures will focus primarily on startups in the pre-seed and seed stages and plans to invest in around twenty technology companies from Central and Eastern Europe over the next four years, with a natural priority given to the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Individual investments in projects in deep tech, SaaS, and other advanced technologies may reach up to EUR 1 million.
JIC has been developing its investment activities since 2015, when it began investing smaller amounts in fourteen startups as a co-investor. The new fund represents the next step - substantially larger capital and the role of a lead investor that not only finances startups but also actively helps them grow to a global level.