“Creative industries bring many opportunities in the modernisation of the Czech economy. Thanks to our rich cultural heritage and outstanding talent, we have a strong position in areas such as design, architecture, gaming and virtual reality. We support these areas through our Technology Incubation – Creative Hub project. Thanks to this, we were also able to find the most creative startup in the Czech Republic to represent us on the international stage,” said Jan Michal, CEO of CzechInvest.
During the final evening, the ten finalists presented themselves not only in front of an expert jury composed of a representative of the CzechInvest agency and the co-organizers of the event, but also in front of the audience, of which almost one hundred and fifty arrived at the Petrof Gallery in Hradec Kralove. The event was also attended by the Governor of the Region Petr Koleta and Pavel Vrbický, Deputy Mayor of Hradec Králové. The evening was musically accompanied by Ella Říhová with a musical instrument from MyCello, the winner of the national round of CBC 2022, who prints cellos on a 3D printer, and the pianist of the Petrof Gallery Lukáš Hroník.
“Creative startups are the engine of innovation and I have to appreciate not only the creativity but also the diligence that the creators put into their projects to build a good idea into a functional product through hard work. The ten finalists confirmed that Czech ideas have global potential and I firmly believe in their success on home soil and in foreign markets. I am proud that this year’s final could take place in our region in Hradec Králové, a region with a rich creative tradition, which we are trying to support in many ways,” said the Governor of the Hradec Králové Region, Petr Koleta. The Hradec Králové Region and the city of Hradec Králové also granted the event patronage.
The winning startup Graphic Standard appealed to the jury mainly thanks to its overall presentation and scalability of the product. The winners not only received valuable prizes, but also prestigious awards and participation in the world finals in Copenhagen. “We would like to thank CzechInvest for this opportunity. It came at the right moment for us and it is a great impulse for us on our global journey. Every praise motivates us and gives us the strength to go further,” says Ondřej Brom from Graphic Standard.
The jury awarded second place to Webout You, a startup that focuses on tailor-made videos thanks to personalised content and interactive elements, and third place to Veska games, a startup that creates a mobile game called Manabies that combines learning and fun in fast-paced arena battles. The Audience Favorite Award went to startup Walk on Water with its Foga fire blanket.
The evening’s grand finale was also the culmination of the second edition of the Creative Industries Day, which also included a Design Forum with the subtitle Design of the Future, hosted by the Centre for Investment, Development and Innovation. The aim of the event, which was attended by more than 100 people, was to offer inspiration and space for dialogue in progressive areas such as eco-design and the use of waste materials, the use of circular principles or the involvement of technological innovation, while also helping companies and individuals to adapt to the markets of the future.
The Creative Business Cup aims to support creative startups from all over the world, connecting them to each other and helping them to find investors and conquer foreign markets. The CzechInvest Agency for Enterprise and Investment Promotion is the organiser of the Czech national round of the competition. The agency is looking for creative and innovative startups across the Czech Republic and helps to verify their global potential through the Creative Business Cup competition.
This year’s co-organiser was the Hradec Králové Region. Among the main partners were the Centre for Investment, Development and Innovation, the City of Hradec Králové, Komerční banka, TECHNOLOGY CENTRE Hradec Králové, Petrof Gallery and Animato. Other partners and supporters of the event included.
