#48: Marek Aldorf from OSN on Emerging markets, the continent of Africa, and washing machines in Bangladesh

For the third edition of Startup Cinema by Startup Kitchen, we took the startup world to space- metaphorically (and almost literally).After diving into the stories of Theranos and Wirecard in previous years, this time we focused on crisis management, leadership under pressure, and critical decision-making in moments when failure is not an option – all inspired by the real events of Apollo 13.Joined by Honza Husták from Hustá, Tomáš Milota from ČS Seed Starter, Matej Poliaček – ISS Columbus Flight Director at German Aerospace Center (DLR), and Martin Repka from Sparring.

Established Western companies are discovering that entering emerging markets can sometimes encounter unexpected obstacles. This was the case, for example, with home appliance manufacturer Bosch, which struggled to launch its washing machines in Bangladesh. The reason? Their cables became easy prey for mice, a common problem in Bangladeshi households. The issue was resolved with plastic protection, which mice could no longer chew through, says Marek Aldorf, Senior Program Manager at the UN. Aldorf was a guest on the podcast Startup Kitchen Talk, hosted by Kateřina Syslová.

William Jalloul is a visionary founder of Flowpay who leverages data and AI to bridge the SME financing gap in Europe. Under his leadership, Flowpay has rapidly scaled, raised significant funding, and is setting its sights on broader European expansion—all while playing an active role in shaping the fintech ecosystem. Enjoy our newest talk hosted by Katerina Syslova, thanks to Soulmates Ventures.

Honza is the Head of Marketing at the Czech startup Dronetag, and he joined us to talk about the origins of the company - back then at the ESA Space Application Hackathon in 2018, building Remote ID devices – digital license plates for drones, expansion into the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, and beyond or Public Program Support e.g. ESA BIC, NATO DIANA, CASSINI, or CzechInvest. Enjoy the newest episode hosted by our co-host, Andrew Gray.

Setkání českého startupového ekosystému se zástupci politických stran v pražském byznys hubu Opero, kterým provedou Martin Jiránek, předseda České startupové asociace, a Kateřina Syslová, kreativní ředitelka Startup Kitchen.Témata debaty:🔹 Jak politici přistupují ke startupovým tématům?🔹 Vnímají důležitost startupů a investorů pro české hospodářství?🔹 A chápou vůbec náš svět?Pozváni byli zástupci všech politických stran, které v době oslovení měly v průzkumech nad 4,5 %. Tématy diskuze budou mimo jiné startupový zákon, pracovněprávní vztahy, incentivy pro investory, posílení kapitálu, 28. režim a celkově hospodářská strategie.Pozvání přijali:🔹 Martin Kupka | ODS ​🔹 Karel Havlíček | ANO🔹 Jan Kavalírek | TOP 09🔹 Štěpán Hofman | STAN🔹 Michal Švagerka | Piráti🔹 Benjamin Činčila | KDU-ČSL🔹 Jana Bobošíková | Stačilo!​Program:🔹 17:15 | Úvodní slovo🔹 17:25 | Čerstvá data🔹 17:40 | Politická panelovka🔹 18:35 | Coffee break🔹 18:50 | Q&A z publika 🔹 19:55 | Závěr a poděkování ​Startupovou předvolební debatu pořádají:🔹 Česká startupová asociace🔹 Czech Founders🔹 Startup Kitchen🔹 CzechInvest

Štefan is a law & technology enthusiast with the vision of helping tech companies grow through the unique combination of law & technology. He’s the founder of Eldison, a company that combines legal services with its own products to deliver end-to-end solutions to key legal problems such as ESOP operation or B2B contracting. Over the years, Štefan has helped the most innovative startups in the region (such as Exponea or Mews) scale to global companies. What does he like so much about rice? Check out in our newest episode hosted by Katerina Syslova!

Meet Yassaman Omidbakhsh, co-founder and co-CEO of Eyerim in the newest episode of Startup Kitchen Talk hosted by Kate Syslova. Yass' journey started in Southeast Asia, where she dove into the world of e-commerce with Lazada and later helped launch more than eight startups in under a year. That early experience gave her a sharp sense for spotting opportunities—and the courage to act on them.In 2015, together with her friend Martin, she co-founded eyerim. From the very beginning, Yass has focused on long-term strategy and building a strong foundation. She believed in the potential of digital optics at a time when few did. And she was right. Even before the launch, her pitch helped secure the company’s first major investor. Since then, Eyerim has raised over 5 million euros and grown into a company that’s changing how people shop for eyewear.

Making its debut at COMPUTEX InnoVEX, the Czech Pavilion features eight startups showcasing innovation in AI, smart manufacturing, robotics, space tech, and perception technology. Co-organized by CzechInvest, the Czech Economic and Cultural Office, and Startup Kitchen—with support from Startup Terrace—the exhibitors include Neuron Soundware, CogniVibe, Inovec Technology, KOMPENZO, PalmApp Tech, RoboTwin, Stellar Exploration, and XTEND DESIGN.At InnoVEX Global Demo Day, eight Czech startups stood on the stage introducing their solutions.00:00 Opening01:48 Czech Startups, the best dumplings18:40 CogniVibe20:25 Inovec21:50 KOMPENZO23:22 Neuron Soundware25:38 PalmApp26:42 RoboTwin28:29 Stellar Exploration30:03 XTEND DESIGN31:40 Closing Session

Marketa is the heart and brain behind Start it @ČSOB Accelerator which is an industry agnostic accelerator (Yes, it is named by a well known bank CSOB but still agnostic), and is accepting the applications for its 15th wave of acceleration by 30th of April 2025. They've helped more than 100 startups druing the 5 months of tailored support in the form of mentoring, coaching, workshops and most importantly more heads thinking about their emerging business with them. Among the Alumnis are companies like Resinstant AI, Moovin, MotionTrex, Zarathustra, Young link, InvestBay, YEDEM, Gamifit, Mumdoo, ReKrabice, E Cafe Bike, RoboTwin, Mamio, Marter, Twigsee, Spectoda, Pointee, Happenee, Boost.Space, Stavarion, Mebster and many others.Voluntary Quiz -> How many times does Katerina say a word "start" ?

What happens when a brilliant scientist accidentally discovers her own cancer cells while developing a cancer-detection platform? She doesn’t panic. She builds a revolutionary biotech startup instead. Meet Kinga Matula, a deep-tech founder who transformed a nightmare diagnosis into a relentless drive to revolutionize drug discovery.Her startup, Curigen, is now backed by:- Tim Draper (Draper Associates) – She won him over after surviving Navy SEAL training, pitching while building a boat, and in the end, stole his paddle – all during the Draper University Program.- Tensor Ventures- Lighthouse VenturesFrom fighting cancer to pitching her vision under extreme conditions, Kinga's journey is the one to listen to.