AI & COMPUTING ROBOTICS ENGINEERING ENERGY NEW MATERIALS BIOTECH LIFE SCIENCES MEDTECH
Emerging Deep Tech Fund — Czech Republic & CEE

Unlocking
Deep Tech
in CEE

CEE produces world-class science. Almost none of it becomes a company. We are the region's first activist deep tech emerging fund focused at tech transfer at its early stage. Embedded in the ecosystem, developed in dialogue with strategic ecosystem partners, built by operators. No real equivalent exists in the region. We don't just write cheques. We turn breakthrough IP into scalable businesses.

7
incubated companies
and projects to date
12+B EUR
Czech public R&D
last decade
12+
University & research
institution partners
3
General Partners,
operators & scientists
Tens
of projects
in the pipeline
Digital, AI & Computing· Advanced Materials· Life Sciences & Biotech· Energy & Climate Tech· Advanced Engineering & Robotics· Connected Systems & Dual-Use· AgriTech & FoodTech· Drug Discovery· MedTech & Diagnostics· Quantum Technologies· Digital, AI & Computing· Advanced Materials· Life Sciences & Biotech· Energy & Climate Tech· Advanced Engineering & Robotics· Connected Systems & Dual-Use· AgriTech & FoodTech· Drug Discovery· MedTech & Diagnostics· Quantum Technologies·
The Thesis
CEE and Central Europe produce world-class science. Almost none of it becomes a company.

The Czech Republic and the wider CEE region are home to tens of top-tier research centres producing science that is competitive at a global level. Billions have been invested in this research infrastructure over the last decade. Yet the path from lab to market is long and unfamiliar. IP Lab Ventures works hand in hand with research institutions and their teams, maintaining a wide network of leading scientists and domain experts across Europe and globally, acting as the commercial bridge between world-class science and global markets.

Tens
Of top-tier research centres, primarily in CZ and the wider CEE region
First
Dedicated deep tech emerging fund of this kind in the region
3–5×
Lower entry valuations vs. comparable Western European stage
Global
Exit pricing: strategic acquirers pay for IP, not location
Why the gap exists
01 · Ecosystem
Research institutions deserve the right commercial partner
World-class science is being produced, but the path from lab to market is long and unfamiliar. IP Lab works hand in hand with research institutions and their teams, helping them realise the full potential of what they have built and making the commercialisation process work for them.
02 · Capital
Deep tech requires a fundamentally different investment model
We built IP Lab Ventures by studying what works at MIT, Cambridge, ETH Zürich and Berkeley, the world's leading deep tech ecosystems. Scientific excellence, unique entrepreneurial thinking, and hands-on operational involvement are non-negotiable. Our operating model reflects that, and we have the scars to prove it is battle-tested.
03 · Operators
Capital alone is not enough
Academic spin-offs need experienced operators embedded early: for IP structuring, company formation, go-to-market strategy, and the lessons that first-time founders typically learn at great cost. We provide this from day one.
How We Work

Seek. Curate.
Nurture. Place.

Four stages. Every projects company goes through each one, with the IP Lab team actively involved throughout, not simply providing capital.

01
Seek
We work closely with top-tier research institutions and scientific communities across the Czech Republic and the wider CEE region. Embedded in the ecosystem, we identify the right technologies through relationships built over years — often before they are visible to the broader market.
02
Curate
Rigorous technical and commercial due diligence. IP defensibility, market potential, founder commitment, and regulatory pathway. Our intended approach is to invest only where we have genuine conviction and the expertise to act on it.
03
Nurture
Active ownership. Board seats, Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, IP licensing structure, public funding leverage. We de-risk companies commercially and operationally, not just financially.
04
Place
Strategic introductions to pilot partners, co-investors, and potential acquirers. Future portfolio companies supported by the IP Lab team will be prepared for their next round, with access to our network to place them with investors and partners globally, with no geographic restriction on exit pathways.
projects

Built from
Research Up.

All six companies were incubated and co-founded by IP Lab Ventures, built from breakthrough research originating from leading European institutions.

Advanced MaterialsSeed
Patented nitrogen-doped graphene derivative with breakthrough performance in energy storage applications, with a multitude of other potential applications ranging from sensors to medicine. One of first CZ companies in the NATO DIANA accelerator.
CATRINNATO DIANAERC grantsSupercapacitators
Life SciencesPre-seed
MendelFOLD
World's first biorelevant protein 3D structure prediction platform. Addresses limitations of AI black-box approaches and opens new targets across the proteome.
Mendel UniversityUS angel backedPoC
Agri/BioTechSeed
Next-generation species-selective insecticides with a novel mode of action. No harm to beneficial organisms. Industry validation underway with major crop protection players.
Czech Academy of SciencesHorizon EuropeUS pilot
Climate TechSeed
Patented nanotechnology for rapid purification of heavily contaminated surface waters at the point of contamination. Effective on heavy metals, bacteria, and pharmaceuticals.
CATRINAngel backedCustomer interest
Drug DiscoveryPre-seed
AMADTEUS
Miniaturised and automated drug discovery platform operating at scales far below industry standard. Compresses months of discovery cycles into days. €3.4M ERC grant secured.
CATRIN UPOL€3.4M ERCDE / CZ
Industrial TechPre-seed
Biorea
Bioreactor technology converting organic waste streams into high-value carbon derivatives. Circular economy application with strong industrial demand and grant support.
VŠBTechnology IncubationCircular economy
Tens of prospective projects across key technology domains are being reviewed by the IP Lab team. Founder, scientist and ecosystem partner enquiries are welcome.
The Team

Operators, Scientists,
Dealmakers.

Filip Fingl
General Partner · Platform & Venture Leadership
Filip Fingl
Co-founder of Preagon Biotech, Biorea, and CATEN. EIC Jury member. Commercialisation boards at leading Czech research institutions. Former CEO of Dáme Jídlo (Delivery Hero CZ/SK), 4× revenue growth in four years. BCG, Rockaway Capital. Serial entrepreneur.
BCGDelivery HeroRockawayEIC Jury
Jiří Navrátil
General Partner · Science, IP & Tech Transfer
Jiří Navrátil, Ph.D.
Ph.D. in Organic Electronics and Biophysics. Leads technology commercialisation at CATRIN. Former Partner at UNICO.AI, seven spinouts in three years. Technology Scout at Imperial Innovations, London. Cambridge Enterprise. World Bank expert.
CATRINImperial InnovationsWorld BankEIC Expert
Andrew Hladký
General Partner · Operations, Finance & Transactions
Andrew Hladký
Co-founder of Atomiver, GWN, MendelFOLD, and AMADTEUS. MBA, UCLA Anderson. Led an $80M divestment at Avast. M&A at Sev.en Energy. BCG. Goldman Sachs, New York. Engineering background with early-career research at Tesla and SpaceX.
Goldman SachsAvastBCGTesla / SpaceX
The Moat

Ecosystem
Access & Construction

12+
Research Institution Partners
We work hand in hand with tens of leading research institutions, primarily across the Czech Republic and the wider CEE region. We approach every institution as a long-term partner: sharing upside, structuring deals fairly, and ensuring that the people who create the science also benefit from its commercial success. We leverage a broad network of top-tier scientists and domain experts across Europe and globally to source and validate the most promising deep tech opportunities.
2
Ecosystem Cornerstones Co-founded
CATEN (Center for Advanced Technologies and Engineering) and Lorem Ipsum Academy are initial cornerstones we co-founded to strengthen the deep tech ecosystem from the ground up. One builds the science infrastructure, the other trains the scientists to commercialise it.
EIC
Local, European & International Roles
Filip and Jiří serve on the European Innovation Council jury. Jiří is a World Bank expert. Filip chairs Science & Transfer at the Regional Chamber of Commerce. These roles give us early visibility into where European deep tech is heading.
Global
International VC Network
Our primary sourcing focus is the Czech Republic and the wider CEE region. Companies supported by the IP Lab team can be placed with investors, strategic partners and acquirers globally, with no geographic restriction on exit pathways.
For Founders
You have the science.
We have everything else.

You do not need a finished company, or even a company at all. We work with research teams from as early as TRL 4. We know that scientists need to become entrepreneurs too, and we are here to make that transition possible. We will provide capital, IP structuring, company formation, Entrepreneur-in-Residence placement, go-to-market strategy, and access to non-dilutive public funding. You bring the science. We build the business together.

Tell Us About Your Research
What We Look For
01
Hard science, not generic software. Technology rooted in novel IP from R&D: materials, biotech, advanced engineering, AI applications, chemistry, photonics, and related fields.
02
TRL 4+ with defensible IP. Initial technical validation completed. Clear freedom-to-operate awareness. A credible path to market within 24–36 months.
03
Global B2B or B2G potential. A large, addressable market with clear buyer logic.
04
Committed founders. At least one technical founder willing to transition to a full-time commercial role.
05
Czech Republic and CEE focus, global ambition. Our primary sourcing focus is the Czech Republic and the close region. We can invest across the broader CEE area and beyond, placing companies with partners and investors anywhere in the world.
Get in Touch

Ready to build
something lasting?

Whether you are a scientist with a breakthrough or a potential partner: we want to hear from you.

Built by Us

We don't just invest
in the ecosystem.
We help build it.

IP Lab Ventures is deeply embedded in the Central European deep tech landscape, not as passive observers, but as co-founders, educators and institution builders. We believe the best outcomes emerge when every partner is treated fairly and all parties share in the success they help create. Two of the cornerstones we have helped build:

Education & Ecosystem

Lorem Ipsum Academy teaches scientists how to found and lead a deep tech company. Co-founded by IP Lab Ventures, it runs cohort programmes: intensive spin-off bootcamps and leadership tracks for scientists moving into commercial roles.

It addresses one of the most persistent gaps in the ecosystem: brilliant researchers who lack the commercial vocabulary and confidence to take the first step from lab to market.

Center for Advanced Technologies and Engineering

CATEN (Center for Advanced Technologies and Engineering) is an independent, non-profit research institution co-founded by IP Lab Ventures, dedicated to advancing the next generation of materials. It pairs entrepreneurial vision with world-class research across advanced materials, chemistry, nanotechnology, AI, and energy.

CATEN creates a direct pipeline between frontier science and commercialisation, which is exactly where IP Lab Ventures operates. Its work strengthens the foundation from which the next generation of CEE deep tech spin-offs will emerge.