# Czech Business Review

> Business, technology and policy analysis from Czechia and Central Europe. Independent, data-led reporting on Czech and Central European business, technology and economic policy. Operated from San José, Costa Rica.

All content pages are server-rendered HTML and may be cited with attribution to Czech Business Review.

## AI (/ai)

Czech AI news and analysis: how far enterprise adoption has actually travelled, what the government's National AI Strategy has bought for CZK 19bn, and where AI is reshaping industrial supply chains. We track the data rather than the announcements, and update figures as the CNB, EIB and CEE AI Index publish new numbers.

- [The Quiet 12 Percent: How ČEZ Is Using AI to Keep the Grid Running, Not Just to Power It](/ai/czech-energy-grid-ai-cez-predictive-maintenance): ČEZ cut unplanned outages roughly 12% with predictive maintenance AI. Inside the utility's smart-grid build-out — and how it differs from the data-centre story. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [Two Messages, One Answer: How a Prague Startup Is Testing AI on the Smallest Units of Czech Government](/ai/czech-municipal-ai-chatbots-citymind-egovernment): Citymind's AI chatbots serve Prague 6 and a South Moravian village. Citizen ratings beat the national e-government benchmark — with a vendor-data caveat. By Jan. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [The Czech AI Talent War: Inside the Salaries, Poaching and Skills Gap Behind the Adoption Numbers](/ai/czech-ai-talent-hiring-skills-gap): Salaries, poaching and the skills gap behind Czech AI adoption — who's hiring, and why demand outstrips supply. By Jan. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [Who's Paying for the Compute? Czech Data Centres and the Quiet Race to Power Them](/ai/czech-data-centers-ai-infrastructure-energy): A new Brno-area facility and a $19bn nuclear bet reveal how Czechia plans to power its AI ambitions. By Petra. Published 2026-08-15, last updated 2026-08-15.
- [Czech Banks' Quiet AI Build-Out: Fraud Detection, Faster Onboarding and a Widening Gap With Fintech](/ai/czech-banking-fintech-ai-fraud-detection): Fraud detection, faster onboarding, real returns: inside AI in production at ČSOB, Česká spořitelna and KB. By Petra. Published 2026-08-14, last updated 2026-08-14.
- [NAIS and Beyond: Grading the Czech Government's AI Strategy Against Its CZK 19bn Price Tag](/ai/nais-czech-government-ai-strategy-audit): NAIS 2030 promised pilots, funding and EU AI Act readiness. Here's what's delivered so far — and what hasn't. By Petra. Published 2026-08-14, last updated 2026-08-15.
- [Czech Retail's AI Pivot: Inside the Warehouses and Routing Algorithms Powering Rohlik and Its Rivals](/ai/czech-retail-ecommerce-ai-automation): Demand forecasting, dynamic pricing and same-day delivery: AI's most commercially proven Czech use case. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-13, last updated 2026-08-13.
- [The Automotive Squeeze: How AI and the EV Transition Are Reshaping Czechia's Škoda-Anchored Supply Chain](/ai/automotive-ai-ev-transition-czech-supply-chain): Škoda's battery push and AI-driven logistics are forcing Czech automotive suppliers through a double transition. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-12, last updated 2026-08-12.
- [Who's Actually Deploying AI? A Reality Check on Czech and CEE Enterprise Adoption](/ai/czech-cee-enterprise-ai-adoption-reality-check): Czech firms lead the EU on AI use — but adoption drops sharply outside large enterprises. Here's the data. By Petra. Published 2026-08-10, last updated 2026-08-14.

## Consulting (/consulting)

Coverage of the Czech consulting industry — from the Big Four's Prague, Brno and Ostrava delivery engines to the homegrown IT services firms competing with them. We look at where the work actually gets done, what clients pay for it, and how AI is changing the delivery model.

- [Half a Million People, One Job: Inside Poland's Business Services Machine](/consulting/poland-nearshoring-absl-business-services-hub-2026): Poland's business services sector now employs over half a million people. How ABSL's 2026 report compares to Prague's own consulting hub. By Petra. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [The Billable Hour's Slow Death: Why CEE's Tech Agencies Are Rewriting Their Contracts](/consulting/cee-tech-agencies-ai-outcome-based-pricing-shift): AI-assisted coding is breaking the hourly-billing model. How Polish, Czech and regional software houses are repricing around outcomes. By Jan. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [The Czech IT Outsourcing Shift: From Cost Centre to Product Owner](/consulting/czech-it-outsourcing-shift-product-ownership): How Czech firms like STRV and Profinit moved from staff augmentation to owned product development. By Jan. Published 2026-08-08, last updated 2026-08-08.
- [The Big Four and Beyond: How Prague Became CEE's Consulting Hub](/consulting/big-four-prague-cee-consulting-hub): How Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG built delivery-centre operations in Prague — and what's shifting toward AI-led work. By Jan. Published 2026-08-04, last updated 2026-08-04.

## Startups (/startups)

Reporting on the Czech startup ecosystem: regional clusters like Brno's cyber security scene, the state and bank-funded support machine behind them, and the persistent gap between seeding companies and scaling them internationally.

- [The Studio That Never Took a Kč of Outside Money: How STRV Built Tinder's Apps From Karlín](/startups/strv-lubos-smid-prague-app-studio-story): How four Czech friends built STRV—an app studio for Tinder and Porsche—without outside funding, and why founder Lubo Smid now owns it outright. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [From a Bucharest Apartment to the Nasdaq: How Romania's Consulting Sector Produced CEE's Biggest Tech Exit](/startups/romania-uipath-cluj-napoca-tech-cluster-daniel-dines): UiPath started as a Bucharest outsourcing shop. Its Nasdaq IPO and Cluj-Napoca's tech cluster show Romania's consulting-to-product pivot. By Jan. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [Prague's Quietest Unicorn Just Raised $300 Million. Most People Still Think It's Dutch.](/startups/mews-hospitality-saas-prague-series-d-2026): Mews raised $300M at a $2.5B valuation — the largest European hotel-tech round yet. Why is Europe's business press calling it Dutch? By Petra. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [After Selling Zásilkovna, Simona Kijonková Is Quietly Buying Up the Next Generation](/startups/packeta-zasilkovna-sale-kijonkova-jsk-investments): Packeta sold to CVC and Emma Capital in 2024. Its founder's investment vehicle has since bought into healthcare devices, e-commerce and US health tech. By Jan. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [Six Million Copies Later: How a Medieval Bohemian RPG Became the Czech Tech Sector's Best Export](/startups/czech-video-game-industry-warhorse-bohemia-interactive): Kingdom Come: Deliverance II sold 6 million copies. The Prague and Brno studio cluster behind it predates most of Czech tech's VC-funded scene. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [From CubeSats to a Climate Satellite: How Czech Space Startups Quietly Built a Second Ecosystem](/startups/czech-space-tech-esa-bic-startups-2026): Czech space startups have gone from instruments to full satellite subsystems. ESA funding math still trails Poland — here's the gap. By Petra. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [Who's Actually Writing the First Cheque? Inside Czechia's Venture Capital Bench](/startups/czech-venture-capital-credo-ventures-fund-v-2026): Credo Ventures closed its largest-ever fund. A look at the small group of Prague-based VCs deciding which CEE founders get funded first. By Petra. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [Prague's Unicorn Class of 2026: Which Czech Tech Companies Are Actually Scaling](/startups/czech-tech-unicorns-scaleups-2026): Beyond Rohlik and Productboard: the Czech-founded companies actually converting technical strength into scale. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [CzechInvest, JIC and Start it @ČSOB: Grading the State's Startup Support Machine](/startups/czechinvest-jic-start-it-csob-audit): Comparing CzechInvest, JIC and Start it @ČSOB: strong at seeding startups, weaker at scaling-stage capital. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-15, last updated 2026-08-15.
- [Brno's Cybersecurity Cluster: Inside the Region Investors Call "the CEE Fort Knox"](/startups/brno-cybersecurity-cluster-cee-fort-knox): Inside Brno's cyber security ecosystem: JIC's infrastructure, the capital gap holding it back, and companies to watch. By Vanek. Published 2026-08-06, last updated 2026-08-06.

## Economy (/economy)

Macroeconomic analysis for Czechia and Central Europe — central bank forecasts, inflation and wage data, and what they mean for companies operating in the region. Economy coverage is updated on at least a quarterly cadence as CNB and Ministry of Finance projections move.

- [The Sector That Kept Shipping: Ukraine's IT Industry Four Years Into the War](/economy/ukraine-it-industry-wartime-resilience-2026): Ukraine's IT exports hit $6.66bn in 2025, funding defence spending. Why software survived the war when other sectors didn't. By Petra. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [The $8 Billion Exit Still Shaping Prague's Tech Scene, Four Years Later](/economy/avast-gen-digital-prague-czech-tech-exit-legacy): Avast's $8.6B merger into Gen Digital was Czechia's biggest tech exit. Its dual Prague–Tempe HQ still shapes the city's cybersecurity scene. By Petra. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [The Coal City's Second Act: How Ostrava Is Trying to Become a Tech Hub, Not Just an AI Compute Site](/economy/ostrava-digital-transformation-tech-hub-beyond-prague-brno): EDIH Ostrava is digitalising the region's manufacturing SMEs, not building AI infrastructure. Here's how the two Ostrava tech stories differ. By Petra. Published 2026-08-16, last updated 2026-08-16.
- [Why Brussels Quietly Loosened the AI Act — and What It Means for Czech Businesses](/economy/eu-digital-omnibus-ai-act-simplification): The EU's Digital Omnibus delays AI Act deadlines by a year or more. What it means for Czech compliance timelines. By Jan. Published 2026-08-15, last updated 2026-08-15.

## MarTech (/martech)

Marketing technology in Czechia and the wider CEE region: the startups building it, the agencies and brands buying it, and how AI tooling is changing marketing budgets.

- No published articles yet in this section.

## Authors

- [Petra](/authors/petra): Market & Czech Economy Specialist, Czech Business Review. Beats: Economy, Monetary Policy, EU Regulation, Banking & Infrastructure.
- [Jan](/authors/jan): Contributor, Czech Business Review · Independent Journalist. Beats: AI Policy, Labour Market, EU Regulation.
- [Vanek](/authors/vanek): Contributor, Czech Business Review · Independent Journalist. Beats: Startups, Scale-ups, Sector AI Adoption.

## About

- [About & Editorial Standards](/about): sourcing practices, correction policy, update cadence and contact details.

## Sister publications

- [Meridian Review Group](/meridian): publishing group behind Czech Business Review, British Business Review and Global Markets Review.
- [British Business Review](/uk): UK-focused coverage of AI, tech business, startups and business regulation.
- [The UK's Digital Markets Act Equivalent: What the DMCC Act Means for Big Tech](/uk/regulation/dmcc-act-cma-big-tech-uk): The CMA has already designated Apple and Google under the DMCC Act and imposed its first conduct requirements. Here's what the Act does — and what it means for smaller UK businesses too. Published 2026-08-14.
- [UK Retailers Bet Big on AI-Personalised Marketing Ahead of Christmas Trading](/uk/martech/uk-retail-ai-personalisation-christmas-2026): From Tesco Clubcard to John Lewis's £800m AI push, UK retailers are betting on personalisation ahead of the trading period that decides their year. Published 2026-08-13.
- [How UK Manufacturers Are Quietly Adopting AI on the Factory Floor](/uk/ai/ai-uk-manufacturing-predictive-maintenance): Predictive maintenance adoption among UK manufacturers more than doubled in a year. Here's what the data shows — and why skills, not budget, is now the bottleneck. Published 2026-08-12.
- [Bank of England Rate Decisions and Their Ripple Effect on UK Tech Funding](/uk/economy/bank-of-england-rate-uk-tech-funding): The Bank of England has held rates at 3.75% since December 2025. Here's how that's shaping venture funding conditions for UK tech companies. Published 2026-08-11.
- [London's AI Startup Corridor: Why Founders Are Choosing Shoreditch Over Silicon Valley](/uk/startups/london-ai-startups-2026): London AI startups raised $12bn in the first seven months of 2026. Here's what's actually driving the city's AI cluster. Published 2026-08-09.
- [Companies House Reform: The New Verification Rules Every UK Founder Needs to Know](/uk/regulation/companies-house-id-verification-deadline): Every UK director and PSC now has to verify their identity with Companies House. Here's the timeline, the process, and what happens if you miss it. Published 2026-08-07.
- [Revolut's Next Act: Inside Britain's Most Valuable Fintech's Global Push](/uk/startups/revolut-uk-banking-licence-global-expansion): After a five-year wait, Revolut is a fully licensed UK bank. Here's what that changes — and what it signals about London's fintech ambitions. Published 2026-08-05.
- [UK Government's AI Regulation Roadmap: What It Means for Business](/uk/regulation/uk-ai-regulation-business-2026): The UK still has no AI Act. Here's what the sector-by-sector approach actually requires of businesses using AI in 2026. Published 2026-08-03.
- [Global Markets Review](/global): Markets, stocks and earnings analysis for investors in the US, UK and Europe.
- [Wall Street Enters Record-High Territory as Traders Brace for a Pivotal Fed Week](/global/markets/sp500-record-high-fed-jackson-hole-week): The S&P 500 is at record highs, but retail earnings, FOMC minutes and Jackson Hole this week could decide if the rally holds into September. Published 2026-08-17.
- [Walmart, Target and Home Depot Earnings This Week Will Test How Resilient the US Consumer Really Is](/global/earnings/walmart-target-home-depot-retail-earnings-week): Six major retailers report this week. Here's what Walmart, Target and Home Depot earnings will reveal about the US consumer heading into fall. Published 2026-08-17.
- [Nvidia Earnings Preview: What to Watch When the AI Bellwether Reports on August 26](/global/stocks/nvidia-earnings-preview-august-26-2026): Nvidia reports Q2 earnings August 26. Analysts expect $93–95B in revenue. Here's what could move NVDA stock and the broader AI trade. Published 2026-08-17.
- [Gold Grinds Toward Record Highs While Bitcoin Struggles to Reclaim $70K — Two Very Different Safe-Haven Trades](/global/commodities/gold-record-high-bitcoin-price-divergence): Gold is climbing toward record highs on central bank buying, while Bitcoin sits 49% below its 2025 peak. Here's why the two hedges are diverging. Published 2026-08-17.
- [European Stocks Are at Record Highs — and It's Not the Names You'd Expect](/global/markets/european-stocks-record-high-2026): The FTSE, DAX, CAC 40 and STOXX 600 are all at record highs in 2026, led by chip-equipment stocks rather than luxury or pharma names. Published 2026-08-17.
- [The IPO Market Is Roaring Back in 2026 — and the Biggest Deals May Still Be Ahead](/global/ipos/ipo-market-rebound-2026-medline-spacex-databricks): Medline's record IPO reopened the new-issue window. With SpaceX, OpenAI and Databricks reportedly weighing listings, 2026 could top 2021. Published 2026-08-17.
- [Morgan Stanley Names Nvidia, Broadcom and Astera Labs as Its Top Chip Stocks for 2026](/global/analyst-ratings/morgan-stanley-top-chip-stocks-2026): Morgan Stanley names Nvidia, Broadcom and Astera Labs its top semiconductor picks for 2026, and argues AI gains broaden into memory and equipment. Published 2026-08-17.
- [Oil Climbs as Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Lapses and Iran Sanctions Loom](/global/commodities/oil-price-israel-lebanon-iran-sanctions): Brent crude pushed toward $89 a barrel as Middle East tensions resurface, complicating the Fed's inflation outlook ahead of a pivotal week. Published 2026-08-17.
- [Gold Holds Its Gains as Oil Slips: The Commodities Read-Through](/global/news/gold-oil-commodities-market-wrap): Gold near record levels while crude softens. What the divergence says about rates, growth and equity sector rotation. Published 2026-08-16.
- [The S&P 500 Is at a Record. Ten Stocks Are Doing Most of the Work.](/global/markets/sp-500-nasdaq-record-highs-ai-concentration): The S&P 500 and Nasdaq are at record highs, but a handful of AI-linked megacaps drive the gains. What concentration means for US stock investors. Published 2026-08-14.
- [The Q3 Earnings Calendar That Actually Matters](/global/earnings/q3-2026-earnings-calendar-what-to-watch): A guide to the Q3 2026 earnings calendar — key reporting dates, consensus EPS estimates and the guidance lines that move markets. Published 2026-08-13.
- [Semiconductor Price Targets Keep Rising. Ratings Mostly Don't.](/global/analyst-ratings/semiconductor-price-target-upgrades-august-2026): August brought a cluster of semiconductor price-target increases with few rating changes. What upgrades, downgrades and target revisions actually signal. Published 2026-08-12.
- [The Fed Has Stopped Being the Main Story. That Is the Risk.](/global/economy/federal-reserve-rate-path-equity-valuations): Interest rates, inflation and equity valuations: why the Federal Reserve's path still sets the discount rate under record US stock prices. Published 2026-08-11.
- [The FTSE 100 Is Cheap for a Reason — and It Still Might Be Too Cheap](/global/markets/ftse-100-dax-european-stocks-outlook): UK and European stocks trade at a persistent discount to US equities. What index composition explains, what it doesn't, and where the value sits. Published 2026-08-10.
- [The IPO Window Is Open Again, but Only for a Certain Kind of Company](/global/news/ipo-market-reopens-listings-pipeline): The IPO market has reopened after a multi-year drought. What the current listings pipeline says about investor appetite and pricing discipline. Published 2026-08-09.

### Global Markets Review stock data pages

- [NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)](/global/stocks/nvda): NASDAQ-listed Semiconductors. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Apple Inc. (AAPL)](/global/stocks/aapl): NASDAQ-listed Consumer Electronics. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)](/global/stocks/msft): NASDAQ-listed Software & Cloud. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)](/global/stocks/googl): NASDAQ-listed Internet & Advertising. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)](/global/stocks/amzn): NASDAQ-listed E-commerce & Cloud. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)](/global/stocks/meta): NASDAQ-listed Internet & Advertising. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Tesla, Inc. (TSLA)](/global/stocks/tsla): NASDAQ-listed Automotive & Energy. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)](/global/stocks/amd): NASDAQ-listed Semiconductors. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)](/global/stocks/avgo): NASDAQ-listed Semiconductors. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSM)](/global/stocks/tsm): NYSE-listed Semiconductors. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [ASML Holding N.V. (ASML)](/global/stocks/asml): Euronext Amsterdam-listed Semiconductor Equipment. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [SAP SE (SAP)](/global/stocks/sap): XETRA-listed Enterprise Software. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Shell plc (SHEL)](/global/stocks/shel): LSE-listed Energy. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [AstraZeneca PLC (AZN)](/global/stocks/azn): LSE-listed Pharmaceuticals. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [HSBC Holdings plc (HSBA)](/global/stocks/hsba): LSE-listed Banking. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Unilever PLC (ULVR)](/global/stocks/ulvr): LSE-listed Consumer Staples. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM)](/global/stocks/jpm): NYSE-listed Banking. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Eli Lilly and Company (LLY)](/global/stocks/lly): NYSE-listed Pharmaceuticals. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Oracle Corporation (ORCL)](/global/stocks/orcl): NYSE-listed Enterprise Software. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Intel Corporation (INTC)](/global/stocks/intc): NASDAQ-listed Semiconductors. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Walmart Inc. (WMT)](/global/stocks/wmt): NYSE-listed Consumer Staples. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Target Corporation (TGT)](/global/stocks/tgt): NYSE-listed Consumer Discretionary. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [The Home Depot, Inc. (HD)](/global/stocks/hd): NYSE-listed Consumer Discretionary. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW)](/global/stocks/low): NYSE-listed Consumer Discretionary. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX)](/global/stocks/tjx): NYSE-listed Consumer Discretionary. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.
- [The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL)](/global/stocks/el): NYSE-listed Consumer Staples. Price, valuation, analyst consensus and next earnings date. Data is illustrative and delayed.

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Total published articles: 50 across three titles, plus 26 stock data pages.