The international Engaged Investments conference, co-organized by investment groups DEPO Ventures and J&T Ventures, brought more than 450 investors, founders, and leaders of the European tech ecosystem from 24 countries to Prague. Delegations from the United Kingdom, France, Finland, and Lithuania confirmed growing interest in technologies from the Czech Republic and the broader Central and Eastern Europe region.
Following this year’s edition, Engaged Investments has established itself as one of the most relevant events of its kind in CEE, due to the participation of experienced investors and startups and discussions reflecting ongoing transformations in European venture capital.
Investors from leading European funds joined this year’s discussions, including Jakob Stein (Creandum), Louis Frach (Left Lane Capital), Ska Sijia Du (Karma Ventures), Peter Lasinger (3VC), and Petr Šmíd (Rockaway Ventures). They noted that venture capital is undergoing a fundamental shift. Instead of prioritizing rapid expansion, investors are focusing on technologies that create long-term value, economic resilience, and Europe’s industrial sovereignty.
“Europe has more and more investors who look beyond quick returns and consider how their capital shapes the world around them. Investing is becoming a tool of economic, social, and technological change and is resonating with a new generation that weighs values and the impact of its decisions,” said Petr Šíma, Partner at DEPO Ventures.
AI, defense tech, and science as keys to Europe’s innovation edge
Panel discussions highlighted that AI is transitioning from horizontal platforms to specialized verticals, where unique data and domain expertise create competitive advantage — for example, in healthcare and energy. Europe, however, faces an “AI adoption gap,” reflecting the disparity between the pace of AI development and its implementation across industries and services.
Currently, half of all global venture capital investment targets AI startups. Despite this, European AI companies have raised around €9 billion, compared to more than €120 billion invested in the United States.
Defense technology was identified as one of the fastest-growing segments in European venture investment, now representing roughly 4% of total VC activity, or about 2 billion euros annually. Space engineer and scientist Jan Lukačevič emphasized that modern space technologies are built on data that enhance Europe’s economic resilience — from energy and transport to crisis management and agriculture.
Speakers noted that while Czech and European universities continue to produce advanced research in deep-tech, only a small portion is successfully commercialized. Limited technology transfer capacity, differences in speed between academia and business, and complex regulatory frameworks compared with the U.S. were cited as key barriers. Finnish deep-tech investors and defense accelerators shared their model linking the military, academia, research, and private capital into an integrated ecosystem, accelerating the creation and deployment of strategic technologies.
From an underdog to one of Europe’s fastest-growing ecosystems
Central Europe has progressed from an underrated market to a rapidly developing tech hub, supported by strong technical talent, efficient use of capital, a rising number of successful exits, and growing interest from Western funds. EU innovation programs were also identified as a driving force.
“Today, Central and Eastern Europe has enormous innovation potential and is attracting more foreign capital. Conferences like Engaged Investments are important because they give people space to meet, share experience, and move the entire market forward,” said Adam Kočík, Managing Partner at J&T Ventures.
Day 2 showcased 50 selected startups to investors
The second day of Engaged Investments presented 50 investment-ready startups across stages from pre-seed to Series A. The selection included projects from the European CASSINI program run by the EUSPA agency and Ukrainian defense startups. Cross-border co-investing and sourcing new opportunities were key themes.
“Engaged Investments is valuable for connecting an international network of investors with startups and expert partners. It creates new business opportunities and concrete collaborations that help startups scale, succeed on foreign markets, and enable investors to share know-how, for example in deep-tech or cybersecurity,” said Petr Chládek, CEO of the JIC innovation agency.
The program also included practical workshops and consultations on regulatory topics, led by Bird & Bird law firm. The legal environment was identified as a significant challenge for startups and investors operating in highly regulated sectors.
“Many startups and investors operate in highly regulated industries such as defensetech, fintech, healthtech, or regtech. While these ‘rules of the game’ may seem limiting at first glance, understanding them, especially with an advisor who knows the terrain, clearly defines each player’s room to maneuver. For investors, it enables choice in structuring transactions with bounded risk; for startups, it provides flexibility in identifying opportunities and paths to growth,” said Ivan Sagál, Partner at Bird & Bird.
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Engaged is primarily financed by organizations that have long supported the development of Europe’s startup and investment environment. The main partners of this year’s edition were JIC Ventures, the fund of the South Moravian Innovation Centre, and the international law firm Bird & Bird. Additional supporters included VC funds Warsaw Equity Group, 3VC, Purple Ventures, Tilia Impact Ventures, Credo Ventures, Soulmates Ventures; the agencies CzechInvest, CASSINI #EUSpace, ESIL; and private companies Spyrosoft, VESTA Software Group, and Jonas Software.
