Refsite

What Refsite does

Refsite Group s.r.o. operates an independent online portal for sharing and rating company references in the Czech construction and energy-saving industry. Founded on February 2, 2022, by Ing. Petr Kotek, Ph.D., a heating design engineer and energy auditor with over twenty years of experience, the platform is headquartered in Liberec, Czech Republic, and serves both homeowners seeking reliable contractors and SMB construction firms seeking customer acquisition. The core product combines verified customer reviews across categories including photovoltaics, heat pumps, insulation, windows, ventilation, and battery storage; a suite of over 20 online calculators (heat loss, U-value, NZÚ 2026+ subsidy, wind, EV comparison); a savings catalog of 200+ energy-saving measures authored by energy auditors; and a directory of project managers and specialists.

The underlying technology stack is built around a multi-phase review verification process designed to filter spam and fake reviews, paired with a Bayesian-weighted rating algorithm that anchors new companies to a neutral prior to prevent extreme scores. The platform supports audio reviews, embeddable review widgets, automated service and warranty reminders, and an inquiry system (Poptávky) that captures demand directly from the portal. Refsite is officially recommended by the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic (SFŽP) and the New Green Savings (NZÚ) program, and has signed memoranda of cooperation with 18 industry associations including AVTČ, CAFT, the Solar Association, AVMI, AES, and CPD.

The business model combines a four-tier subscription for contractors (Free, Basic at 400 Kč/month, Standard at 1,600 Kč/month, Premium at 4,000 Kč/month, with 20% off for annual billing), targeted banner advertising for vetted suppliers, and a secondary revenue stream from physical and digital QR/NFC products (certificates, stickers, magnets, NFC cards) sold through a dedicated e-shop. Go-to-market is community-led, anchored by content marketing through the savings catalog and calculators, webinars co-hosted with industry associations, a Spotify podcast, and SEO-driven organic traffic across Czech-language keywords tied to NZÚ subsidies and energy-efficient retrofits. Geographic focus is the Czech Republic with limited Slovakia exposure.

Name

Refsite

Legal name

Refsite Group s.r.o.

Website

https://refsite.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Liberec

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription fees (tariff plans): Four-tier subscription model: Free (0 Kč/month), Basic (400 Kč/month or 4,800 Kč/year), Standard (1,600 Kč/month or 19,200 Kč/year), and Premium (4,000 Kč/month or 48,000 Kč/year). Annual billing includes 20% discount.
2. QR products sales: Sale of QR products including QR certificates (100 Kč), QR stickers, QR magnets, and QR/NFC cards through eshop.refsite.info
3. Banner advertising: Targeted advertising for quality suppliers with various banner placements on the platform, including primary banners, category banners, and calculator-specific banners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Refsite operates an independent online portal where verified customers submit and browse reviews of construction firms, products, and services in the Czech and Slovak energy-saving technology sector (photovoltaics, heat pumps, insulation, ventilation, windows, and more). The platform combines verified ratings with a comparison engine, a suite of energy and subsidy calculators, a catalog of 200+ energy-saving measures authored by energy auditors, and a directory of project managers and specialists. Monetization is delivered through subscription tariff plans for businesses, targeted banner advertising, and the sale of physical QR/NFC verification products.

Product overview

Refsite is an independent review and reference portal for the Czech and Slovak construction and energy-saving industry. The platform operates as a unified portal combining multiple products: a core review and reference system where verified customers rate construction firms and products (photovoltaics, heat pumps, insulation, windows, ventilation, etc.); a suite of over 20 online calculators for heat loss, subsidies (NZÚ 2026+), building envelope calculations, wind energy, electric vehicles, and more; a catalog of 200+ energy-saving measures written by energy auditors; a directory of project managers and specialists; and a subscription-based business tools tier offering badges (PROFI/EXPERT/EDU), inquiry management (Poptávky), QR/NFC products, review widgets for embedding, audio reviews, webinars, and a podcast. The ecosystem is anchored by the free-to-use portal and monetized through Standard and Premium tariff plans for businesses seeking enhanced visibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Refsite Portal Independent online portal where verified customers submit and browse reviews of construction companies and products in the Czech and Slovak energy-saving technology sector (photovoltaics, heat pumps, insulation, ventilation, windows, etc.), with company comparison and rating functionality.
• Refsite Calculators Suite of web-based calculators for heat loss, household electricity consumption, solar thermal, heat source comparison, U-value, wind power, NZÚ 2026+ subsidies, building envelope U-em, EV vs combustion comparison, and renovation passport planning, used by homeowners and construction professionals.
• Katalog úspor (Savings Catalog) Curated database of over 200 energy-saving measures across categories including construction, heating, hot water preparation, ventilation, cooling, lighting, and renewable energy, written by energy auditors and linking to relevant subsidy programs.
• Project Managers and Specialists Directory Searchable directory of energy specialists, project managers, EKIS advisors, building inspection supervisors (TDI), electrical revision technicians, and other professionals, filterable by location and specialty.
• QR/NFC Products Physical and digital QR/NFC products sold through eshop.refsite.info, including QR quality certificates (100 Kč each), QR stickers, QR magnets for exhibitions, and QR/NFC business cards that display real-time Refsite ratings.
• Review Widgets Embeddable widgets (widgets.refsite.info) that allow registered companies to display their Refsite rating and recent verified reviews directly on their own websites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 energy-saving measures documented in the catalog
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Association for the Use of Heat Pumps (AVTČ)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum of cooperation with Refsite. Joint webinars and educational content on heat pump topics, Q-Label certification promotion.
• Heat Accumulation and Photovoltaics Guild (CAFT)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum of cooperation. Joint activities for promoting quality standards in photovoltaics and battery storage.
• Solar Association (SA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum of cooperation. Collaboration on solar energy topics and educational content.
• Association of Mineral Insulation Manufacturers (AVMI CZ)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum of cooperation. Joint promotion of quality insulation solutions.
• Association of Energy Specialists (AES)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Joint webinars on NZÚ 2026+, renovation passports, and energy efficiency. Co-organized professional events.
• Passive House Centre (CPD)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Collaboration on passive house standards and quality verification of QR certificates. Partners in quality certification.
• Czech Photovoltaic Association (ČFA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Joint activities for quality standards in photovoltaics sector.
• Association Blower Door CZcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Quality standards for building air tightness testing.
• Czech Chamber of Lightweight Curtain Walls (ČKLOP)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Collaboration on quality standards for curtain wall systems.
• Czechoslovak Society for Solar Energy (ČSSE)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Joint promotion of solar energy solutions.
• EPS ČR AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Collaboration on fire safety standards.
• Guild of Stove Fitters of the Czech RepubliccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Quality standards for fireplace and stove installations.
• Czech Council for Sustainable Buildings (CZGBC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Collaboration on sustainable building standards.
• Chamber of Renewable Energy Sources (KOZE)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Joint promotion of renewable energy sources.
• Chance for Buildings (ŠPB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Collaboration on building renovation and energy efficiency.
• Guild for Building Insulation CZ (CZB)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSignatory of memorandum. Quality standards for building insulation.
• SSP Sales (SSPC)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGeneral partner of NZÚ calculator. Sponsor of the key calculation tool for New Green Savings 2026+ subsidies.
• Centrum pasivního domu (CPD)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerQuality partner for QR certificate ratings. Co-signatory with AVTČ and CAFT in QR certification program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SolarReviews: US-based review and comparison platform focused specifically on solar installers and products. Closest direct analog to Refsite's verified-review + comparison model applied to residential energy technologies, with shared focus on contractor quality and consumer decision support.
• EnergySage: US solar and energy-efficiency marketplace where homeowners compare vetted installers and shop for equipment. Comparable as a vertical marketplace combining verified reviews, education content and SMB lead generation for residential energy pros.
• BuildZoom: US contractor marketplace combining permit data, reviews and project bidding. Closely mirrors Refsite's contractor-discovery-and-comparison model for residential construction services.

Broad incumbents

• Trustpilot: Global consumer review platform widely used by home services and energy businesses. Comparable as a horizontal review platform competing for the same SMB reputation-management budget, though without vertical specialization in energy efficiency.
• Houzz: Large global home renovation and design platform with reviews, professional directories and a marketplace. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering reviews plus lead generation for contractors and home pros, though spanning design rather than purely energy savings.
• Angi (formerly Angie's List): US home services platform with reviews and lead generation for contractors including HVAC and insulation. Comparable as an incumbent homeowner-facing review + pros marketplace, though at much larger scale and broader scope.
• Yelp: Global local business review platform widely used by home services contractors. Comparable as a general consumer review destination competing for SMB attention, though Refsite's multi-phase verification and energy-efficiency vertical specialization are deeper.
• HomeAdvisor: US home services marketplace matching homeowners with prescreened pros. Comparable business model to Refsite's Poptávky inquiry system and review-verified pros, though at much larger scale and broader home-services scope.

Regional players

• Heureka Group: Central European price-comparison and shopping platform dominant in Czech Republic and Slovakia. Comparable as a regional comparison platform serving Czech consumers, though focused on e-commerce rather than construction services.
• Zboží.cz: Czech price comparison service within the Heureka Group ecosystem. Comparable as a regional comparison platform serving Czech consumers, though focused on product pricing rather than contractor services and verified reviews.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_3LSCqsX-sFJRwDrTfza_g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/refsite
• Xx.com/Refsite_cz
• Facebookfacebook.com/Refsite

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Refsite