For startups in the B2B segment, it is often difficult to expand their network of partners, clients, and investors and bring their product to market. The Ment2Grow mentoring program—which has just completed its fourth successful year, this time under the leadership of Opera—helps them do just that.
The Ment2Grow program was launched in 2018 under the auspices of the British Chamber of Commerce. This year, Opero—which had been involved since the program’s inception—took full charge of the program. Over the course of eight months, participating startups have the opportunity to gain and share know-how—in addition to individual mentoring and networking events, they can take part in a series of workshops and discussions with experts on topics beyond just business and expansion.
„“The program is highly selective and is intended only for B2B startups, which allows for content sharing and development tailored specifically to them. All of them are at a specific stage where they have a product, paying customers, and are either already operating abroad or poised to expand," states Pavel Přikryl, co-founder of Opera and Ment2Grow.
In addition to Opera, the organizers and partners include the City of Prague, Google; Czech Founders, the largest independent organization of startup founders in the Czech Republic, led by Vítek Horký and David Šiška; prg.ai, an umbrella organization for the artificial intelligence ecosystem; and the Prague Innovation Institute.
Ment2Grow is led by a manager Riva Karo(Opero), which supports the community and manages the program and its activities, together with a team of Executive Board Members. Lenka Kučerová from prg.ai, which is a pioneer in the Czech startup scene; thanks to Eva Shaw, a partner at August Leadership, the program has a strong networking component—and not just marketing know-how–Lukáš Foglar, co-founder of LutherOne, shares insights with participants, and David Šiška, co-founder of Czech Founders and partner at Purpose Ventures, has secured many excellent mentoring matches. The program’s strategic direction is also guided by the Advisory Board, which includes experienced startup founders such as Vít Horký of Brand Embassy, as well as top corporate executives such as Petr Šmíd of Google, head of the Czech and Slovak branches of T–Call José Perdomo Lorenzo or Rebecca Grattan at Avast.
Under Opera's full management, the program has undergone various changes. First and foremost, it has gained its own visual identity—a logo and website. „“The second thing—and the one that was more important to us—was expanding our partner base," explains program manager Riva Karo.„Ment2Grow aims to help startups primarily with expansion, and partners are needed for that. In addition to the founding British Chamber of Commerce and the ongoing partnership with the British Embassy, the Czech-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Czech-Israeli Chamber of Commerce, and the Czech-Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce have now joined the initiative.“
Nineteen startups participated in this year's fourth edition.„We received about 46 applications, which makes me very happy. All the applications were great. In the end, we selected 19 startups that together formed an ideal group,“ Riva recalls this and notes that they probably don't plan to increase capacity. „It worked out well with this number, and we were able to maintain an individualized approach, which is incredibly important.“
Based on the problems the startups are addressing and the goals they have set, the program organizers assign each one a mentor on an individual basis. „The main set of challenges the program helps participating startups address are sales, international expansion, and financing. In addition to selecting a mentor based on these needs, we create further opportunities for networking, sharing experiences, and establishing contacts with potential partners, clients, and investors,“ Pavel explains.
Networking is an important part of Ment2Grow. „“We focus on this in several areas: We've built a pool of experts with about 140 contacts, whom we connect with startups," says Riva.„Personal networking takes place on multiple levels—among participants or with people from outside the group. We also host Pitch Night, where startups have three minutes to present what they do. This year, for the first time in a long while, we were able to hold the event in person at Opera, so each speaker had the opportunity to take the stage in front of about 70 guests from a wide range of business sectors.“ The presentations were interspersed with talks by several speakers—including, for example, Petr Šmíd from Google, which is a partner in the entire program.
Networking also takes place as part of a structured Speed Business Meeting. „This year, startup founders met with about 20 guests from the corporate world, investors, and experienced founders. The event received excellent feedback. Even introverts can effectively build important connections there,“ Riva sums it up. „“The third branch of our networking efforts is international. We organized a business trip to London for startups interested in expanding into the UK. In collaboration with the British Embassy, we put together a great program for them." They would like to strengthen the international aspect of the program and the related trips abroad in the future.
If this program has piqued your interest, you’re in the B2B sector, and you’re looking to expand, don’t hesitate to sign up your startup for the fifth cycle of Ment2Grow, which kicks off in October. Registration will open in September. In the meantime, follow what’s happening at Opera so you don’t miss a thing. Interviews with selected participants—which we’re currently preparing—will also give you a closer look at the program itself.
Author: Tereza Bartošková
