Five minutes, a tough jury and one idea that can change everything. On Thursday, June 11, the Startup Go Grill will once again take place in the amphitheater of the UJEP Campus in Ústí nad Labem - an event where budding entrepreneurs from the Ústí nad Labem prove that they are capable of more than just nice presentations. And those who want to be on stage next time can now apply for the new incubator run.

Startup Go Grill has nothing to do with a classic conference. No endless lectures, no PowerPoint marathons. Here, the grilling is hard – each finalist gets five minutes to convince the expert jury that their project is worth attention. Then the questions come. Direct, merciless 
and honest. Exactly the kind that await anyone who wants to succeed in the real business world.

We are organizing the event as the traditional culmination of our business incubator Startup Go! This year for the fifteenth time. And the summer open air atmosphere on the campus, where it all started years ago, also keeps to the tradition. Refreshments from the grill, networking without ties and energy that is not easily lost from similar events. Admission is free, just register at www.icuk.cz. The evening will be guided by Jan Wedlich, who was previously part of ICUK and helped to create a number of successful projects, so he knows the startup scene in the region inside out.

From incubator to real business

Over fourteen runs, more than 140 projects have passed through the Startup Go incubator. And they certainly didn't just stay on paper. Many of them now operate as real companies, gaining customers, partners, and investments.

One of them is the IQstat project, the winner of the 12th run. Their smart application helps households automatically manage electricity consumption according to current energy prices and photovoltaic production. The jury was impressed not only by the product itself, but also by the vision that a similar solution could help stabilize the energy network as a whole in the future.

The Reframed project also succeeded in the same run, solving a problem that the entire photovoltaic sector is struggling with today - lengthy and expensive design. Thanks to their technology, a few photos taken with a mobile phone are enough and the software will create an accurate 3D model of the roof and a proposal for the optimal placement of panels in a matter of moments. 

Worksheet.ws, the winner of the 13th incubator run, also has a strong story. The project uses artificial intelligence to create worksheets for schools. It saves teachers hours of work – it can not only create worksheets in a moment, but also automatically evaluate them and give students immediate feedback.

The last run brought the BuddyChip project, which produces smart dog tags with an NFC chip. Just place your phone next to it and the person who finds a lost dog will immediately get in touch with the owner. The project was created 
from a simple personal experience, but today it has the potential to help thousands of dog owners.

Each of these projects is different, but they all started the same way, as an idea from someone from the Ústí nad Labem region who decided to give it a try. And ICUK helped them go from the first idea to a functioning business. Each incubator participant will gain access to mentors, experts, and a series of workshops worth up to 80 thousand crowns, all completely free of charge.

Do you have an idea? The doors are opening again in September

Anyone who watches the finalists at the Grill and thinks "I could probably do this too" has the perfect opportunity. The new round of the Startup Go business incubator starts in September and registration is already open. The program is open to anyone with a business idea and a connection to the Ústí nad Labem region.

Just arrange an initial consultation with us, our experts will assess your plan for free, and together you will decide if an incubator is the right path. As we say: „Before you borrow a million, come and verify your idea first.”

Funded from the Ústí nad Labem Region Transformation Center project, project registration number CZ.10.02.01/00/22_002/0000053.