OPTOKON has been nominated for the 2025 Czech Exporters Awards and has been selected as one of the finalists in the sixth year of this nationwide project. The program highlights successful Czech companies that excel in international markets and demonstrates the strength, innovation and resilience of domestic exporters.

This year, 140 purely Czech companies applied for the competition, each with more than twenty percent of their revenue coming from exports. From these applicants, 96 finalists were chosen based on strict criteria. Together, the finalists employ more than eleven thousand people and last year exported goods and services worth billions of Czech crowns. Their combined turnover reached 58 billion CZK.

According to Helena Kohoutová, founder of the project and the Helas Business Platform, these successful exporters serve as an inspiration to companies across the country. The awards are open to small, medium and large businesses. This year, 78 family-owned companies took part, and 28 firms joined the competition for the first time.

Who Could Participate

Eligible companies had to meet several requirements. They must be Czech-owned with no foreign capital, have an annual turnover above ten million CZK, keep double-entry accounting for at least four years, and generate at least twenty percent of their revenue from exports. The winners were selected based on financial performance evaluated through rating and scoring, along with the strength of their business story.

Finalists were also recognized within size categories: small companies with turnovers up to 100 million CZK, medium companies between 100 and 500 million CZK, and large companies with turnovers exceeding half a billion CZK. Additional special awards were presented, including the Award for Greatest Potential, the Responsible Business Award and the E-commerce Award.

Exporters as Drivers of the Czech Economy

For an open and export-driven country like the Czech Republic, strong foreign trade is essential. Despite global instability, Czech exporters continue to demonstrate resilience and contribute significantly to national economic and social stability. According to the project’s organizers, every nominated company plays an important role in maintaining this stability and showcases the strong foundations of Czech business.

A vital part of the Helas Business Platform is the connection of companies that participate in the Czech Businesswomen Awards, the Czech Leaders Awards, the Czech Exporters Awards and the Helas clubs. The shared goal of the platform is to build a proud Czech business community.

This year, the platform evaluated more than four thousand firms that met the criteria, with over four hundred advancing to the finals across all projects.