The Czech IT sector is an important player in the global technology landscape. With a well-educated workforce and a strong tradition of innovation in engineering and technology, the Czech IT industry is known for its expertise in software development with a focus on business intelligence, cybersecurity, and analytics. The Czech Republic offers one of the most favorable business environments in the CEE region. In turn, this has supported the establishment and growth of IT companies in Czech Republic and attracted multinational IT giants to invest in and expand to the country.
Domestic and foreign IT investments
The IT sector in the Czech Republic represents a growing and dynamic industry that plays a vital role in the country’s economy. Moreover, with over 200 000 IT employees and nearly 30 000 university students focusing on the technology industry (CzechInvest), the country offers the most specialized workforce in the CEE region after Estonia, the Czech Statistical Office reports. Followingly, the Czech Republic also demonstrates the highest level of investment in the ICT sector per GDP in the EU, reaching 5% in 2020.
The combination of a skilled workforce, a focus on emerging technologies, language skills, and cost-effectiveness has made the Czech IT sector and workforce an attractive destination for foreign companies. Some of the most notable companies that expanded their operations to the country include Amazon, IBM, Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, Honeywell, Red Hat, Cisco, Google, HP, DELL, eBay, Xerox, and Skype.
Besides the capital of Prague, where most of the tech companies are located, the second-largest city Brno is widely known as the IT and innovation hub of the country. Thus, the Recursive has prepared a list of some of the most prominent Czech IT companies that have shaped the industry and ecosystem of the country.
10 Successful IT companies in Czech Republic recognized globally
Name: Avast
Revenue: ∼ $875.2M (2021)
Included in our Prague-based notable companies list, Avast Software is one of the most successful and recognized IT companies in Czech Republic. Established in 1988, the cybersecurity and antivirus software company has a global user base of over 435 million, having the second-largest market share of anti-malware application providers worldwide. It offers a range of security products for both consumers and businesses, including antivirus software, internet security, privacy tools, and VPN services.
The firm’s subsidiaries include AVG Technologies, Piriform Software, and HMA. Today, Avast operates under a parent company Gen Digital, a multinational cybersecurity company based in the US.
Name: Seznam.cz
Revenue: ∼ $255M (2021)
Founded in 1996 in Prague, Seznam.cz is a widely popular search engine and web portal in the Czech Republic, offering nearly 30 different services, including email, maps, or news. The company has a long history in the Czech market and has built a strong brand and reputation for providing relevant and trustworthy search results.
The portal attracts millions of unique monthly visitors in a 10-million-people country. Notably, Seznam.cz (meaning “list”) is one of the biggest Google competitors within one country and the only one using the Latin alphabet (other competitors in eg. South Korea, China, and Russia). Over 90% of Czech internet users use Seznam.cz, making it the most popular website in the country after Google. While the company operates primarily in the domestic market (for Czech speakers), its sub-company Mapy.cz (maps) is becoming popular internationally, particularly for the coverage of various sports routes, including trekking or cycling.
Name: Unicorn
Revenue: ∼ $235M (2021)
Unicorn is a Czech technology company specializing in software development and IT services. Founded in 1990, the company has become one of the largest IT service providers in the country and the CEE region. The IT company supports firms from banking, insurance, energy, utilities, communications, and media to manufacturing, commerce, and public administration and provides the Plus4U internet service. With over 1100 clients and 150 000 Plus4U users, Unicorn has offices in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Netherlands, Germany, and Norway.
The company has invested heavily in research and development in recent years, focusing on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technologies. As a result, Unicorn has been recognized for its contributions to developing these technologies. The company has also established a private university in Prague, named the Unicorn University.
Name: Adastra
Revenue: ∼ $172M (2021)
A Czech technology company Adastra specializes in software development and IT services. Established in 2000, Adastra offers a wide range of services, including custom software development, IT consulting, and managed IT services. It has a diverse client base in the public and private sectors. The IT company is known for its expertise in a range of technologies, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.
Adastra operates in 21 countries with offices in 12 and a significant presence in the Canadian market. In 2015, the company became the IT brain behind the second-largest bank in Canada, Toronto-Dominion.
Name: Seyfor (formerly Solitea)
Revenue: ∼ $157M (2021)
Seyfor is a software company founded in 1990 in the Brno innovation hub. It provides development, implementation, and support of accounting, economic, and business information systems and is one of the leading distributors in the Czech and Slovak markets.
The company rebranded in 2022 from Solitea to Sayfor and acquired Slovak company Commander Services, which specializes in monitoring company vehicles. Seyfor employs around 1600 people and serves over 260 000 customers globally.
Name: Kiwi.com
Revenue: ∼ $109M (2021)
One of the biggest Czech successes and fastest-growing businesses represents online travel tech company Kiwi.com. The firm was established in 2012 in Brno and has quickly grown to become one of the largest travel websites in Europe. Offering a comprehensive range of travel options to customers in over 200 countries, Kiwi uses a “virtual interlining” technology to combine flights from different airlines, allowing customers to book complex itineraries unavailable through traditional travel websites.
With over 800 air and ground carriers worldwide, Kiwi employs more than 1500 people globally, processes more than 100 million daily searches, and carries out over 50 000 sales of seats per day. The company was acquired by US-based General Atlantic in 2019 and announced a €100M investment in 2019 to support accelerating growth.
Name: Cleverlance
Revenue: ∼ $70M (2021)
With headquarters in Brno and offices in other cities in the Czech Republic and abroad, IT company Cleverlance develops products, integrates IT platforms, and provides analytical services and software testing. Its services range from financial institutions, through telecommunications to the power or automotive industries.
Outside of the Czech Republic, Cleverlance’s offices are located in Germany, Slovakia, Spain, and the US. The company has a strong international presence, with clients in Europe, Asia, and North America, and has established partnerships with leading technology companies such as Microsoft and AWS. Since 2017, Cleverlance became a member of the Association of Virtual and Augmented Reality and is currently working on several applications of VR and AR.
Name: Y Soft
Revenue: ∼ $47M (2019)
A globally operating IT firm Y Soft develops efficient 2D and 3D print solutions, document capture capabilities, and streamlined, automated workflows. Y Soft was founded in 2000 as a student project at Masaryk University in Brno and currently operates in 17 countries with nearly 400 employees.
Y Soft has worked with nearly 30 000 customers, including nearly a half of Global Fortune 500 companies. The firm has offices in France, Hungary, Denmark, Israel, the UK, the UAE, the US, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and China. Moreover, the company actively supports the tech ecosystem through its innovation center YSoft Labs and its in-house fund Y Soft Ventures.
Name: GoodData
Revenue: ∼ $22M (2021)
GoodData is a cloud-based business intelligence and analytics platform that helps businesses turn data into actionable insights. GoodData is one of the IT companies in Czech Republic founded in 2007 with offices in Prague, Brno, and a base in San Francisco. It has a strong customer base of 140 000 users. Over 30,000 companies use the platform, including half of Fortune 500 companies.
GoodData competes with giants such as IBM, Oracle, and SAP in the field. Additionally, in 2021, the company received a $45 million credit facility from J.P. Morgan & Co. to expand global sales and engineering teams while investing in building analytics solutions.
Name: STRV
Revenue: ∼ $19M (2021)
Established in 2004, last of our listed IT companies in Czech Republic STRV provides custom mobile applications for iOS and Android and web and backend solutions for American startups and established businesses. Since its establishment, the company was gradually building and developing its presence in the US and was named among the top 1% B2B companies worldwide by Clutch Global Leader.
The team’s main office is based in Prague. Another one was opened in Brno in 2015. Additionally, the firm has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York in the US. With global clients in Europe, North America, and Asia, STRV has established partnerships with leading tech companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. STRV organizes events on a monthly basis. Among the most frequent events are meetings of developers, Silicon Valley Insights series, or hackathons on various topics.
