Ústí nad Labem, June 16, 2025 – For the thirteenth time, the business incubator of the Innovation Center of the Ústí Region (ICUK) concluded its Startup Go! program with the final Startup Go Grill event. On Friday, June 13, in the open-air atmosphere of the amphitheatre of the JE Purkyně University, participants were given the chance to present their business ideas to a professional jury and the public. They had only 5 minutes to present, followed by an intensive "grill" of questions. The winner was the Worksheet.ws project, a digital tool for teachers that simplifies the assignment and evaluation of school assignments using artificial intelligence.
For start-up companies and people with a business idea, the Innovation Center of the Ústí nad Labem Region (ICUK) has a comprehensive educational program, business incubator Startup Go! It helps companies launch and develop their businesses. The culmination of the spring program was the final presentations of the program graduates before the jury and the public, called Startup Go Grill.
"Startups have 5 minutes to present, after which the jury grills them with questions. The goal is to practice and prepare companies for the so-called investor pitch, i.e. presentations to investors, which in In case of project success on the market, there may be" explains the purpose of the event, Jan Wedlich, manager for corporate clients from ICUK, who was also the moderator of the evening.
Who took the prizes?
6 out of a total of 16 graduating business incubator projects currently participated in the competition presentations. The absolute winner of Startup Go Grill was the project Worksheet.ws, A modern tool for teachers that simplifies the preparation and assignment of school assignments. It allows you to create digital tests, worksheets, or essays that can be easily shared with students via a link.
Each submitted assignment also includes a detailed formative assessment in both text and graphic form, which provides students with specific advice on what to focus on in their further learning. The jury was impressed not only by the technical sophistication of the solution, but also by how it naturally combines the digitalization of teaching with an emphasis on individual student development and saving teachers time.
“Worksheet.ws is a great example of how technology in education doesn’t have to be complicated to have a big impact. It addresses a specific need, makes work easier, and cultivates learning. It’s a combination that makes sense.” commented on the winning project George Duzar, jury representative and co-founder of the company She was obsessed., which also participated in the grill a few years ago and today ships to 50 countries around the world.
The expert jury declared it the second best project Inpublic, an app and platform that brings an innovative way of dating – without swiping, but with an emphasis on real encounters and interpersonal chemistry. The founders draw on psychological research and behavioral data to create a safe and natural space for offline dating. Inpublic wants to change the way people meet today – respectfully, consciously and in the real world, but also with the help of modern technology.
""With the Inpublic project, we appreciated not only the topicality of the topic, but also the well-thought-out concept that offers a healthy alternative to digital platforms," commented on the award by the jury Ondřej Veselý, representative of the Agency for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Ústí nad Labem Region.
The project won the third place prize A confident brand, a transformation program for women who want to do business authentically, with confidence in their own abilities and a clear vision. Founders Lucie Vondráková and Michaela Otrubová combine work on internal settings with building a personal or business brand - so that women can create a brand that truly reflects their values, personality and ambitions.
Visitors to the event also had the opportunity to express their support. This time the audience award was won by the project ENKO, a digital platform that facilitates the creation of energy communities under the new Lex OZE II legislation. It responds to the need for efficient sharing of surpluses from domestic photovoltaics and connects small electricity producers with consumers such as companies, municipalities or apartment buildings. The project is led by UJEP students Jan Povolný and Ondřej Vandrovec, who, thanks to the Startup Go incubator, are working on a product prototype and preparing a test run with the first partners.
"Each of the projects showed that it was created from own experience or sincere interest in making a difference. It was this authenticity and drive to solve specific problems that I really enjoyed. Moreover, the teams demonstrated well-thought-out, clearly structured solutions and honest preparation. This is exactly the type of energy we want to support in the region,” concludes the evening, a representative of the expert jury Jana Prchalová, business development manager of the Innovation Center of the Ústí nad Labem Region.
The next incubator run begins already in autumn
One run of the Startup Go business incubator has ended with final presentations, but the work with the graduates does not end there. ICUK will remain in touch with them, help them in their further development and move them towards other opportunities, programs or investors. At the same time, new business ideas are currently being recruited. to the autumn run of the Startup Go programThe program, including the final public presentations, was supported by the Ústí nad Labem Region Transformation Center project, registration number CZ.10.02.01/00/22_002/0000053.
In the photos:
- location: Worksheet.ws – Michael Doubek, Martin Doubek
- place: Inpublic – Jan Fiala
- 1st place: Self-confident brand – Lucie Vondráková, Michaela Otrubová
Audience Award: ENKO, Jan Povolný, Ondřej Vandrovec
