Tech Happy Hours were created with the goal of bringing different parts of the technology and startup ecosystem together in one room on the same day. Instead of separate conferences for startups, investors, or corporations, they provide a space for people to meet who are looking for new investments, business partners, customers, talent, or opportunities to launch and grow tech companies.
“Tech Happy Hours are built primarily around people and the connections they make. We want to create an environment where, in the course of a single day, company founders can meet with investors, corporations, universities, and people from the public sector. It’s precisely these unplanned encounters that often give rise to collaborations that later turn into new companies, investments, or international expansion. At the same time, we care about fostering a more relaxed atmosphere, which is why we seek out unique venues—so that people arrive in a good mood and leave with a positive impression, rather than feeling like they’ve attended yet another formal conference,” says Nikola Naxerová, co-founder of the media company Startup Kitchen.
This year’s program will focus on topics that are currently shaping the European technology sector. The discussions will address the future of fintech, building globally successful companies, the development of European DefenseTech, and international cooperation.
Among the main topics of this year’s program are “The Future of Fintech”—where financial technology is headed and how the European fintech market is changing—“Company of Founder Heroes”—what it takes to build fast-growing and globally successful technology companies, “DefenceTech on the Frontier of Europe”—opportunities, calls, and the importance of technology innovation for European security; “Cooperation Across Continents”—how European startups can collaborate with tech ecosystems outside Europe; and “Pitch & Cheers—International Startup Competition”; an international startup competition in which new companies in the technology sector will present themselves to investors and other ecosystem representatives.
Confirmed speakers include Richard Valtr from Mews, Jan Řezáb from Ravineo, Kate Šimková from CloseRocket, William Jalloul from FLOWPAY, Mats Kuuskemaa from Estonia’s e-Residency, Lola Onipko from Occam Industries, Jana Sedláková from SEDLAKOVA LEGAL, and Alain Wildanger from IVC Ilavska Vuillermoz Capital. The organizers are gradually announcing additional names.
The Tech Happy Hours program will follow the morning #demoday, which will showcase startups from the Technology Incubation and ESA BIC Czech Republic program ecosystems. In this way, participants will have the opportunity to explore new Czech technology projects, meet their founders, and then continue networking with investors, corporations, and other partners—all in a single day.
“#demoday isn’t just about great presentations; it’s a unique opportunity for startups from the Technology Incubation Program and ESA BIC Czech Republic to demonstrate their market potential, assess their readiness for investment, and show the audience that the Czech Republic is home to cutting-edge innovations. The event also serves as a meeting place for all key partners, mentors, and supporters of both projects. The successes of our companies confirm that supporting young technology companies makes sense, and thanks to this, we are working intensively on the further development of both projects under the umbrella of the newly established CzechBusiness agency. Startups are, in fact, delivering revolutionary solutions every single day that are transforming entire industries, creating new jobs, and strengthening the Czech Republic’s competitiveness—and we strongly believe that public support is indispensable in this context.” says Kateřina Rundová, director of the Technology Development and Startup Incubation Division at CzechInvest.
The doors to Tech Happy Hours will open at 12:30 p.m., and the main program will begin at 1:30 p.m. After the on-stage program ends, the focus will shift to networking. Starting at 5:45 p.m., networking sessions will be available, including one-on-one tables and mentoring tables, and the evening will conclude with the Happy Hours Afterparty starting at 7:00 p.m.
“We don’t want to host just another conference where people listen to a few panel discussions and then go home. Networking is just as important to us as the stage. That’s why this year we’re focusing even more on one-on-one meetings, mentoring, and connecting participants internationally. The goal is for everyone to leave the event not only inspired, but above all with concrete contacts and new opportunities,” adds Nikola Naxerová from co-organizer Startup Kitchen.
The organizers expect more than 500 people from the Czech Republic and other European countries to attend. In addition to startup founders and teams, the event is expected to draw venture capitalists and angel investors, representatives of large companies and their innovation teams, technology experts, students, and representatives from universities as well as public and ecosystem institutions.
Partners for this year’s event include, for example, CzechInvest, Technologická inkubace, the Central Bohemian Innovation Center (SIC), Raiffeisenbank Czech Republic, Vienna Business Agency, SEDLAKOVA LEGAL, CzechStartups, the Prague Innovation Institute, iO Partners, and CERN Venture Connect.
Tech Happy Hours 2026 is part of Czech Startup Week and is organized with the support of the City of Prague.
A detailed program, tickets, a list of speakers, and the latest information about the event are available at techhappyhours.com
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