Networking in Silicon Valley

A networking event focused on promoting the Czech Republic in the United States and development of the Czech community operating in Silicon Valley took place in April in the city of Palo Alto, California. The purpose of the meeting, which was held under the auspices of CzechInvest and BayCzech Professionals, was to share experience and to establish new contacts. The event helped Czech companies in Silicon Valley in their endeavour to penetrate this unique environment, where companies such as Google, Facebook and Oracle are headquartered.

"Successful Czech and Slovak professionals working for the world's leading innovative firms and at major universities shared their experience from the dynamic local environment with a total of ninety participants during the panel discussion," says Miroslav Křížek, CEO of CzechInvest. "The event was attended by local start-up firms, employees of technology companies, students, consultants and other specialists working in Silicon Valley. Participants in the CzechAccelerator 2011-2014 project were also present."

During the meeting, information was provided about the recruitment of employees for Google, the benefits of the prestigious MBA programme at Haas Business School v Berkeley, projects of sought-after venture-capital investors and changes in US immigration policy concerning start-up companies. Among others, the event was attended by the general consul in Los Angeles, Michal Sedláček, the honorary consul in San Francisco, Richard Pivnička, and entrepreneur, inventor and investor Dr. Morton Grosser.

"This meeting of young Czech entrepreneurs and their familiarization with the functioning of this unique society based on open sharing of information, which makes Silicon Valley such a renowned location for doing business, helps to define new technological trends for the next generation. I hope that they will succeed not only in the United States, but that they will also bring this technological sociology to the Czech Republic," says Dr. Morton Grosser.

"At this professionally organized event, I got the opportunity to personally meet with Czech experts and representatives of the Czech Republic in Silicon Valley. I met some very interesting people with whom we will cooperate further. Czechs who have been active in the area for a longer time offered me assistance with getting started, as well their contacts," says Jan Šafka of Atollon Consulting CZ, s.r.o., a participant in the CzechAccelerator programme.

BayCzech Professionals was established by CzechInvest eighteen months ago with the purpose of establishing a networking and information platform for Czech and other professionals working on both sides of the Atlantic. The community currently has more than 200 active members, predominately in high-tech fields.

For more information please contact the CzechInvest Press Centre

Štěpánka Filipová, spokesperson, phone: +420 296 342 538, stepanka.filipova@czechinvest.org

CzechInvest is celebrating its 20th anniversary!

CzechInvest has been supporting the inflow of foreign direct investments to the Czech Republic for twenty years already. Since its establishment in 1992, the agency has mediated 1,798 investment projects with the total value of more than CZK 715 billion, thanks to which nearly a quarter of a million new jobs have been created. CzechInvest contributes to improving the overall business environment in the Czech Republic and strives to increase the competitiveness of the Czech economy in changing conditions. Since 2004, the agency has also operated as the implementation body for EU structural funds and has regional offices staffed by specialists in every regional capital in the Czech Republic. CzechInvest’s CEO, Miroslav Křížek, was named Manager of the Year 2011 in the Business and Public Services sector.