As part of CZU’s presentation at the Země živitelka agricultural fair, taking place from 20 to 25 August 2026, the university’s business incubator Point One will introduce three projects: Hyfo aroma diffusers, the Svět hmyzu insect farm, and the TexAgrona project.
What exactly do these projects involve, and how does CZU’s business incubator work? We spoke with Point One manager Tereza Sobotková to find out. What can visitors to the CZU stand look forward to?
Above all, they will see a great example of how science, sustainability and a viable business can come together.
Svět hmyzu, our students Vojtěch Malecha and Jan-Dorian Kratochvíl founded. They run their own insect farm in Prague, where they breed mealworms. The insects are fed on by-products from local breweries and cafés, such as spent brewer’s grain and coffee grounds. In addition to insects used as animal feed, the process also produces a fantastic organic fertiliser called FRASS. It is odourless, has a loose texture and contains insect exoskeletons, which give plants an enormous boost in vitality. Visitors to Země živitelka can even look forward to seeing live mealworms at their stand.
TexAgrona, founded by Anna Benešová from the Faculty of Economics and Management, connects two worlds that may at first seem unrelated – fashion and sustainable agriculture. Instead of allowing textiles to end up in landfill, the project explores how recycled textile fibres can serve as a unique organic matrix that retains soil moisture and helps plants cope with drought. At Země živitelka, they will even be offering their very first batch of products for sale.
Hyfo brings sustainable aroma diffusers made from fungal mycelium. It is a beautiful combination of design and materials engineering. You hang the diffuser up, add a few drops of essential oil and the fragrance is gradually released. Once the diffuser reaches the end of its useful life, you can put it on the compost heap, where it will fully decompose without placing any burden on the environment.
Point One is a starting point for anyone who wants to start a business but needs guidance. What kinds of support can you provide?
We help both aspiring and more experienced entrepreneurs develop their businesses at various stages of growth. We offer several levels of incubation and acceleration, and the support depends on the stage a particular project has reached. That process ranges from validating an initial idea and developing a business model to company growth, marketing, sales and the actual selling of products or services.
We support entrepreneurs through workshops, mentoring, individual consultations, expert know-how, modern facilities and, above all, our community. We connect entrepreneurs with mentors, experts and business partners, as well as with one another, creating a safe environment where they can receive feedback and share their experience.
We do not want to make decisions for entrepreneurs. We want to guide them through the different stages of their entrepreneurial journey and provide them with the right tools, contacts and know-how to help them move forward.
Find out more on our ŽIVÁ UNIVERZITA website.