1. Should I? – Understanding the spin-off/start-up journey
26 February 2026
Why and how to commercialize research. Benefits, risks, real-life case, ČVUT support.
Facilitators: Michal Hrabí, Vladimír Bayer, Jan Urban
Get Spin-off/Start-up Ready!
Interested in the next Ready! run?Contact us at barbora.leblancova@cvut.cz
Turn your research into real-world impact
Science can change the world — when it reaches beyond the university walls. It is our mission at ČVUT Technology Transfer to support you in turning your idea/research into a university spin-off or an independent startup.
Join our semestral Spin-off/Start-up Ready! program to put on the business hat, understand the journey to commercialization, practice the use of vital business tools, and build a network of investors and industry partners to bring your innovation to life!
Who can join?
Ready! is open to all ČVUT students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and researchers – Czech and international – who want to explore the business potential of their ideas.
The program runs in English.
16 participants will be accepted to ensure individual mentoring and a highly practical experience.
Program at a glance
Duration
February – June 2026
Format
In-person, Thursdays 9:00–12:30 (incl. brunch)
Location
Prague
Language
English
Application deadline
15 January 2026
Final pitch night
4 June 2026
Participation fee
Participation free of charge
Participants get
- Know-how & practice in 8 key commercialization steps + final investor pitch
- Practical assignments to develop their own idea/research
- Dedicated business mentoring: each participant is matched with an experienced mentor who supports them individually throughout the program and helps them achieve quality outcomes on the practical assignments between workshops (for participant's real project)
- Networking with business community and investors
- ČVUT microcertificate upon completion
- Further commercialization support with contracts, legal issues, patents, incubation, etc.
What makes Ready! different
- High-value workshops: expert faculty, small cohort (max. 16 participants)
- Practical focus: 70% of your time spent developing your own research-to-business idea
- Individual business mentoring: each participant/team works with an experienced business mentor
- Essential business & soft skills: validation of commercial potential, business and financial plan, go-to-market strategy, team composition and management, IP protection, legal support, pitching to investors
- Communication for impact: short and intense communication practice spread over all workshops to build you as a strategic, structured and confident presenter of your business ideas
- Business contacts: establishing relationships with topic experts, business mentors, industrial partners, and investors
- Support beyond the program: guidance, legal counsel and incubation by ČVUT Technology Transfer seamlessly following the Ready! program
Meet our mentors
Ready! workshops (Feb – Jun 2026)
2. Is there potential? – Validating the market need
5 March 2026
How to size the problem, need, customers, and value proposition. Tools for customer discovery and validation.
Facilitators: Štefan Koreň, Martina Vycudilíková
3. How to plan business? – Going from Lean Canvas to Business plan
26 March 2026
How to start with a Lean Canvas and transition to a full-fledged business plan. The purpose, structure, tools, traction.
Facilitator: Liliana Unachukwu
4. How to get customers? – Developing a Go-to-Market strategy
9 April 2026
Who my market is, how I enter, with what offer and pricing.
Facilitator: Michal Hrabí
5. How to plan funding and protect IP? – Creating financial and IP/legal clarity
23 April 2026
How to get the grip of the financial plan and its components, basic financial terms, financial projections, early-stage funding.
Facilitator: Štefan Koreň
When and how to protect IP, typical situations and journeys, risks and red flags, legal support from ČVUT Technology Transfer.
Facilitators: Kamil Špinar, Roman Polák, Barbora Havlíková
6. How to manage the people side of my business? – Leading teams, investors, other partners
30 April 2026
How to manage co-founders, team dynamics, equity pitfalls, my network and investor, industrial partners and university relations.
Facilitators: Jiří Zhoř, Vladimír Bayer
7. How to attract investors? – Funding and pitching
14 May 2026
Ways to understand investors' expectations, funding sources, pitch deck structure and design.
Facilitators: Jan Urban/Martin Kotek, an angel investor, a VC investor, Martina Vycudilíková, Barbora LeBlanc
8. Can I pitch? – Rehearsing a pitch & getting feedback
28 May 2026
How to handle difficult situations/Qs during investor pitches — feedback, handling Qs, delivery.
Facilitators: Barbora LeBlanc & team of mentors
9. Investor Pitch & Networking Night
4 June 2026
Final pitches to investors and business partners followed by networking and celebration.
After the Program
- Receive your ČVUT microcertificate
- Continue developing your project with TTO support and workshops
Application & Selection Process
1 December 2025 – 15 January 2026
Application period
Submit a short online form: complete few simple questions about your idea and motivation
+ Upload a 2-minute informal video introducing yourself and your idea (highly recommended!)
15 January – 1 February 2026
Internal selection of best projects
Technology Transfer experts review all applications and select up to 16 participants for the 2026 cohort.
1 February 2026
Notification & administration
Selected applicants receive an invite to the program as well as practical details about your participation. Applicants who have not been selected may receive other follow-up options.
Contact us
Barbora LeBlanc
barbora.leblancova@cvut.cz, +420 602 689 517
If you want to be informed about Run 2 of Ready! (planned for the fall semester 2026/7), please just drop a line to barbora.leblancova@cvut.cz
