TOPAZ

What TOPAZ does

TOPAZ, z.s. (legal entity registered in Prague, Czech Republic) is a non-profit civic association and political think tank founded in 2012, organizationally linked to the TOP 09 political party through overlapping leadership and membership. It operates from a central Prague office at Opletalova 1603/57 and runs a portfolio of intellectual 'products' rather than commercial goods: a Policy Paper publication series addressing Czech and European political issues; a podcast distributed on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS; recurring conferences and public debates held in Prague, regional Czech cities, and Brussels; educational seminars and political-campaign training programs; and two annual awards — the Cena Karla Schwarzenberga student paper prize (since 2020) and the Cena TOPAZ: Osobnost veřejné odpovědnosti civic-leadership award (since 2025). Underlying technology is non-technological: no proprietary software, platform, or AI capability is referenced; the institute distributes all content free of charge via its website, newsletter (ecomailapp.cz), social channels, podcast platforms, and annual presence at the Svět knihy Prague book fair (4th edition in 2026).

Its core customers are three personas served side-by-side: (i) TOP 09 politicians and party members, who consume policy analysis, debate forums, and electoral-campaign training; (ii) Czech and international academics and students, who engage through publications, seminars, and the student competition; and (iii) the Czech general public / civic society, reached via public debates, the book fair, and free online publications.

Business model: a hybrid donations-and-grants model. The institute solicits donations directly ('Podpořte nás') from website visitors and members, and receives project-tied co-funding from three European political foundations — Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (CDU-aligned, Germany), Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung (CSU-aligned, Germany, particularly active 2023-2025), and Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies (EPP think tank, Brussels). No commercial product, paid subscription, or fee-for-service is offered; the pricing model is effectively zero-cost distribution supported by philanthropic and party-aligned funding. The GTM motion is community-led and event-driven: events, podcasts, and publications are distributed free of charge to grow the addressable community of conservative-leaning Czech and European stakeholders, with the TOP 09 party network serving as the primary distribution and recruitment engine.

Name

TOPAZ

Legal name

TOPAZ, z.s.

Website

https://top-az.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TOPAZ, z.s. is a Czech non-profit political think tank affiliated with the TOP 09 party, producing policy papers, podcasts, conferences, and educational seminars for Czech and European policymakers, academics, and the general public, funded by donations and grants from European political foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Think Tank Services

NAICS

Political Organizations (813940), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK), Government & Public Sector Conferences (MPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Political think tank
• Policy research
• Public debates
• Political education
• Civic association

Headquarters

HQ city

Praha

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and member support: TOPAZ operates as a civic association (z.s.) funded by donations and member support. The website explicitly invites visitors to 'Podpořte nás' (Support us), indicating a donations-based funding model. No paid products or services are described.
2. Foundation grants and partnerships: TOPAZ receives support from partner foundations including Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung, and Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies. These partnerships provide co-funding for specific projects, publications, and events. The support is explicitly acknowledged in podcasts, publications, and event pages.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TOPAZ is a non-profit political institute (think tank) that produces policy papers and analyses, organizes conferences and public debates, runs educational seminars and training for politicians, publishes a podcast series, and administers two annual awards (Cena Karla Schwarzenberga for student research and Cena TOPAZ for public responsibility figures). All outputs are made available free of charge to Czech and European audiences in cooperation with partner foundations such as Wilfried Martens Centre, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung.

Product overview

TOPAZ is a political institute/think tank that operates as a platform for conservative ideas and societal discourse. The organization offers a portfolio of intellectual products including a Policy Paper publication series, a TOPAZ Podcast featuring conversations on political and societal topics, conferences and public debates, educational seminars and training programs, and awards for students and public figures (Cena Karla Schwarzenberga and Cena TOPAZ: Osobnost veřejné odpovědnosti). The institute focuses on topics including democracy, European affairs, foreign policy, security, and political culture, often in collaboration with partner think tanks and foundations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Policy Papers and Analyses (Publikace a analýzy) Academic policy papers and analyses published by TOPAZ's academic team in cooperation with Czech and international experts, addressing current societal and political questions and made available for free download from the website.
• TOPAZ Podcast Podcast series featuring conversations about conservative ideas and societal topics from various perspectives, distributed worldwide through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and RSS feed.
• Conferences and Public Debates (Konference a veřejné debaty) Conferences and public debates organized throughout the year on current topics affecting public space, presenting innovative solutions and new perspectives to attendees free of charge.
• Education and Seminars (Vzdělávání a semináře) Educational programs including roundtables and seminars for experts and the public, plus training programs for beginning and experienced politicians, delivered as recurring seminars and workshops.
• Cena Karla Schwarzenberga (Karel Schwarzenberg Award) Annual award for the best scientific student works, granted by the TOPAZ Academic Council since 2020 to three selected students or recent graduates each year.
• Cena TOPAZ: Osobnost veřejné odpovědnosti (TOPAZ Award: Person of Public Responsibility) Annual award granted by the TOPAZ Executive Board since 2025 to individuals with extraordinary contribution to public life, democratic institutions, political culture, freedom, equality, human rights defense, and responsible civic society.

Quantifiable outcome

• Regularly presents publications at the international Svět knihy Prague book fair
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Knihovna Václava Havla (Václav Havel Library)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2022Prague-based library and intellectual center dedicated to Václav Havel's legacy. TOPAZ co-hosts events and roundtables at the library's venue, including the 'Evropa silnější a bezpečnější' roundtable and the Belarus-Turkey-Ukraine democratization discussion. The partnership provides a prestigious venue and intellectual credibility.
• Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman political foundation affiliated with the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). TOPAZ cooperates with KAS on joint publications, events, and the podcast series. KAS provides financial support and co-organizes roundtables and conferences on European and Czech political topics. The partnership is acknowledged in podcast episode credits and event descriptions.
• Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung (HSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman political foundation close to the CSU. TOPAZ and HSS jointly organize regional debates across the Czech Republic, including events on climate and energy policy, women in politics, and Czech-Bavarian dialogue. HSS provides co-funding and organizational support. The partnership was particularly active in 2023-2025.
• Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies (WMCES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial think tank of the European People's Party (EPP), led by former Slovak Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda. TOPAZ joined WMCES's expert team with Lucie Tungul. The institutions co-produce publications on European integration, democratization, and security policy, and co-host roundtables in Brussels and Prague. TOPAZ contributed to the publication 'Democratization in EU Foreign Policy: Belarus, Turkey and Ukraine.'
• International Republican Institute (IRI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS-based nonprofit that supports democracy worldwide. Listed as a partner on the TOPAZ website alongside other foundations. The nature of cooperation is primarily the co-distribution of publications and shared participation in democratic promotion activities.
• STEM (Institute for Empirical Research)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCzech public opinion research agency. TOPAZ collaborated with STEM to produce a podcast episode on public expectations from the Czech EU Presidency. STEM provided research data on Czech attitudes toward the EU and European topics for the joint discussion.
• Mendelovo Evropské centrum (Mendel European Centre)minorOthersAcademic think tank at Mendel University in Brno, directed by a professor who specializes in EU budget and monetary integration. Listed as a related institution in TOPAZ's expert network. Cooperation appears to be on an ad-hoc academic and publication basis.
• CEVRO Univerzita (CEVRO University)minorOthersPrivate university in Prague. Several TOPAZ-affiliated experts (including Michael Romancov and other political scientists) teach or research at CEVRO University. The relationship is primarily academic staff overlap rather than formal institutional partnership.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TOPAZcs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtFVPfrtAnli3QPxBD9DnRg
• Facebookfacebook.com/topazeu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/topaz-z-s
• Instagraminstagram.com/topaz_cz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about TOPAZ