AND THE WINNER IS…
At the gala evening held in the gardens of the Grand Mark Hotel in Prague on June 18, 2026, the awards of the sixth annual CVCA & SLOVCA Awards competition were presented following a dramatic vote by members of CVCA and SLOVCA.
At the beginning of the year, members of both associations nominated their favourites across eight categories. Some categories are shared Czech-Slovak categories, while others are national only. In April, an independent jury, including representatives of the EIB, EIF, and leading players from the Czech and Slovak PE and VC markets, selected up to four finalists in each category. The winners were then chosen through an online vote by CVCA and SLOVCA members, which remained open until June 14, 2026.
In addition to the winners of the main categories, Gabriel Eichler received a Special Award for his contribution to the PE and VC market. Gabriel is a pioneer of private equity and investment banking in Central Europe. After a fifteen-year career at Bank of America, he became actively involved after 1989 in the transformation of the Czech economy and the development of the capital market. In 1991, he founded Benson Oak, one of the first independent investment and private equity platforms in the Czech Republic. He participated in the financing, restructuring, and growth of numerous companies in the region and helped introduce international standards of investment practice, corporate governance, and active ownership to the Czech market. He is respected as an experienced investor and strategic advisor who has made a long-term contribution to the development of the private equity ecosystem in Central Europe. His work also includes significant philanthropic activities focused on education, civil society, and projects with long-term social impact.
The CVCA & SLOVCA Awards are jointly organized by the The Czech Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (CVCA) and the Slovak Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SLOVCA), which bring together private equity and venture capital funds, financial institutions, and service providers operating in the private equity and venture capital sector in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Like SLOVCA, CVCA aims to develop and support the private equity and venture capital industry and to represent its interests in cooperation with Czech, Slovak and European authorities.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY PE DEAL – ČR a SR
ROCKFIN (Jet Investment)
Global Tier 1 supplier of technical systems for the energy sector, focused on the design, manufacturing, and delivery of systems for turbines, compressors, generators, renewable energy, and hydrogen applications. It operates in Poland, the USA, Italy,
Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia. In 2025, it achieved revenues of approximately EUR 235 million and ranks among global leaders in its segment. Jet Investments owned Rockfin for approximately four years, during which revenues tripled and 2025 was a record year. It subsequently sold a 100% stake to a consortium led by Capmont Private Equity with the participation of RIO ASI (an investment vehicle of Rafał Brzoska), while key managers retained a minority stake and continue to operate within the company.
Advisors: PwC Polska, Arthur D. Little, DLA Piper, DRV Legal
Saneca Pharmaceuticals (WOOD & Company)
After more than 12 years, the WOOD & Company group has fully divested its stake in Saneca Pharmaceuticals a.s. The early years following the acquisition were marked by heavy reliance on a single key customer, with the company largely operating as an “extended arm” of its former parent – long-term standalone viability in a highly competitive market was far from guaranteed. Over time, the brownfield site was transformed into a fully functioning manufacturing complex, new contracts and markets were secured, and an intensive investment programme of more than EUR 50 million was launched to clear CAPEX debt, replace legacy technologies and add new production. A dual-education programme was introduced and the team was strengthened with people who took the company further. Over the past decade, Saneca has been successfully transformed into an integrated pharmaceutical company with a broad portfolio of 1,300 finished products and 150 brands. At exit, it generated revenues of EUR 110 million, EBITDA of around EUR 20 million and employed approximately 1,000 people.
TESCAN (Carlyle)
Czech technology company based in Brno and a global leader in the development and production of electron microscopes and advanced analytical instruments. Its solutions are used in materials science, life sciences, and the semiconductor industry. In December 2025, Carlyle, through the Carlyle Europe Technology Partners fund, completed its exit from the company, which it had owned since January 2023. During this period, it strategically shifted the company toward semiconductor and nanotechnology applications, resulting in strong revenue and EBITDA growth and a change in its strategic market position. Carlyle and minority shareholders subsequently sold a 100% stake to Japanese group Shimadzu Corporation, a global player in analytical and measurement technologies. The transaction’s enterprise value was approximately USD 850 million.
Advisors: White & Case LLP, Latham Watkins, Deloitte
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY VC DEAL ČR
ELEVENLABS (Credo Ventures)
A fast-growing AI company focused on generative voice and audio AI. It develops models for speech synthesis, dubbing, and conversational AI used by content creators, developers, and enterprise customers worldwide. Founded in 2022 by Polish founders, it quickly became a global leader in voice AI. In 2025, it raised a Series C round of approximately $180 million at a valuation of around $3.3 billion, led by Andreessen Horowitz and ICONIQ Growth. The round confirmed strong company growth and significantly increased the value of early investors, including Credo Ventures, which led the pre-seed round in 2023.
E2B (KAYA VC)
A Czech-American AI infrastructure startup founded in 2023 by Václav Mlejnský and Tomáš Valenta. E2B develops open-source cloud infrastructure for the secure deployment and operation of autonomous AI agents. The platform is used by 88% of Fortune 100 companies and has processed hundreds of millions of isolated environment executions since its launch. Its customers include leading global artificial intelligence companies as well as large corporations. The company’s investors include Insight Partners, Decibel, and KAYA VC.
RESISTANT AI (Credo Ventures)
A Prague-based regtech startup founded in 2019 by Martin Řehák, focused on AI-driven prevention of financial crime and fraud. The company develops machine learning models for detecting fraud in documents and financial transactions, used globally by banks, fintechs, and insurance companies. In 2025, it raised a USD 25 million Series B investment led by DTCP Growth, with participation from Experian, Google Ventures (GV), and Notion Capital. Early investors also include Credo Ventures, which supported the company in its initial stage.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY VC DEAL SR
GymBeam (EBRD, Portfolion)
GymBeam is one of the fastest-growing sports nutrition and fitness brands in Europe and the largest B2C e-commerce player in the fitness segment in the CEE region. Founded in 2014 by Dalibor Cicman in Košice, the company
now operates in more than 16 European countries, serves millions of customers and develops its own brands across nutritional supplements, functional foods and fitness products.
Last year the company posted a net profit of EUR 5 million on revenues of EUR 166 million and expects revenues of EUR 220 million this year. In its latest funding round, PortfoLion acquired an 8% stake and the EBRD a 4% stake, valuing the company at EUR 250 million. Founder and CEO Dalibor Cicman remains the majority shareholder with 72% and continues to lead the company.
This is one of the largest e-commerce investments in Slovak history and brings in two strong institutional partners – Hungary-based PortfoLion Capital Partners and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The company has also received an offer for bank financing of EUR 80 million, which it is considering using to acquire production lines in Slovakia, a manufacturing company in Germany and to further expand automation and robotics in its warehouses in Italy and Slovakia, supporting continued expansion across Western Europe.
On GymBeam’s side the transaction was advised by Rothschild & Co, AKF Legal, BCG, PwC and Dentons. The investors worked with EY, Havel & Partners, Deloitte and CMS.
Advisors: A.K.F. Legal, BCG, CORPIN, CMS Cameron McKenna, Dentons, EY, HAVEL & PARTNERS, PwC, Rothschild & Co.
Kontext (M13, Torch Capital, Credo Ventures, Parable VC / Parable Partners)
Kontext is a Czech-founded, San Francisco-based technology startup focused on AI-native advertising for chatbots and GenAI applications. The company is building infrastructure that enables brands to deliver
contextually relevant advertising directly within AI interfaces, without relying on traditional behavioural tracking. Kontext was founded in 2023 by Andrej Kiska, former partner at Credo Ventures.
The company raised a USD 10 million seed round led by M13, with participation from Torch Capital, Credo Ventures and Parable VC. The capital will support expansion of the engineering and product teams, further development of advertising infrastructure for AI applications, and scaling of new ad formats within the emerging AI-native advertising category.
Brightpick (Credo Ventures, Earlybird Venture Capital, RSJ Investments, Taiwania Capital, Trnka Investments, IPM Group, Alpha Intelligence Capital, H&D Asset Management, Venture to Future Fund, EBRD Venture Capital, Angel Investors)
Brightpick is a leading warehouse-automation solution built on a fully autonomous order-fulfillment system that addresses the key challenges of e-commerce and grocery logistics customers – cost savings, speed
and scalability.
The company has developed its own autonomous AI robots that move independently around the warehouse, pick items and consolidate orders without human intervention – significantly reducing reliance on labour and improving operator margins.
In 2025, a strategic M&A transaction was completed in which U.S.-based Zebra Technologies Inc. acquired the part of the business focused on 3D machine vision – the original Photoneo business. This is one of the most significant tech exits in the Slovak ecosystem – a deal with a strong U.S. strategic player in enterprise automation and logistics. Photoneo remains in Slovakia as a Center of Excellence for the CEE region within the Zebra Technologies group.
A substantial part of the proceeds from the transaction is being reinvested directly into the further development of Brightpick – into R&D, product expansion and scaling on the U.S. market, where demand for autonomous warehouse solutions continues to grow.
Special thanks go to Brightpick’s existing investors, who continue to back the company and make it possible to fully capture the potential of this milestone and pursue ambitious further growth.
Advisors: Dentons, Evercore
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY IMPACT DEAL ČR a SR
DELTA GREEN (Tilia Impact Ventures, Credo Ventures, Purple Ventures)
Czech startup that has developed a solution for connecting smart household appliances and transforming them into so-called virtual batteries. Hardware (such as photovoltaics or electric vehicle charging) is aggregated into a single network that can be remotely controlled to optimize energy consumption—reducing it during periods of high demand or increasing it when prices are low. The aggregation of household flexibility contributes to the stability of the energy grid. In October 2025, the company raised a €2 million investment from existing investors Tilia Impact Ventures, Credo Ventures, and Purple Ventures, with the aim of accelerating its expansion in Europe and scaling the largest virtual power plant of households in the CEE region.
Advisors: Havel & Partners, Mavericks LEGAL
FLOX INTELLIGENCE (Unconventional Ventures)
Swedish startup based in Stockholm that uses artificial intelligence to prevent conflicts between humans and animals. The company was founded in 2020 as a spin-off from research at KTH and develops acoustic systems that can recognize animals in real time and naturally and gently deter them from high-risk areas such as airports, roads, railways, or agricultural land. In August 2025, it raised nearly €1 million in seed funding led by Unconventional Ventures, with participation from investors such as Norrsken Accelerate, Almi Invest, E14 Invest, Argand Partners, and other sustainability-focused angel investors.
GA Drilling (TomEnterprise, Underground Ventures, Nabors Industries, alfa8)
GA Drilling is a high-tech company specialising in advanced drilling technologies that make it possible to tap ultra-deep geothermal energy as a clean, reliable and baseload renewable energy source.
Following a previous USD 15 million funding round,
the company has now raised an additional EUR 39 million in its latest round, which is being directed into further technology development, commercialisation and the scaling of projects in the geothermal energy segment.
Advisor: TaylorWessing e/n/w/c advokáti s. r. o.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY PE FUND MANAGER
CARLYLE
Carlyle is one of the largest and most diversified global investment firms in the world, managing assets worth USD 480 billion. To date, Carlyle has made four investments in the Czech Republic: Phrase (Memsource), Tescan, Meopta, and Adastra.
GENESIS CAPITAL EQUITY
Genesis Capital Equity is a Czech private equity firm that has been supporting the growth of small and medium-sized companies in the Czech Republic and the broader Central European region for more than 26 years. It manages capital exceeding EUR 600 million across six consecutive funds. In summer 2025, Genesis Capital Equity launched its largest fund to date, GPEF V, with a size of nearly EUR 300 million, ranking it among the largest private equity funds in Central Europe. The fund also expanded its investor base to include new institutional investors, thereby enabling broader participation by qualified investors in Central European private equity. GPEF V builds on the strategy of the previous funds: supporting entrepreneurs and management teams in succession planning, expansion, entry into new markets, and the carve-out of local companies from multinational groups. In recent years, the company has significantly increased its investment activity and ranks among the most active investors in the region. The growing volume of capital under management and transaction activity are also reflected in the continued development and strengthening of the team, particularly in investment, legal and finance functions. The Genesis Capital Equity team currently has around 30 members and an active portfolio of 18 companies. The most recent investments since 2025 include NAY Datart, HoReCup, Slevomat Group, Fyzioterapie s úsměvem and POS Media Europe. Significant exits in the recent period include HP Tronic / Datart and Conectart.
JET INVESTMENT
Jet Investment is a Czech private equity group with a strong position in Central Europe and more than 25 years of investment history. It specializes in mid-sized industrial and technology companies and applies an active hands-on approach to portfolio management. The year 2025 was a milestone year for the group, combining value realization with further expansion. A key milestone was the successful exit of Rockfin, which completed an exceptionally successful investment cycle of the Jet 2 fund — achieving a 4.1x return during less than four years of ownership and an IRR of 42%. At the same time, Jet Investment continued investing in and growing its portfolio across industry, energy and material technologies. At the end of 2025, the group launched its fourth private equity fund, Jet 4, with a target size of up to EUR 350 million, confirming its ambition for further long-term growth.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY VC FUND MANAGER
CREDO VENTURES
Credo is one of the oldest and most active VC funds in Central Europe. Since 2009, it has invested in more than 100 early-stage startups and has achieved more than 30 exits to date. Its best-known investments include pre-seed bets on UiPath, ElevenLabs, Productboard, Pricefx, and Resistant AI. Currently, it is investing from its fifth fund with a size of EUR 75 mio. Altogether, over the past 17 years, it has raised nearly EUR 420 mio in assets under management from investors.
KAYA VC
A venture capital fund based in Prague specializing in early-stage investing from pre-seed to Series A in the Central and Eastern European region. The fund has been active on the market since 2011, manages more than EUR 300 million, and has supported over 60 startups. In 2025, its fifth fund generation was launched with the goal of investing in up to 25 new companies. Its most notable investments include unicorns Rohlik and Docplanner, as well as Better Stack, E2B, and Zeta Labs.
TENSOR VENTURES
VC capital fund focused on investing in early-stage technology startups. It concentrates on deep tech sectors with high growth potential, particularly artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, biotechnology, and sustainability-focused projects. Tensor Ventures, through its second fund, targets a total size of approximately EUR 50 million, with a significant portion of the capital provided by the European Investment Fund (EIF). Its investments include companies such as Neuronix AI, UltimateSuite, Heartbeat.bio, and Stacktape.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY PORADCI, BANKY, POJIŠŤOVNY – ČR
CMS CAMERON MCKENNA
CMS was among the first international law firms to establish a presence in the Czech Republic and has advised clients in the market for over 30 years. The firm combines long standing local experience with international capability, supporting clients across Czech legal and commercial matters. The Prague office comprises more than 40 Czech and internationally qualified lawyers. CMS advises on complex transactions, commercial agreements governed by Czech or English law, and other high value legal mandates, delivering local execution with cross border support. Many clients work with CMS on a long term basis, relying on the firm for ongoing legal advice and strategic projects, reflecting the consistency of its teams and the quality of its legal work.
ČESKÁ SPOŘITELNA
Bank with the longest tradition in the Czech market and at the same time the largest bank in terms of number of clients. As part of the Česká spořitelna Financial Group, it provides comprehensive solutions for entrepreneurs and companies, from investment, acquisition, and project financing, through support for export activities and advisory services in M&A, to listings on bond or equity capital markets. The bank’s strategic objective is to support innovation and increase the added value and competitiveness of companies and the overall economy. Česká spořitelna therefore focuses on supporting both traditional companies and innovative start-ups. For this reason, it was the first traditional bank on the domestic market to enter the field of PE and VC not only as an advisor but also as an active investor.
DENTONS
Dentons is the law firm sponsors and founders call when the deal has to close. Its 70+ Prague lawyers advised on several of the defining Czech PE/VC transactions of 2025, including the sale of Adastra to Carlyle, Genesis Capital’s acquisition of Slevomat Group, EP Equity Investment on the acquisition of AAA Auto and Mototechna from Abris Capital Partners or the Snowflake investment in Ataccama. Recognized as Law Firm of the Year 2025 (M&A) by epravo.cz and ranked by Forbes as the largest law firm in the Czech Republic by revenue, Dentons combines market-leading local expertise with global scale. With 12,500+ lawyers across 80+ countries—including a 1,500-lawyer global Private Equity group—the firm supports clients across the full deal lifecycle, from fund formation to exit.
HOWDEN
Leading European provider of transactional insurance solutions. In 2024, arranged over 2,000 insurance policies for transactions with a total value of EUR 210 billion. As part of Howden Group, one of the world’s largest insurance brokers, combines global expertise with strong local knowledge. For over 12 years, Howden M&A CEE has advised PE funds and investors across CEE, supporting complex M&A transactions, especially in the PE/VC segment. Their multidisciplinary team structures and places a broad range of transactional insurance products, including W&I, tax, environmental, title and contingent liability insurance, helping investors transfer transaction risks and execute deals successfully.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY PORADCI, BANKY, POJIŠŤOVNY – SK
Deloitte SK
Deloitte Slovakia is one of the leading companies providing professional advisory services through more than 600 specialized professionals in branches in Bratislava, Žilina and Košice. It also provides specialized services in the field of transaction advisory and valuation of companies. It helps clients understand and minimize the risks associated with the transaction and maximize the value. Comprehensive services include financial, tax and legal advice on the purchase and sale of companies, due diligence reviews, valuation and financial modeling and advice on the integration of companies after the transaction.
doubleYou Partners
doubleYou Partners is a Slovak M&A and Due Diligence boutique with four Slovak partners, each having completed dozens of buy-side and sell-side transactions. The partners bring extensive experience across transactions, audit, and executive
management roles within manufacturing, trading, and specialised sectors including energy, telecommunications, and real estate.
The partners at doubleYou Partners work directly with data rooms and leverage AI tools instead of relying on traditional junior-heavy pyramid structures, helping the firm avoid inefficient review and re-work cycles often associated with conventional advisory models.
Together with the tax and legal M&A teams of BDO Slovakia, the firm provides a fully integrated one-stop-shop solution covering the entire M&A process, from initial investor outreach and transaction marketing through to the settlement of the final earn-out.
A key completed sell-side mandate in 2025 was the sale of HoReCup to Genesis Capital.
Majerník & Miháliková
Majerník & Miháliková, s. r. o. is a Slovak law firm founded in 2011. It is one of the leading firms focused on corporate law, M&A and investment transactions, with strong exposure to the technology sector, venture capital and the startup ecosystem.
The firm has supported a number of successful startups throughout their full life cycle up to exit, and also works with VC/PE funds and accelerators.
Its partners are long-standing advocates for improving the legal environment for tech companies – contributing, for example, to drafting the amendment to the Commercial Code that introduced the simple joint-stock company, authoring a commentary on the Conversions Act, preparing a model CLA, and developing legal-tech solutions.
Tatra banka
For more than 30 years, Tatra banka has been the leader in corporate banking on the Slovak market. It provides comprehensive solutions for small, mid-sized and large companies across payments, cash management, financing and investment products. The bank plays a key role in structured and project finance and ranks among the leaders in both the volume and number of syndicated and club transactions. Its strength lies in combining a tailored approach, deep knowledge of the local market and the ability to deliver innovative solutions – reflected in the fact that it was the first Slovak bank to invest in Slovak and Czech private equity funds.
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