CVCA & SLOVCA AWARDS 2025 WERE PRESENTED
At a festive gala evening in the beautiful setting of the Hradná Restaurant under Bratislava Castle, after a dramatic voting process among SLOVCA and CVCA members, the awards were presented for the fifth edition of the CVCA & SLOVCA Awards.
At the beginning of the year, members of both associations nominated their favorites in a total of nine categories and special Hall of Fame category. Some categories are common to Czech and Slovak Republic, while others are national. During April, a professional jury, which included representatives from EIB, EIF, and significant players in the Czech and Slovak PE and VC markets, selected three and sometimes four finalists in each category. Members of SLOVCA and CVCA voted online for the winners until June 7, 2025.
In addition to the winners of the main categories, special recognition for contributions to the PE and VC market was awarded to Iveta Griačová, the former chairwoman of the SLOVCA board. This year, Stanislav Šumský (KPMG Slovakia, in memoriam) and Martin Magál (A&O Shearman, in memoriam) were exceptionally inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The CVCA & SLOVCA Awards are jointly organized by the Slovak Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SLOVCA) and the Czech Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (CVCA), which bring together venture capital and private equity funds, financial institutions, and service providers in the field of private marketins in the Slovak and Czech Republic. Similar to SLOVCA, CVCA aims to develop and support the venture capital and private equity sector and to represent their interests in cooperation with Slovak, Czech, and European authorities.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY PE DEAL – SR
GGE (Infracapital)
GGE, a leading Slovak energy group, investing in many areas including generation, distribution and supply and one of only a few energy groups significantly investing
in production capacities and innovation, owning a heating plant, an energy trader Elgas, local distribution networks and more than 90 kilometers of heat distribution lines in six towns, active also on the Polish and Czech markets.
Czech financier Pavel Hubáček’s Creditas Group took over GGE, buying a 100% stake in GGE.
This complex transaction was the largest in Slovakia’s energy sector in recent years, structured as an auction sale with multiple bidders and workstreams.
Advisors: Sell-side: Dentons, Poláček & Partners, Barger Prekop; Buy-side: Bpv a Watson Farley
I.D.C. Holding
The producer of the iconic Horalky has changed ownership.
IDC Holding, Slovakia’s largest producer of confectionery and long-shelf-life bakery products, is known for brands like Sedita, Figaro, and Verbena.
It holds a strong position across the V4 countries and exports its products globally.
The new owner is Valeo Foods Group, part of the global private equity firm Bain Capital. The acquisition was based on strong mutual synergies between the two companies.
Valeo is among the fastest-growing food groups in Europe. With over 80 brands in its portfolio, its products now reach consumers in 106 countries worldwide.
Advisors: Sell-side: ProRate, Dentons, SLSP; Buy-side: PwC UK, A&O Shearman
Webglobe (Sandberg Capital)
In May 2024, Sandberg Capital’s portfolio company Webglobe was acquired by group.one, a leading European digital solutions provider backed by
Cinven and the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan. Sandberg partnered with founders Igor Strečko and Juraj Hantak in 2019 to support Webglobe’s ambitious growth journey. Over the course of the partnership, Webglobe transformed into one of Central Europe’s top web hosting providers—managing nearly 300,000 domains for 100,000 clients and representing 10% of all national domain registrations across Slovakia, Czechia, and Serbia. This growth was accelerated by a disciplined buy-and-build strategy, with 19 strategic acquisitions completed under Sandberg’s ownership, significantly expanding Webglobe’s geographic footprint and service capabilities.
Sell-side advisors: Raymond James; Barger Prekop; Kocián, Šolc, Balaštík; Moravčevič, Vojnovič a partneri; BDO.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY PE DEAL – CR
DATART (Genesis Capital Equity)
HP Tronic – Datart (now called Nay-Datart) is a leading retailer of consumer electronics and home appliances in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Its operating model is based on omnichannel approach, seamlessly integrating online and offline sales channels. At the time of GPEF III investment in 2017, the company was launching a complex integration of HP Tronic and Datart. Later, the company managed to overcome all the covid-related setbacks and expanded its market share. GPEF III exited the investment in April 2024, when its share was bought out by the majority co-investor, HP Invest.
Homecare Holding (Genesis Capital Growth)
Homecare Holding is the leading provider of home healthcare services in the Czech Republic, operating in Prague and Plzeň.
The company offers both post-operative and long-term care, medication administration, as well as highly specialized procedures. With a team of fifty nurses, it cares for several thousand patients annually. Since 2020, the GGEF I fund has restructured and modernized the company, focusing on digitalization, ethics, professional expertise, and team stability. Under new management, Homecare Holding managed to grow both organically and through acquisitions. The successful transformation and expansion of the company were confirmed by a significant return on investment upon its sale to the Penta Hospitals, with the exit proceeds representing a substantial share of the total size of the GGEF I fund.
Advisors: Sell-side: PANAGA, JŠK; Buy-side: EY, AK Evan
TEDOM (Jet Investment)
TEDOM is a leading Czech company specializing in the manufacturing and supply of cogeneration units and energy solutions. It was founded in 1992 and has since grown
into an important player in the alternative energy market. The company focuses on producing efficient and environmentally friendly systems for generating electricity and heat. It offers solutions for industrial enterprises, municipalities, and households. Its technologies help reduce emissions and promote sustainable development. TEDOM has manufacturing plants in the Czech Republic and abroad, expanding its global reach. Thanks to its focus on quality and ecology, TEDOM has built a strong position in the energy technology market.
Advisors: DRV Legal, PwC
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY VC INVESTMENTS – SR
Cloudtalk (HenQ Capital Partners B.V., KPN Ventures, Lead Ventures, Orbit Capital, Point Nine Management, Presto Ventures)
CloudTalk develops AI-powered telephony and call center software. The platform offers features such as smart dialing, click-to-call, callback and automatic call tracking and recording. The Slovak-Czech startup has more than 2 500 clients in 100 countries, including Revolut, Glovo and DHL. Last year, Cloudtalk closed EUR 26 mio investment round.
GA Drilling (Nabors Industries, alfa8, TomEnterprise, Underground Ventures a Neulogy Ventures)
GA Drilling is a high-tech company specializing in advanced drilling technologies designed to unlock ultra-deep geothermal energy as a clean, reliable, and baseload
renewable energy source. The company recently secured $15 million in its latest investment round following a series of successful technology demonstrations.
Advisor: TaylorWessing e/n/w/c advokáti s. r. o.
Brightpick (EBRD, founders of Avast, ESET, Finviz, RSJ Investments)
Brightpick is redefining warehouse automation with a fully autonomous, AI-powered picking system that addresses a critical cost and scalability challenge in e-commerce
and grocery logistics. A spin-off from Photoneo, the company has developed a proprietary fleet of robotic pickers that navigate warehouse aisles, retrieve items, and consolidate orders without human intervention—dramatically lowering labor dependency and improving fulfillment speed and margins.
In 2024 Brightpick secured a US$12 million equity and venture debt round, led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)—marking its first venture debt investment in the Slovak Republic. The funding supports ongoing R&D and U.S. market expansion, where demand for scalable, efficient fulfillment solutions continues to grow.
Advisor: Havel & Partners
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY VC INVESTMENTS – CR
E2B (KAYA VC, Decibel VC)
E2B is an innovative technology company specializing in the development of secure, open-source sandbox cloud environments for artificial intelligence. Its main goal is to enable the creation of isolated cloud environments with a single line of code, making it easier to integrate AI agents into various systems. E2B emphasizes security, flexibility, and ease of use in its solutions. Their platform is suitable for developers and companies looking to test and deploy AI with maximum data protection. E2B focuses on supporting the development of AI technologies in a safe and controlled environment. Through its solutions, it contributes to accelerating innovation in artificial intelligence and cloud technologies. E2B closed a 10 mil. USD investment round in 2024.
Mews (Kinnevik, Orbit Capital, Notion Capital, Goldman Sachs)
Mews is an innovative technology startup founded in 2012 that specializes in developing cloud-based software for the hospitality industry. Its platform offers modern solutions for hotel operations management, reservations, and guest services, helping hotels improve efficiency and enhance guest satisfaction. Mews is known for its user-friendly interface and integration with a wide range of other systems, allowing easy management of hotel operations in one place. Mews has raised over 100 mil. USD in its latest funding round, earning it unicorn status.
ThreatMark (Orbit Capital, Octopus Ventures, Riverside Acceleration Capital, Springtide Ventures)
ThreatMark develops fraud disruption software powered by behavioral biometrics and artificial intelligence. The platform analyzes user behavior in real time to uncover sophisticated threats such as account takeovers and authorized push payment fraud. The Brno-based cybersecurity startup serves clients across Europe, the USA, Latin America, Canada, and Asia, and its technology protects over 50 million users. ThreatMark closed 13,5 mil. USD investment round in 2024.
Upheal (KAYA VC, Headline VC, Credo Ventures)
Upheal is an AI-powered platform for mental health clinicians, offering automated progress notes, secure video calling, and analytics. Designed for therapists, psychiatrists, and coaches, it integrates with electronic health records (EHRs) and telehealth solutions, ensuring HIPAA compliance and data security. One of Upheal’s key features is its ability to return the initial investment even after the very first session, as it enables clinicians to save hours each month that can be otherwise spent on additional client sessions. Upheal closed a 10 mil. USD investment round in 2024.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY IMPACT DEAL – CR and SR
Delta Green (Tilia Impact Ventures, Credo Ventures, Purple Ventures)
Delta Green is a Czech startup that has developed a solution for integrating smart home appliances and transforming households into virtual batteries.
Hardware devices (e.g., PV systems, EVs) are interconnected into a single network that can be controlled remotely, allowing regulation of energy consumption during periods of high demand or increasing it when prices are low. Aggregating flexibility across households can have a significantly positive impact on the stability of the energy grid. It closed a 2.2 EUR mil. seed round in 2024.
Advisors: Havel & Partners (Investor), Mavericks LEGAL (Delta Green)
FaceUp (Reflex Capital, Tilia Impact Ventures, Lighthouse Ventures)
FaceUp is a Prague-based impact startup providing an anonymous, user-friendly, and customizable platform that fosters a healthier “speak-up” culture
in organizations and schools. By addressing critical issues like bullying, harassment, and discrimination, FaceUp empowers individuals to report concerns safely while helping organizations proactively create safer and more inclusive environments. With over 1,000 paying customers across 60+ countries, FaceUp is driving cultural shifts and bridging the gap between regulatory compliance and genuine engagement. FaceUp received 70 mil. CZK in 2024 in a late-seed investment.
Advisors: Glatzova & Co. (Investor), Payton Legal (FaceUp)
MultiplexDX (Venture to Future Fund, Crowdberry, LUMUS, Neulogy VC)
MultiplexDX is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative diagnostic tests aimed at accurate and personalized cancer diagnostics.
Its mission is to reduce the incidence of misdiagnoses and enable more effective treatment for patients. One of the company’s flagship products is Multiplex8+, a diagnostic test that facilitates precise and rapid detection of breast cancer by identifying genetic and molecular alterations in cells. This technology enhances treatment success rates and improves patient outcomes. In the previous year, the company raised EUR 7.5 million in an investment round.
Advisor: Barger Prekop s.r.o.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY PE FUND MANAGER
Genesis Capital Equity
Czech private equity firm with a 25-year history and over EUR 300 million under management in five successive funds.
It provides capital for the financing of acquisitions and supports the growth and development of small and medium-sized companies in the Czech Republic and the Central European region. Since the beginning of 2024, it has completed five platform investments, five add-on investments, and two successful exits. During this period, it has also significantly expanded its team of investment professionals.
Significant recent investments: Borcad CZ, Hecht Motors, TES Vsetín, XBS Group, PFX Group, STT Servis, AV Media, Kasper Kovo, Schulte Group, GAF, NAY Datart, and HoReCup. Exits 2024–2025: HP Tronic / Datart and Conectart.
Genesis Capital Growth
Genesis Capital Growth is a PE manager focused on investing in small and medium-sized companies, primarily in Central and Eastern Europe, with significant growth potential. Since its inception in 2019, the Genesis Growth Equity Fund has completed 11 investments, several add-on investments, and the first successful exit. Its investments include companies such as R2B2, Homecare Holding, SEA Enterprises, Knihobot.cz, Carussel Holding, TechPlasty, or LLP Group. In 2024, Genesis Growth closed six new investments and completed the successful exit of portfolio company Homecare Holding, generating substantial returns to the fund’s investors.
Sandberg Capital
Sandberg Capital is a Slovak private equity company founded in 2014. It focuses on investing in small and medium-sized businesses in Slovakia and the broader Central and Eastern European region, particularly in the areas of IT, telecommunications, agriculture, education, and retail. Sandberg Capital manages over €340 million on behalf of private and institutional investors.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY VC FUND MANAGER
Credo Ventures
A leading central European venture capital fund focused on investments in early-stage technology startups. Credo Ventures has raised more than EUR 250 million since 2010, and currently invests from its fourth fund sized EUR 75 million. With more than 100 investments. Credo is one of the most active venture investors in the region. Significant investments include: Productboard, UiPath, ElevenLabs, BrightPick, Resistant AI or Ezra AI.
KAYA VC
KAYA VC is a Prague-based venture capital firm active in the technology startup ecosystem since 2011.
The fund specializes in early-stage
investments with a particular focus on the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. With €300 million in assets under management, KAYA VC is currently launching its fifth fund generation, targeting a fund size of €75 million. Significant investments in recent years include: Rohlík, Better Stack, Docplanner, Upheal and E2B.
Tensor Ventures
It is a private investment fund focused on supporting and financing technology startups, primarily in their early stages. The fund mainly invests in areas such as quantum technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and sustainability projects. It is known for its active involvement in the development of its portfolio companies and collaboration with leading startup ecosystems. The goal of Tensor Ventures is to support groundbreaking projects with the potential for global impact and help them grow in the market. Tensor Ventures launched its second fund, targeting a size of 1.25 billion CZK (half a billion of which was invested by EIF). Some of its notable investments include Neuronix AI, UltimateSuite, Heartbeat.bio and Stacktape.
Venture to Future Fund
Venture to Future Fund supports Slovak and European technology companies with the potential to succeed in the global market. The fund’s capital is primarily used to finance the growth and expansion of these companies, whether through market entry, product enhancement, penetration into new market segments, or market share expansion. The fund, with initial capital of EUR 40.4 million, was established in 2019 as a result of a joint initiative by the European Investment Bank and the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic through Slovak Investment Holding. In 2024, the capital was increased by EUR 15.3 million from Component 9 of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, administered by the Research and Innovation Authority (VAIA). Notable investments in recent years include: Powerful Medical, Brightpick, Sensoneo, MultiplexDX, and Vestberry.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY ADVISORS, BANKS AND INSURANCES – SR
A&O Shearman
Allen Overy Shearman Sterling, known in short as A&O Shearman, is an international law firm formed by the merger of Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling on May 1, 2024. Ranked as the world’s third-largest law firm, A&O Shearman has 48 offices with nearly 4,000 lawyers, including 800 partners. Formerly known as Allen & Overy, the firm has been present in Slovakia since 1999, offering its clients high-quality legal services in the areas of corporate, M&A, banking and finance, restructuring, competition, employment, intellectual property, regulatory and dispute resolution across various sectors. Committed to understanding clients’ needs, they deliver innovative solutions based on the wealth of experience and a truly global network. Their practice is recognized as one of the best in the market by the major legal directories such as Chambers & Partners or Legal 500.
KPMG SR
KPMG Slovakia is a leading advisor offering comprehensive Deal Advisory services that span the entire transaction lifecycle. With the largest and most experienced M&A team in Slovakia, KPMG provides comprehensive solutions – from strategic planning and due diligence to valuation, financial modelling, tax, legal advisory, and post-deal integration etc. – ensuring clients achieve optimal outcomes in their transactions. Notable transactions include sale of Capturing Reality to EPIC Games, assistance to Uni-Bail Rodamco during sale of Aupark, assistance to MVM on their acquisition of Innogy Czechia and many more. As an integral part of the global KPMG network, operating in over 140 countries with more than 275,000 professionals, KPMG Slovakia leverages international insights and local expertise to deliver exceptional results.
WOOD & Company SR
WOOD & Company is a leading investment bank in CEE. Since its founding in 1991, the firm has been guiding clients through the execution of the most significant and complex transactions in the region. It offers a broad portfolio of investment banking services – ranging from mergers and acquisitions advisory to equity and debt capital raising, as well as comprehensive corporate finance solutions. This approach has resulted in numerous successful projects with strong international reach, including the IPOs of Doosan Škoda Power and Hidroelectrica, or the €100 million fundraising round for Omnetic. As a member of the global Oaklins alliance, WOOD & Company benefits from an extensive partner network involved in hundreds of transactions annually across more than 40 countries worldwide.
FINALISTS IN CATEGORY ADVISORS, BANKS AND INSURANCES – CR
CLA
CLA Czech Republic was established in 2025 following the merger of the advisory firms VGD, Audit One, and Tax One, each of which had provided top-tier services for over 30 years in the areas of outsourcing, audit, tax advisory, financial and payroll accounting, transaction advisory, corporate finance, family wealth management, IT support, and process digitalisation. Joining the international CLA Global network offers an opportunity to share expertise with partners around the world. For Czech clients, this step opens up new dimensions of expert services, delivered through a comprehensive “one stop shop” approach.
Česká spořitelna
Česká spořitelna is the bank with the longest tradition in the Czech market. It provides comprehensive solutions to entrepreneurs and businesses: from investment, acquisition, and project financing to support for export activities, advice on mergers and acquisitions, and even listing on bond or stock capital markets. Česká spořitelna has grown into the largest provider of corporate loans in the domestic market. Thanks to the strong backing of Erste Group Bank, Česká spořitelna is able to serve clients also on foreign markets. It is also an investor in private equity funds and actively engages in venture investments.
PwC
Internationally respected consulting company that has been operating on the Czech market for 35 years. In our offices in Prague, Brno and Ostrava, we assist clients with mergers, acquisitions, technology, sustainability, cyber security and audit and tax matters.
Wood & Company CR
WOOD & Company is a leading financial and investment group active primarily in the Central European market in the areas of securities brokerage, asset management and investment banking services. The investment banking team navigates its clients through complex transaction processes. It provides advisory services in connection with divestitures or acquisitions of companies, equity capital markets transactions (such as initial public offerings) or debt capital raisings. The team advises on landmark transactions with significant international exposure.
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