Many companies were founded or do business in Brno, proving that it is possible to start your own business in Brno and succeed. Photo: Casadei Graphics
Brno, May 10 (BD) – Do you have a sound business idea but wonder whether Brno is the right place to implement it? Before you make a decision, have a read:
In recent years, Brno has become the Central European hub for hi-tech industry, attracting international companies as well as start-ups and individual entrepreneurs. It was the first city in the Czech Republic to have its own public innovation agency and start-up accelerator, and it continues to be a leader in supporting technological entrepreneurs.
You may be using the famous anti-virus software by AVG (recently acquired by its global competitor Avast, with headquarters in Prague), or you may know about the printing solutions offered by Y Soft, or buy flight tickets at Kiwi.com (previously known as Skypicker).
You may also have heard of NetSuite (an ERP solution), SolarWinds (IT management) or Good Data (a business intelligence company founded by Roman Stanek, an entrepreneur behind two ventures that have been acquired by Silicon Valley companies).
You may also have heard of the electronic microscopes developed by ThermoFisher Scientific (previously FEI) and Tescan. (A third of the world’s electron microscopy production is done in Brno.) Or you may have heard about the speech recognition start-up Phonexia, or the web marketing start-up Smartlook.
All of them were founded or do business in Brno, proving that it is possible to start your own business in Brno and succeed.
The Brno Expat Centre infosheet “Business Start-up Scene” can give you a few pointers and suggestions on how to go about it. It includes a list of business incubators/accelerators to get in touch with, such as “JIC” – the South Moravian Innovation Centre – and their JIC STARCUBE, which is the longest running Czech start-up accelerator.
At the same time, you should search for investors, either in Brno or in Prague. They often run programmes through which you can approach them for funding.
Brno’s supporting infrastructure also includes many co-working places, science centres and networking events. You can read more about them in Brno Expat Centre’s infosheet “Business Start-up Scene”.
Brno Expat Centre Clues is a series of practical articles dealing with various aspects of life in Brno. Written in cooperation with Brno Daily by Brno Expat Centre consultants, a new article is published every Thursday.
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