Jan Barta

An internet investor, a descendant of the inventor František Křižík and a notable supporter of the
scouts, of democracy, of good teachers — and of Czech scientists too. In 2015 the entrepreneur Jan
Barta co-founded the Pale Fire Capital group, which has already invested in more than twenty
companies and in the American discount site Groupon. “The level of education we secure today defines
what kind of society we will be in a few years' time… We try to support opportunities for Czech
scientists to meet the world's top experts and learn from them. We have created our own programme
for that as well,” says Jan Barta, for whom Nadace Neuron has become a “natural partner”.

Křižík's successor sees many parallels between top science and big business. In 2007 he founded the
online marketing company Elephant Orchestra, later integrated into the NetBrokers holding, which was
taken over by the media house Bauer Media. Together with his partners at Pale Fire Capital he has
invested in companies such as Aukro, Rouvy and JenPrace.cz. In 2024 alone the group supported
charitable projects with more than 100 million crowns, including aid to Ukraine under attack. At the
end of 2025 Jan Barta became the personality of the Czech internet (Křišťálová lupa); according to
Forbes magazine he is among the hundred wealthiest Czechs.

You are an entrepreneur who embodies the courage to try new things and push boundaries. What
actually brought you to supporting science through Nadace Neuron?

Supporting the development of science does not mean doing “something extra” to me. Quite the
opposite: it is an investment in the very foundation from which everything else follows — how we
understand the status quo and how prepared we are to handle any future challenges. One of the topics
we work on, for instance, is the effective functioning of the state, which has a significant impact
on how much people trust democracy. And even this complex area, remote from the classic scientific
disciplines, has to look for support in expert teams. That is also why, in 2025, we helped three
public universities launch new fields such as economic analysis of public policy, applied health
economics and public service design, so that Czechia has more qualified people in public
administration.

We also try to support opportunities for Czech scientists to meet the world's top experts and learn
from them. We have created our own programme for that as well. We are starting with support for
bringing excellent Czech scientists back home, after they have gained valuable experience abroad.
And Nadace Neuron does great work in popularising the importance of science for society, in
connecting it with business and in supporting individual scientists, so it is a natural partner for
us.

Your family, the Bartas, goes back to the famous inventor František Křižík. Does a heritage like
that mean any personal inspiration for you when it comes to innovation, research and science?

It is more that when your parents tell you at home how your great-great-grandfather once electrified
the National Theatre, that story of science in the service of the public is somehow present in you.
It shows itself, apparently, as a need to be useful and of value yourself. And perhaps also in a
greater sensitivity to the subject of supporting science and research, and in respect for the people
who have devoted their careers to them.

Science and business alike need vision, patience and the ability to go against the current. Do you
see any shared principles between these two worlds that speak to you directly?

Certainly. It is the courage to think outside the conventional tracks, the courage to endure
short-term failures on the way to long-term value. Working with a high degree of qualified
uncertainty. Weighing up a large number of variables and reading extensive data inputs, for example.
There are many parallels to be found.

Nadace Neuron connects scientists and businesspeople. Where do you see the greatest strength of
such a connection?

I do not think applied research should be placed above entirely free and independent basic research
(blue-sky research). I see both as extremely important and valuable for moving society forward. In
any case, a fast connection between business and science is one of the few things that can really
help us make up our deficit and kick-start innovation, so that we can start devoting ourselves on a
larger scale to more progressive fields and fields with higher added value.

You also support students from socially weaker families. What leads you to it, why do you do it,
and how do you see the role of education in today's world?

The level of education we secure today simply defines what kind of society we will be in a few
years' time. What is more, regional inequalities and inequalities in access to good education are
already very visibly one of the reasons why basic cohesion, and satisfaction with democracy as a
form of government, are crumbling here. Shortcomings in the education system will have a long-term
impact. That is why we have supported the Učitel naživo project for ten years now — a non-profit
pushing for systemic change — along with a number of other projects aimed at particular kinds of
literacy or particular groups of people.

Czech science has many talented people, but support or courage is often missing. What do you think
could help Czech scientists succeed significantly on an international scale as well?

Money, less dependence on grants, incentives for companies to invest in science and research at
home. Motivation for excellent scientists to stay in Czechia, or conversely for interesting figures
to come here from abroad and help us not only with expertise but also with a change of mindset,
greater openness and flexibility. We have to change from being closed in on our home field to being
open to the global playing field.

When you invest, you look at the potential for growth and impact. What does that “high impact”
mean in science, in your view? What fascinates you most about it?

I cannot answer that at all. Any new knowledge has invaluable worth.