Prague – Generali Česká pojišt’ovna has announced the results of the 5th annual SME EnterPRIZE competition . Its aim is to reward and raise the profile of sole traders, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, so called SME, and start-ups, which adhere to and promote the principles of sustainability in their business and thus have a positive impact on our planet. “For the fifth year, the SME EnterPRIZE competition has been presenting to the general public Czech companies and startups that are able to promote sustainability in their business despite difficult economic conditions and bureaucratic obstacles. Their stories are proof that ESG is not just a trend, but a path to long-term value – not only for the company, but also for society. This is also proven by this year’s winners, who have been in the market for many years.” says Roman Juráš, CEO of Generali Česká pojišt’ovna.
Eighty companies and start-ups from all over the Czech Republic have registered for this year’s edition. They tried to convince the expert jury of the competition with their sustainable business strategy, innovations and sustainable business.
Within the SME category, ten companies advanced from two preliminary rounds to the final round. After personal interviews, the jury selected the following final ranking:
1st place: TIERRA VERDE, s.r.o.
2nd place: FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY, s.r.o.
3rd place: Ing. Petr Weidenthaler, Biozelenina Velehrad
The winners received funding to support their business, media visibility and the opportunity to network and grow their business. In addition, one of the top three companies will represent Czech sustainable business at the pan-European final of the competition, which will take place in Brussels, Belgium, in spring 2026. Its participation will be decided by the international jury of the SME EnterPRIZE competition.
The South Moravian company convinced the expert jury the most TIERRA VERDE, s.r.o., which has been producing sustainable drugstore and cosmetics for 17 years with an emphasis on local suppliers and a circular approach. What is unique is their sophisticated system of returnable and refillable packaging, which saves hundreds of tons of plastic per year. In addition, it employs disadvantaged groups and adheres to the highest environmental standards under Ecogarantia certification. “Tierra Verde is a Czech pioneer of sustainability. The company was ahead of its time when it brought eco-friendly drugstore products into homes back in 2008. It also jumped on the packaging-free bandwagon soon after, thanks to a network of its own bottling plants and a returnable packaging system. Their success – 200,000 satisfied households and entry into mainstream supermarket chains – is proof that they have made a fringe trend mainstream. Tierra Verde has shown the jury that the values it promotes really live on,” Helena Továrková, the chair of the jury and director of the Veronica Foundation, comments on the decision on the winner.
In second place was the company FILTRATION TECHNOLOGY, s.r.o. specializing in waste oil filtration. It transforms hazardous waste into recycled products that can be further used in industry. This reduces the ecological burden and the need for new raw materials, thus contributing to the circular economy. “Filtration Technology shows that recycling is no stranger to heavy industry. The company from Uherskobrod has developed a system that enables manufacturing companies to recycle industrial oils or fluids, even on site. This not only saves costs for companies, but above all significantly reduces the environmental burden. The significant growth in demand for their recycled oils and the opening of a new production line confirm that this is a solution that has a future,” says Helena Továrková.
Third place went to the company Biozelenina Velehrad owner Ing. Peter Weidenthaler. It is a family farm with a long tradition, which has been growing organic vegetables and fruit for decades. “Petr Weidenthaler is a pioneer of organic farming and has been proving for over 30 years that it is possible to combine sustainability with economic success. He runs his farm with respect for the landscape – retaining water, increasing biodiversity and powering the entire operation, from water pumping to vegetable distribution, with solar energy. It gives the people of the Velehrad area easy access to high quality and healthy organic vegetables. This is a great example of how even a small family farm can change the world,” says Helena Továrková. In addition, the farm’s employees organise excursions for local schools and the general public.
The following companies then shared 4th-10th place (in alphabetical order):
Fair & Bio, cooperative – a social cooperative operating a 100% fair trade coffee roastery
Fertia, s.r.o. – company developing ecological fertilizers and substrates from recycled materials
GreeenVille Tech, s.r.o. – a company that brings self-sustaining hydroponic systems to cities
NTSUP, s.r.o. – company extending the life of electronics by repairing more than 30 000 devices per year
PLASTIA, s.r.o. – project Otoč potáč gives a second life to used products or crushes and reprocesses them
siliXcon, s.r.o. – a technology company that helps engineering companies efficiently electrify their products
VisionCraft, s.r.o. – a company developing sensors with edge computing that reduce energy and data consumption
For several years now, the SME EnterPRIZE competition has been recognizing start-ups with their sustainable projects outside the SME segment, and this year was no exception. From all the entries, the expert jury selected the top five and then chose the winner of this category. The first place went to FYTOLASER, s.r.o.which is revolutionising agriculture with laser seed stimulation. Their unique technology promotes plant growth, increases yields and reduces dependence on chemicals. The start-up thus offers a way to de-chemicalise agriculture. This contributes to a greener and more sustainable food production for consumers.
“Fytolaser was the winner for the jury in terms of the combination of an interesting technology with a potentially significant impact, a precisely prepared team that knows its market perfectly and knows how to speak to it in its language, and the overall setup of the company that combines expertise, experience and innovation,” adds Filip Krůta, a judge of the start-up competition and manager of the EkoTech hub of the Technology Incubation project of the CzechInvest agency, which is sponsoring this category. At the same time, the start-up was also the winner among students who voted for it in the student award.
Other companies that made it into the top 5 start-ups were (in alphabetical order):
BIMtwin, s.r.o. – digital tool for energy optimization of buildings
Bio Cycle Grow, s.r.o. – start-up offering smart composters that process bio-waste
Mesi’s earthworm tea, Jan Mesner – biofertilizer produced by processing bio-waste with the help of earthworms
Robotech Innovation, s.r.o. – unique concept of charging stations CARPORTbusiness as a turnkey business
Director of EcoTech Hub Filip Kruta with FYTOLASER (right) – the absolute winner of the startup category
The Czech round of the competition is part of the international SME EnterPRIZE competition organised by the Generali insurance group. In addition to the Czech Republic, nine other European countries (Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain) are participating in 2025.
Participants in each country can compete in three categories of sustainability where their business has a positive impact on the health and well-being of employees (and their families), the environment and community development.
All information about the international competition is available at: www. sme-enterprize.com
Michal Bernáth – Treasury and Investment Management Manager at GČP, member of the jury in the start-up category
Nina Bočková – expert at the University of Economics in Prague, member of the SME and start-up jury
Martin Flajšar – Director of Product Management of Business Insurance at GČP, member of the jury
Filip Kruta – Director of the EkoTech Hub within the CzechInvest agency, member of the jury in the category of start-ups
Renata Kučerová – assistant professor at Mendel University in Brno, member of the jury
Vojtěch Malina – CEO of CleverFarm and winner of the competition in 2021, member of the jury
Alena Stiborová – agricultural insurance manager at GČP, member of the jury
Jindřich Špička – lecturer at the Czech University of Agriculture in Prague, member of the jury
Tomáš Šubrt – Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, ČZU in Prague, member of the jury
Helena Továrková – Director of the Veronica Foundation, Chair of the SME and start-up jury
Viktor Třebický – project manager CI2 and co-founder of CI3, s.r.o., jury member
THE GENERALI GROUP
Generali Česká pojišt’ovna is part of the Generali Group, one of the world’s largest insurance and asset management providers. Founded in 1831, the company’s written premiums amount to €95.2 billion (in 2024). With 87,000 employees and 71 million clients in more than 50 countries, Generali is the leading insurance group in Europe and is gaining an increasingly important position in the markets of Asia and Latin America. Generali’s ambition is to be the partner that accompanies clients throughout their lives, offering innovative and personalised solutions thanks to an unrivalled sales network and the best customer experience. Generali has integrated sustainability into all its strategic decisions with the aim of building value for all stakeholders by supporting the creation of a fairer and more resilient society.
Generali operates in the CEE region through Generali CEE Holding (headquartered in Prague) in 10 countries. It is one of the three largest insurers in the region.
Source: generaliceskadistribuce.cz
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