The innovation agency JIC organises the 2025 Investment Academy for Founders. In the course of four afternoon workshops HAVEL & PARTNERS experts will explain how to manage the legal trivia, how to best configure an ESOP plan, address IP protection, and choose the best exit strategy. In a practical and comprehensible way for start-up founders looking for an investment. New contacts that will open doors to more opportunities are an additional key benefit.
A unique opportunity to peek into the venture capital investment world at the topmost level. That was a private conference by HAVEL & PARTNERS and ONE FAMILY OFFICE in the Art Nouveau Fanta hall in Prague. Thanks to our global network of contacts, we had the privilege of bringing to the Czech Republic, for the first time ever, representatives of the legendary fund Accel – an investor with more than 100 unicorns and investments in global giants such as Facebook, Spotify, Dropbox, and Scale AI.
Expansion to the U.S. firsthand
What lays in store for a startup that wants to succeed in the U.S.? Dan Dinnar (Tachles VC) and Tadeáš Marek (Boost.space) shared their experience at a panel discussion held at HAVEL & PARTNERS and moderated by the firm’s VC Partner, Jaroslav Baier – openly about incorporating a U.S. entity, the local team, and life across the ocean. An honest debate with ample hands-on experiences and inspiration for other founders.
MORE IN CZECH HERE
Private meetup of ONE FAMILY OFFICE’s prominent investors
At the ONE FAMILY OFFICE Private VIP Semi-annual Conference, we met with the families and individuals belonging in our informal business and investor club. The four dozen select guests included the largest investors and their families who have recently joined our business community, and also Advisory Board members.
MORE IN CZECH HERE
Third Startup & Investor Meetup in Bratislava
We at HAVEL & PARTNERS and ONE FAMILY OFFICE believe that technology is the driving force for innovation, change, and new opportunities 🚀. We want to be there when the future is made – this is why we have joined forces again this year to inspire and educate people in the Slovak and Czech start-up ecosystem and to connect them with investors who can transform their visions into reality.
MORE IN SLOVAK HERE
Startup Money 2025 – an ecosystem in motion, and we were there
Brno has once again confirmed that it is the pulsing hub of the start-up environment! Jointly with HAVEL & PARTNERS we have participated for the second time as partners in the Startup Money conference, organised by the innovation agency JIC. Almost 200 participants met there, including 100 start-uppers, 50 investors and 18 speakers from the Czech Republic and other countries.
MORE IN CZECH HERE
The world of business keeps changing. A small company with great ideas can rapidly grow into a business worth billions. What is the situation of venture capital investments in Slovakia? How can a small start-up grow to become a global player, and what is the role of venture capital in this? Our colleague Jaroslav Baier, partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS and associated partner at ONE FAMILY OFFICE, one of the most prominent legal experts in venture capital and private equity transactions in the region, addressed this topic in the TA3 TV studio.
Taxation of ESOP: What every employer should know
From 1 January 2026, start-ups will be able to motivate their employees and associates under the new legislation applicable to option plans (ESOP). We introduce an up-to-date summary of the taxation of these benefits.
MORE IN CZECH HERE
VC Deal of the Year for HAVEL & PARTNERS in Slovakia
We proudly announce that we have won the CVCA & SLOVCA 2025 Award for the best venture capital investment in Slovakia in relation to our legal advice on an investment in Brightpick.
MORE IN SLOVAK HERE
Global TOP 100 VC investors: A lady from a small town in Romania, and a Czech trace
Forbes has published the 2025 Midas List – the top 100 venture capital investors of the world. Alfred Lin of Sequoia is number once again, thanks to his early bet on OpenAI. He invested in the start-up valued at USD 14 billion in 2021, while 4 years later the company is worth USD 300 billion.
MORE IN CZECH HERE
To compete with global venture capital, we need to scale like Israelis
If we want to keep up with Israel or the United States, we need to try much harder, more courage to expand, and more smart money – investors who provide money, and also contacts, know-how, and global ambition. This was one of the thoughts Jaroslav Baier, VC partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS, voiced in an interview for EURO weekly.
MORE IN CZECH HERE
Advising Tensor Ventures, ČS Seed Starter and SLSP Seed Starter on their investment in POINTEE
HAVEL & PARTNERS’ VC specialists led by Jaroslav Baier, partner, represented the trio of investors in their investment in Pointee start-up. This software platform based in Liberec specialises in the management, monitoring and optimisation of software robots. Their clients include leading tech companies, consultancies and banks.
TCF Capital’s investment in Töpfer, the Germany-based producer of infant nutrition
HAVEL & PARTNERS assisted Czech entrepreneur Tomáš Čupr’s investment company TCF Capital with the acquisition of the German company Töpfer in a joint venture. Töpfer, a Bavarian producer of infant and baby food, was acquired in the course of insolvency procedure. The new owner prepares a new capital development and a strategic restart of the company with a century-long tradition.
Business incubator in Pardubice
HAVEL & PARTNERS has designed a structure and proposal for the operation of the Pardubice Business Incubator (P-PINK) for the Pardubice Region, including a legal, tax and regulatory analysis. The objective of P-PINK is to help new as well as more experienced regional entrepreneurs, graduates and students in starting their business careers. To those who are interested, P-PINK offers coworking space, consultations and mentoring, virtual registered office and a multimedia studio.
Slovak start-up TEIBL with an EUR 1 million investment
HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advice to Slovak Investment Holding (SIH) in connection with their investment in teibl.app, an innovative Slovak foodtech start-up. The aim of the start-up is to couple an inspiring content with a practical solution for food and gastronomy shopping, thus changing the way people around the globe plan and make their culinary shopping.
Authors: Štěpán Štarha, Róbert Gašparovič, Petra Kováčechová
Like last year, SMEs can receive financial assistance from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in 2024. The grant scheme provides the opportunity to protect your brand, designs or innovations using the EUIPO’s financial support of up to EUR 6,720.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can apply for the grant to finance their costs of registering trademarks, designs, and patents. IP Scan and IP Scan Enforcement services now qualify for funding from the scheme. These services include IP diagnostics and assistance with the protection of IP rights in case they are being infringed.
However, grant funds are limited and will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. We therefore recommend that you apply for the grant as soon as possible.
All SMEs based in the European Union with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover not exceeding EUR 50 million are eligible to apply for support from the grant scheme.
Depending on the type of protection, the grant is as follows:
The maximum amount of costs that can be reimbursed under the EUIPO grant scheme is:
a) 90% of the fees for:
b) 75% of the fees for:
c) 50% of the fees for:
Grants may be applied for until 6 December 2024. If the applicant qualifies for the grant and there are still funds available, the EUIPO will issue a voucher to be used by the applicant to request the relevant services, e.g. to file a trademark application.
Please note that services may only be requested once the grant application has been approved and before two months lapse from the approval, subject to a possible extension for an additional two months. This means that the grant may not be used for costs incurred for a trademark or design application filed before receiving the grant decision.
After filing a trademark, design or patent application and paying the relevant administrative fee, the grant applicant may apply for reimbursement of costs.
The EUIPO grant is an interesting opportunity for SMEs to strengthen the protection of their intellectual property. Businesses can benefit from the EUIPO’s support in building their portfolio, expanding to foreign markets and/or rebranding.
This year marks the first time that businesses in Slovakia may also use the grant for IP Scan and IP Scan Enforcement services, through which the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic will provide the applicant with contact details of an IP expert for a comprehensive review of the applicant’s business model, products, services, and future strategies.
We have also stressed on our blog on several occasions on who crucial IP protection is, discussing, among other things, the importance and registrability of trademarks, such as HERE.
If you decide to use the EUIPO grant, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to assist you.