The Czech AI scene in figures
The Czech Republic ranks among the leaders in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of technology and the digital economy. According to 2025 data, over 400 startups and companies with a significant AI component - from small innovative teams to globally active companies with hundreds of employees.
The total volume of venture capital allocated to Czech AI companies reached approximately in 2024. 150 million euros, representing an increase of over 40% year-on-year. This trend continues in the first half of 2025, with interest from foreign investors, particularly from the USA, Great Britain and Israel, rising significantly. Meanwhile, Prague is increasingly establishing itself as a hub for AI talent from Central and Eastern Europe.
Key players: who makes up the Czech AI scene
It would be a mistake to discuss Czech AI without mentioning specific names. Several Czech companies have built a truly global reputation:
- Keboola - a platform for data integration and analysis that helps companies process big data and prepare it for AI models. Keboola has customers worldwide and is one of the biggest Czech SaaS successes ever.
- Rossum - a Prague startup specialising in intelligent document processing using AI. Rossum automates data extraction from invoices, contracts and other documents and serves customers in dozens of countries.
- Blindspot AI - a company focused on security and anomaly detection using machine learning. Their technology protects businesses from cyber threats in real time.
- Seznam.cz - the largest Czech internet portal is investing heavily in its own AI models, AI-powered search and language tools tailored to Czech. Their NLP models for Czech are among the best in the region.
- Avast/Gen Digital - A global leader in cybersecurity with Czech roots uses AI to protect hundreds of millions of users worldwide.
Alongside these major names, there are dozens of smaller yet equally interesting companies, ranging from AI tools for healthcare and legal automation to AI applications in agriculture and industry.
Where the Czech Republic leads and where it lags
Key strengths
The Czech Republic has several specific advantages that strengthen its position in the AI race. Quality of engineers is long-standingly recognised, Prague and Brno universities produce graduates in technical fields comparable to the best Western European schools, while employment costs remain significantly lower than in London, Paris or Berlin.
The Czech Republic also has a strong tradition in in industrial research and development. Companies such as Škoda Auto, Siemens or Bosch operate extensive R&D centres in the Czech Republic that are increasingly integrating AI into product development. Industrial AI, predictive maintenance, computer vision for quality control, is an area where Czech practice is ahead of many Western countries.
Weaknesses and Challenges
On the other hand, the Czech Republic faces challenges that are clearly visible. Shortage of AI talents It is critical, demand for data scientists, ML engineers and AI product managers far exceeds supply. Companies are competing for a limited pool of qualified people, which drives up wages and slows the deployment of AI projects.
The second issue is ecosystem fragmentation. Unlike London, Berlin or Stockholm, the Czech AI scene lacks a central meeting place: no established major festival, conference or hub where startup founders, corporate innovators, investors and academics regularly meet. The result is that many valuable connections and collaborations simply do not come about.
The third topic is access to venture capital. Although investments are growing, Czech founders still have to travel abroad primarily for later funding rounds. The local VC ecosystem for late-stage deals remains thin.
Government AI Strategy: What the State Plans
The Czech government has adopted National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, which aims to establish the Czech Republic as one of the leading AI centres in the region. The strategy includes investments in education (AI in schools from primary to university level), support for research infrastructure and creating conditions for private investment.
In the context of EU AI Act - the world's most extensive AI regulation - as an EU member state, the Czech Republic is obliged to implement these rules in practice. This creates opportunities for advisory and compliance firms, while simultaneously placing demands on all who use AI in products for the European market. The topic of AI regulation will also be addressed at AI Festival Prague 2026 programme.
The Czech Republic actively participates in DIGITAL Europe Programme and other European initiatives funding AI innovation. Access to European grants is a realistic option for Czech studios and startups to finance research without diluting equity.
Comparison with the EU: Where does the Czech Republic rank?
In a European comparison of AI readiness, the Czech Republic ranks... slightly above the European average, but significantly behind the leaders, Estonia, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands. These states lead in integrating AI into public administration, digital infrastructure and the population's readiness for education.
Among the Visegrád Group (V4) countries, the Czech Republic is in the best position, ahead of Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. While Poland surpasses the Czech Republic in absolute numbers of AI startups due to its larger market size, the Czech Republic remains on top per capita and in terms of product quality.
An interesting comparison is offered by looking at AI adoption in businesses. According to a 2024 Eurostat survey, approximately 19% of Czech businesses - slightly above the European average (16 %), but still significantly lower than Denmark (33 %) or Finland (31 %). The potential for growth is enormous.
Why now is the time for the AI Festival
The situation described above clearly defines the need: the Czech AI scene is growing, but it lacks a central meeting point for sharing experiences. AI Festival Prague 2027 It arises precisely for that reason.
The ecosystem needs a place where founders of startups like Rossum or Keboola can meet corporate managers who are only just considering their first AI project. Where engineering students can meet investors. Where someone from healthcare can talk to someone from finance and discover they are solving similar problems in different ways.
Festival partners flylight.ai and BeeSkills.cz They see daily how high the demand is among Czech companies for practical education in the field of AI. Workshops at the festival provide concrete skills: not just inspiration.
You can easily join the Czech AI community and attend the first edition of the event: Register your interest free of charge at ai-festival.czNothing binding, no spam, just initial information when things start happening.