Startup Disrupt

The future of communication is not more content. It is more relevance.

At Innovations United 2026, the communication block focused on how AI is changing customer journeys, brand trust, customer support and the way companies interact with people.

The biggest shift is already visible:

Brands no longer fully control the conversation about themselves.

Customers increasingly ask AI tools to summarize, compare and recommend products, services and companies. That means corporate communication is no longer shaped only by websites, ads or social media channels.

A few practical takeaways from the discussion:

🌟 Automate where it creates real value. Monika Frintova and David Jeništa discussed where chatbots, voicebots and AI assistants can genuinely improve customer service and where automation can instead create frustration.

🌟 Build individualized customer journeys. As Dominic R. emphasized, traditional communication funnels are often inefficient. Companies need to move toward more relevant and personalized interactions.

🌟 Protect your brand identity. Lukáš Eršil noted that AI-generated visuals can easily become generic. Companies need to build their own recognizable look and keep human judgment in the process.

🌟 Own your information. Michal Kubíček highlighted that companies need to think carefully about how AI systems interpret and represent their brands.

The panel was kept on track by Hana Pullova.

One principle captured the discussion well:
🌟Be the author of your story, even when the narrator is a machine.🌟

What do you think the future of communication is going to be like in your field?

The future of communication is not more content. It is more relevance.

At Innovations United 2026, the communication block focused on how AI is changing customer journeys, brand trust, customer support and the way companies interact with people.

The biggest shift is already visible:

Brands no longer fully control the conversation about themselves.

Customers increasingly ask AI tools to summarize, compare and recommend products, services and companies.

That means corporate communication is no longer shaped only by websites, ads or social media channels.

A few practical takeaways from the discussion:

🌟 Automate where it creates real value. Monika Frintova and David Jeništa discussed where chatbots, voicebots and AI assistants can genuinely improve customer service and where automation can instead create frustration.

🌟 Build individualized customer journeys. As Dominic R. emphasized, traditional communication funnels are often inefficient. Companies need to move toward more relevant and personalized interactions.

🌟 Protect your brand identity. Lukáš Eršil noted that AI-generated visuals can easily become generic. Companies need to build their own recognizable look and keep human judgment in the process.

🌟 Own your information. Michal Kubíček highlighted that companies need to think carefully about how AI systems interpret and represent their brands.

The panel was kept on track by Hana Pullova.

One principle captured the discussion well:

🌟Be the author of your story, even when the narrator is a machine.🌟

What do you think the future of communication is going to be like in your field?

Where can Europe actually win in AI? 🤔
That was one of the central questions at Innovations United 2026.

The answer is not simple.
Europe is not going to win by copying the United States or China.

The US model is driven by private capital, frontier models and speed.
China is focused on deployment, industrial applications and technological self-sufficiency.

Europe has a different opportunity.

It can build AI that is more trusted, more domain-specific and more deeply integrated into industries where Europe already has strong expertise.

Several ideas from the discussion stood out:

⭐ Clarity comes before implementation. As Andrei Petreanu pointed out, many organizations still lack the vocabulary to define what they actually want to build. Without a clear use case, AI remains a buzzword.

⭐ Europe needs to stop undervaluing its own talent. Ivan Valev highlighted the strength of Central and Eastern European talent and the need to move beyond the outdated narrative of the region as merely a source of affordable labor.

⭐ Go vertical. Nataliya Grimberg emphasized that the competitive edge will not come from using more generic AI tools, but from building industry-specific intelligence layers around proprietary data and workflows.

⭐ Europe can develop a more human-centered version of AI. Dr. Kim J. Zietlow brought the perspective of the US-China technology rivalry and the role Europe can play through standards, trust and responsible adoption.

⭐ Public institutions also need to move from experimentation to implementation.
Daniel Mazur shared examples of how AI can already support city administration and innovation policy.

The panel was moderated by Karla Pešek Mateo.

Europe may not be the loudest player in the AI race.
But it can still become one of the deepest.

Where can Europe actually win in AI? 🤔
That was one of the central questions at Innovations United 2026.

The answer is not simple.
Europe is not going to win by copying the United States or China.

The US model is driven by private capital, frontier models and speed.
China is focused on deployment, industrial applications and technological self-sufficiency.

Europe has a different opportunity.

It can build AI that is more trusted, more domain-specific and more deeply integrated into industries where Europe already has strong expertise.

Several ideas from the discussion stood out:

⭐ Clarity comes before implementation. As Andrei Petreanu pointed out, many organizations still lack the vocabulary to define what they actually want to build. Without a clear use case, AI remains a buzzword.

⭐ Europe needs to stop undervaluing its own talent. Ivan Valev highlighted the strength of Central and Eastern European talent and the need to move beyond the outdated narrative of the region as merely a source of affordable labor.

⭐ Go vertical. Nataliya Grimberg emphasized that the competitive edge will not come from using more generic AI tools, but from building industry-specific intelligence layers around proprietary data and workflows.

⭐ Europe can develop a more human-centered version of AI.
Dr. Kim J. Zietlow brought the perspective of the US-China technology rivalry and the role Europe can play through standards, trust and responsible adoption.

⭐ Public institutions also need to move from experimentation to implementation. Daniel Mazur shared examples of how AI can already support city administration and innovation policy.

The panel was moderated by Karla Pešek Mateo.

Europe may not be the loudest player in the AI race.
But it can still become one of the deepest.

Innovations United 2026 is behind us.

This year, we attracted 890 registrations across a programme connecting artificial intelligence, the future of communication, defense, resilience, female leadership, sustainability and startup investment.

At Martinic Palace in the Prague Castle area, founders, executives, policymakers, investors and innovators came together around one central question:

How do we build a more innovative, resilient and human-centered future?

The programme opened with welcome speeches by Karel Havlíček and Daniel Mazur.

Throughout the day, we moved from AI and cybersecurity to sustainable mobility, crisis preparedness and the future of communication.

A special thank you to Stacy Quackenbush, who guided the audience through the programme with energy, precision and a strong sense of connection between the individual topics.

The day concluded with the Venture Club Disrupt Awards, where five selected startups pitched their solutions in front of investors and industry leaders.

Congratulations to Marek Miltner 🇨🇿🇺🇦 and Pangea.ai, named Disruptor of the Year 2026.

Thank you to all speakers, partners and guests who made the event possible.

This was not only a conference. It was a reminder that the future does not simply happen to us. We design it, test it and build it together.

See you next year.

PragueEvents

Innovations United 2026 is behind us.

This year, we attracted 890 registrations across a programme connecting artificial intelligence, the future of communication, defense, resilience, female leadership, sustainability and startup investment.

At Martinic Palace in the Prague Castle area, founders, executives, policymakers, investors and innovators came together around one central question:

How do we build a more innovative, resilient and human-centered future?

The programme opened with welcome speeches by Karel Havlíček and Daniel Mazur.

Throughout the day, we moved from AI and cybersecurity to sustainable mobility, crisis preparedness and the future of communication.

A special thank you to Stacy Quackenbush, who guided the audience through the programme with energy, precision and a strong sense of connection between the individual topics.

The day concluded with the Venture Club Disrupt Awards, where five selected startups pitched their solutions in front of investors and industry leaders.

Congratulations to Marek Miltner 🇨🇿🇺🇦 and Pangea.ai, named Disruptor of the Year 2026.

Thank you to all speakers, partners and guests who made the event possible.

This was not only a conference. It was a reminder that the future does not simply happen to us. We design it, test it and build it together.

See you next year.

🏆 The winner of Venture Club Disrupt Awards 2026 is PangeAI

During an evening full of ambitious pitches, five selected startups presented their solutions to investors, partners and guests at Martinic Palace in the Prague Castle area.

The title Disruptor of the Year 2026 went to PangeAI, a startup developing AI agents for geospatial data analysis and risk management.

Its technology can help organisations analyse flood risks, infrastructure, property portfolios and other real-world data more efficiently.

PangeAI will now move forward to the next stage of Venture Club’s investment-review process, which may lead to an investment of up to €1 million, following a detailed presentation and due diligence.

The final ranking:

🥇 PangeAI
🥈 NanoFlexion
🥉 DeepMedChem

A big congratulations also to CoinGarage and Treetino, who joined the final pitch night after being selected from more than 50 submitted projects.

Thank you to all founders, jury members, partners and guests who made the evening possible.

Read more about the finalists and the winning project: https://startupdisrupt.com/pangeai-wins-venture-club-disrupt-awards-2026-and-advances-to-the-next-stage-of-a-potential-investment-of-up-to-e1-million/

PangeAI Wins Venture Club Disrupt Awards 2026 and Advances to the Next Stage of a Potential Investment of up to €1 Million | Startup Disrupt Five startups. Five ambitious solutions. One winner.

Innovations United 2026 wouldn’t happen without the people who believe in what we’re building.

You’ll hear their insights and data directly from the stage. You’ll see their products in action. And thanks to CANS, you’ll have somewhere excellent to stand while you’re networking: they’re running the bar. 🍹⛱️

A huge thank you to our partners:
Hlavní město Praha
Venture Connect
Deel
Red Hat
DLA Piper
Tensor Ventures
CANS
IPEX
Passfluence

Rodinné vinařství Janoušek
Zuri
Intelligent Connections
Dallmayr
Digital Trade Art
BALA21 – Probiodrink & Probiotic Food Supplements, and many others!

🎟️ Snap one of the last tickets! It will be worth it: https://startupdisrupt.com/main-event/innovations-united-2026-prague-castle/
📍 Martinic Palace, Prague Castle
📅 June 2, 2026: doors open 12:00 CET

Innovations United 2026 wouldn't happen without the people who believe in what we're building.

You'll hear their insights and data directly from the stage. You'll see their products in action. And thanks to CANS, you'll have somewhere excellent to stand while you're networking: they're running the bar. 🍹⛱️

A huge thank you to our partners:
Hlavní město Praha
Venture Connect
Deel
Red Hat
DLA Piper
Tensor Ventures
CANS
IPEX
Passfluence
Miss Czech Republic
Rodinné vinařství Janoušek
Zuri.com - VTOL airplane
Intelligent Connections
Dallmayr Kaffee
Digital Trade Art
BALA21, and many others!

🎟️ Snap one of the last tickets! It will be worth it: link in the comments.
📍 Martinic Palace, Prague Castle
📅 June 2, 2026: doors open 12:00 CET