The global final of the prestigious Creative Business Cup competition took place in Copenhagen, Denmark on 5 June 2023. Innovative startups from around the world competed for support and investments for their business projects. The global champion of the 2023 Creative Business Cup was Nebesys, a Czech startup that won the national round of the competition organised by CzechInvest and held in Ústí nad Labem in March of this year.

“It’s great news for all of us that such an interesting, creative and innovative solution was created in Czechia. Victory in the competition will bring the startup invaluable support, which will help with its growth and expansion to new markets, and I hope that it will become an example that will prompt other startups to enter future editions of the event,” says Petr Očko, head of the Digitalisation and Innovation Section of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and acting CEO of CzechInvest, adding: “Creative startups are one of the key areas that we at CzechInvest are supporting in the long term within the Technology Incubation project, in which creative startups can currently register in new calls.”

Nebesys fought its way onto the list of top-ten finalists, which with their products were focused on, for example, sustainable textile materials and various digital platforms. In the course of the final pitch deck, representatives of Nebesys captured the jury’s attention with the uniqueness and sophistication of the startup’s overall solution, which ultimately earned the company a place on the winners’ podium. In addition to the renown brought by victory in the competition, Nebesys will receive a bundle of business services, programmes and mentoring, as well as access to funding provided by partners, investors and expert mentors. The winner will also gain entry to the exclusive Creative Business Investors programme, which will enable it to establish contact with investors and potential partners throughout the coming year.

“We are greatly honoured that we could represent Czechia as a country full of great ideas. Our victory is the result of the amazing collaboration of the entire Nebesys team. I believe that by the end of the year, we will have dozens of additional beautiful installations and improve the lives of numerous people,” says Zuzana Ambrožová, creative director at Nebesys.

Nebesys is an innovative project that provides a unique possibility to open interior spaces to the sky and offers breathtaking views of both the urban and natural landscapes. The startup uses natural diffused light, which not only prevents overheating and the formation of heat islands, but also cools by means of water and retains rainwater. It is anticipated that Nebesys roofs will be fully energy self-sufficient in the future.

“This year’s top ten-finalists included some great projects and we are very pleased that a Czech startup emerged as the winner. Standing up to the competition and in front of a jury evaluating not only the creative solution of the product or service, but mainly its potential, was truly difficult, but Nebesys handled it well and was deservedly named the world’s most creative startup,” says Alena Hájková, ambassador of this year’s edition of the event and head of the Regional Offices Department at CzechInvest.

The Creative Business Cup competition is intended for startups in creative sectors such as design, electronics, software development, computer games, 3D printing, fashion, architecture, advertising, film, photography, gastronomy, leisure activities, toy manufacturing, music and audio-visual media. The jury evaluates not only the creative solution of the given product or service, but also its potential to stand up to international competition and the startup’s potential to become a globally successful company. Participation in the global final is in itself an award and a major success. Thanks to Nebesys’s victory, Czechia was represented at the top of the winner’s podium for the first time.