JIC STARCUBE

What JIC STARCUBE does

JIC (JIC Innovation agency), legally structured as JIC, zájmové sdružení právnických osob (interest association of legal entities), is a Brno-based regional innovation agency founded in 2005 and serving the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. Its core service portfolio runs three programmatic tiers — Future Founders (pre-incubation), the JICbooster incubator (early-stage startups with mentorship and seed facilitation), and Scaleup Leaders (acceleration and internationalisation) — augmented by physical infrastructure including the JICcowork shared workspace and 18 rentable meeting rooms within the INMEC building, plus an online community platform (JIC+) and event programming such as Velvet Innovation meetups. The agency aggregates an ecosystem of 700+ active startup participants, 1,300+ graduated companies, and 200+ expert mentors.

JIC monetises through a hybrid of EU/regional public co-financing (e.g., the 94 mil. CZK Smart Akcelerátor III project, 2023-2025; Interreg AT-CZ Open Source Innovation Hubs), coworking and meeting-room rentals priced in tiered monthly subscriptions with de minimis subsidies, and paid event registrations. In April 2026 it extended its model into principal investing through JIC Ventures, a EUR 16M early-stage technology fund that has already deployed into Webout (EUR 1.65M seed), HTG Medical (EUR 450K pre-seed), and FaceUp ($5M Series A co-investment). Founding members — South Moravian Region, City of Brno, Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Mendel University, and University of Veterinary Sciences Brno — underpin a structural moat that is unusual for the incubator/accelerator sector and effectively makes JIC the public innovation-delivery vehicle for RIS JMK.

Name

JIC STARCUBE

Legal name

JIC, zájmové sdružení právnických osob

Website

https://jic.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Short description

JIC is a Brno-based Czech regional innovation agency (interest association of legal entities) running Future Founders, JICbooster, and Scaleup Leaders programs, coworking and event facilities, and the EUR 16M JIC Ventures fund, serving early-stage technology startups in the South Moravian Region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation and Innovation Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Business accelerator programs
• Venture capital investment
• Coworking office space
• Innovation ecosystem

Headquarters

HQ city

Brno

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. EU and Regional Government Funding: JIC operates co-financed by European Union funds, South Moravian Region, and other public sources. Projects include Smart Akcelerátor (94 mil. CZK budget), Open Source Innovation Hubs (Interreg AT-CZ), and infrastructure modernization projects.
2. Coworking and Meeting Room Rental: JICcowork service provides shared workspace in INMEC building with tiered membership plans (Student, Startup tariffs) partially subsidized via de minimis aid. Meeting room rentals available through separate booking system.
3. Event Participation Fees: Paid event registrations for workshops, seminars, and networking events organized by JIC. Payments processed via ComGate payment gateway.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

JIC provides structured startup support through its Future Founders pre-incubation program, JICbooster early-stage incubator and Scaleup Leaders acceleration program, complemented by shared workspace (JICcowork) and meeting-room rentals at the INMEC building in Brno. The agency also runs ecosystem events, an online community (JIC+) and, through JIC Ventures (EUR 16M), provides seed, pre-seed and Series A venture capital investments into Czech and Central European technology startups.

Product overview

JIC (JIC Innovation agency) is a Czech innovation agency that provides a comprehensive ecosystem for technology startups and entrepreneurs. The core offerings include the JICbooster incubator for early-stage startups, Future Founders pre-incubation program, and Scaleup Leaders acceleration program. Physical services include JICcowork coworking spaces and 18 meeting rooms for rent at the INMEC facility. JIC Ventures is the EUR 16 million venture capital arm investing in early-stage tech startups. The agency also organizes events and participates in the Open Source Innovation Hubs project focused on AI technologies. The organization has supported over 1,300 companies through its programs and facilitated more than CZK 80 million in investments and grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JICbooster: Incubator program for early-stage startups where companies work with JIC experts to ensure product market success.
• JIC Ventures
• JICplus
• JICcowork

Products and services

• Future Founders Pre-incubation support program for individuals with entrepreneurial ideas who are working, studying or considering commercialising research. Provides guidance for idea validation and finding an entrepreneurial path.
• JICbooster (Early Stage Startups) Incubator program for early-stage startups that work with JIC experts to ensure product market success. Covers company formation, market entry, investor relations and provides access to seed funding opportunities.
• Scaleup Leaders Support program for companies with unique products seeking world-class status. Provides access to experienced founders, top mentors, global connections and investors.
• JICcowork Shared coworking space service at the INMEC building providing flexible workspace with internet, coffee, meeting room hours, community access and the option to subscribe to STUDENT or STARTUP tariffs with de minimis subsidy support.
• Meeting Room Rental Rental service for 18 shared meeting rooms of 12–70 m² in the INMEC building, equipped with AV and Wi-Fi, suitable for business meetings, seminars and workshops.
• JIC Ventures Venture capital fund investing in early-stage technology startups from the Czech Republic and Central Europe, with a EUR 16 million fund size focused on technology companies with global potential.
• JIC Events Organised events including workshops, sharing experiences, Velvet Innovation meetups and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs and startups in the JIC innovation ecosystem.
• Open Source Innovation Hubs (Brno–Vienna) Cross-border Interreg AT-CZ project establishing two innovation hubs in Brno and Vienna that focus on open-source technologies for digital sovereignty, with the Brno hub specialising in AI, IoT, Industry 4.0, smart cities and smart agriculture applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1300+ companies graduated from incubation and acceleration programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Masaryk University (MUNI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university partner and JIC founding member, contributing to Regional Innovation Strategy and startup ecosystem development.
• Brno University of Technology (VUT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical university founding member supporting research commercialization and technology transfer through JIC programs.
• South Moravian Region (JMK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government authority and JIC founding member, co-financing innovation ecosystem development through Smart Akcelerátor project.
• City of BrnocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partner and JIC founding member, supporting Regional Innovation Strategy implementation.
• Mendel University (MENDEL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural and life sciences university founding member contributing to bioeconomy and agtech startup development.
• European Business and Innovation Centres Network (EBN)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network providing JIC with international best practices and cross-border incubator certification.
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Commission network helping SMEs access international markets and innovation partnerships.
• European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU body supporting innovation communities that JIC collaborates with for pan-European startup programs.
• ESA BICmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Space Agency Business Incubation Centre providing space technology startup support in the regional ecosystem.
• Interreg AT-CZ (Open Source Innovation Hubs)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-border EU project establishing Open Source Innovation Hubs in Brno (focused on AI) and Vienna. Project supports digital sovereignty and SME-research collaboration in smart cities, IoT, Industry 4.0, and smart agriculture.
• Smart Akcelerátor v Jihomoravském kraji IIIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner94 mil CZK EU-funded project (2023-2025) implementing Regional Innovation Strategy, strengthening regional ecosystem capacities and innovation competencies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Seedcamp: Seedcamp is a Europe-focused early-stage fund and accelerator that combines seed investment with mentorship-driven programs. Comparable to JIC's combined JICbooster + JIC Ventures model that pairs incubation with capital in the CEE market.
• Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC): CIC operates innovation campuses providing coworking, lab and incubator space across the US, Europe and Asia, with a focus on building deep-tech and life-science communities. It overlaps directly with JIC's mix of coworking (JICcowork), meeting rooms, and incubator programming for technology startups.
• Impact Hub: Impact Hub is a global network of innovation hubs providing coworking, incubation, and programming for impact-driven entrepreneurs. It parallels JIC's coworking-plus-incubator-plus-community model across multiple countries.
• Station F: Station F is the world's largest startup campus in Paris, combining coworking, incubation, acceleration, events and an investor network. It is directly comparable to JIC as a one-stop innovation campus offering pre-incubation through scaleup programs plus community and events.
• Antler: Antler is a global early-stage investor that runs founder-building cohorts and deploys pre-seed capital. Comparable to JIC's Future Founders + JICbooster pathway that supports founders from idea to first cheque.
• Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator network running 13-week programs, mentorship-driven cohorts, and an investor network. It competes with JIC for early-stage founders and is comparable on the structured accelerator and mentor-network dimensions of JIC's offering.
• Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play runs global innovation platforms with accelerators, corporate venture partnerships, and an in-house fund. It is comparable to JIC as a multi-stage ecosystem operator linking startups, corporates, and capital.
• Startupbootcamp: Startupbootcamp operates industry-focused accelerator programs across multiple European cities with corporate and investor partners. It mirrors JIC's blend of structured programs, mentor networks, and partner-driven acceleration across geographies.

Regional players

• CzechInvest: CzechInvest is the Czech government's investment promotion and innovation-development agency, operating overlapping programs for startups and SMEs in the same Czech market. It is comparable as a regional innovation intermediary but does not run a captive venture fund like JIC Ventures.

Broad incumbents

• European Innovation Council (EIC): The EIC is the EU's flagship innovation funding programme offering grants and equity to deep-tech startups across Europe. It is comparable to JIC at the program-architecture level (multi-stage support, EU co-financing, cross-border programs) but operates at vastly larger scale and as a public funding body rather than an operating incubator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/JICbrno
• Facebookfacebook.com/StarCubeCZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-moravian-innovation-centre
• Instagraminstagram.com/jic_brno
• Xx.com/StarCubeCZ

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments9 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about JIC STARCUBE