Largest Czech-Slovak law firm HAVEL & PARTNERS has won the award for Best Venture Capital Investment in Slovakia for 2025 at the CVCA & SLOVCA Awards 2025, held at a prestigious gala evening.  The award recognizes the firm’s legal advisory work on a standout investment in Brightpick, a Slovak leader in warehouse automation. The landmark transaction, valued at $12 million, combined both equity and debt financing. Notably, the €5 million venture debt component—provided from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s Venture Capital program—is the largest venture debt deal ever recorded in Slovakia HAVEL & PARTNERS provided comprehensive legal advisory to Brightpick throughout the entire transaction process.  The legal team was led by partner Jaroslav Baier, and included associates Kristína Saktorová, Miriam Podskubová, Andrea Mochorovská and junior associate Róbert Košala.

“This award in the Venture Capital Investment Slovakia category confirms that our team delivers top-notch legal services in the venture capital sector.  The Brightpick deal is a milestone for Slovakia’s startup ecosystem.  The company is on a strong path to becoming the country’s first unicorn,” commented Jaroslav Baier, partner at HAVEL & PARTNERS responsible for the venture capital and private equity practice, and associated partner at ONE FAMILY OFFICE.

Brightpick, a Slovak technology startup, has developed Autopicker—a revolutionary mobile robot capable of fully automating the order picking and consolidation process in warehouses. The company has seen an eightfold year-on-year revenue growth and serves major clients such as Rohlík.cz and ViaPharma.

“Closing this deal was a key milestone for us, enabling us to accelerate growth, expand our capacities, and strengthen our presence in global markets,” said Ivana Žižková, Brightpick’s CFO. “Thanks to this financing, we successfully expanded into our primary target market—the United States—where we secured our first two major clients and have already deployed over 150 Autopicker units. The HAVEL & PARTNERS team provided us with exceptionally professional and technically precise support throughout the transaction. Their understanding of innovative deal structures  and the startup environment was crucial for successfully navigating this complex investment,” she added.

“We are proud to have been part of this exceptional transaction and to support Brightpick’s journey toward global success.  This award is the result of our long-term commitment to supporting innovative technology companies and contributing to the development of the venture capital market in Slovakia,” added Jaroslav Baier.

HAVEL & PARTNERS has established itself as a key player in venture capital transactions not only in Slovakia but also in the Czech market, where it has been operating since 2005. Today, the firm has the largest team of lawyers, consisting of sixty professionals focused on startups, technology groups, and innovations, making it the largest venture capital practice in the Czech-Slovak market.

“The firm is not just a legal advisor but also an active investor.  We founded Cornerstone Capital, through which I personally, along with the law firm’s partners, invest in venture capital funds. Currently, the Cornerstone Capital team oversees investments in 12 Czech and Slovak venture capital funds, in which it has invested over €2.5 million,” explained Jaroslav Havel, managing partner of HAVEL & PARTNERS and main partner and investor at ONE FAMILY OFFICE.

Thanks to these investments, Jaroslav Havel and Cornerstone Capital are indirect co-owners of probably the largest number of startups in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, as well as in other countries. This includes approximately 150 companies, where they hold smaller indirect stakes, including several dollar unicorns. In addition to capital, they bring know-how, contacts, and legal support throughout the entire lifecycle of a startup.

CVCA & SLOVCA Awards 2025

The gala ceremony took place on 12 June 2025, at the Hradná restaurant under Bratislava Castle, attended by more than 150 private equity and venture capital professionals from Slovakia and the Czech Republic.  The CVCA & SLOVCA Awards are jointly organized by the Czech Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (CVCA) and the Slovak Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SLOVCA), which bring together venture capital and private equity funds, financial institutions, and service providers in the private equity sector in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. CVCA, like SLOVCA, aims to develop and support the venture capital and private equity sectors and represent their interests in collaboration with Czech, Slovak, and European authorities.