From Manchester to the heart of Czech innovation

Her work is marked by abbreviations like COO, SaaS, or AI, but her career has been anything but abbreviated. From sales, Monika Frintova found her way through the center of global innovation in England back to Prague – to technology, data, and predictions. Today, she stands as a manager at the helm of the data startup Tesyda and aims to help Czech innovations reach the world.

Everything started with a single phone call. Monika Frintová had only recently returned to Prague after spending several years working as a saleswoman for hardware companies across the United Kingdom. At the time, she had only been sitting in the CEO chair of the telecommunications company Ipex for a few months, and unpacked boxes were still scattered around her Prague office. Then the phone rang – and on the other end was nobody else than Jiří Vácha, a manager who had recently founded the predictive analytics startup Tesyda. Tesyda’s analytical platform enables companies without technical knowledge to effectively use historical data for accurate predictions and customer segmentation. Tesyda currently focuses its services primarily on the British market while supporting a wide range of industries.

Founder Jiří Vácha had big plans for his startup and needed someone with international experience to help take the product global. “Jiří and I knew each other and always worked well together, both personally and professionally. Even when we had different opinions, we could always agree in the end,” says Monika Frintova. She accepted the offer instantly: “I knew any project Jiří undertook would have great potential,” she adds, now from the position of investor and COO of Tesyda. She has applied the same decisiveness throughout her career. As a student, she headed to the UK and, after graduation, began working as a junior saleswoman for companies specializing in hardware and tech solutions. “I wanted more than just the Czech market. I longed to experience a global environment where decisions about technology and innovation are made in real time,” she recalls.

In an environment where access to training and practice was completely different, she quickly stepped out of her comfort zone. When once tasked with assembling a server without any prior experience, she took it as a challenge. That eventually led her to a deeper understanding of technology and business. Her ability to simplify complex concepts is evident throughout the interview. She speaks calmly and thoughtfully, navigating the tech world better than many IT professionals. She openly speaks about still being the only woman in many tech circles and about how it’s time to change that. “In England, it was different. No one asked whether a woman could be a tech expert – it was obvious. Here in the Czech Republic, it’s still not common, but I believe change is possible,” Monika says with determination. “This is important to me – to change the perception of tech in the Czech Republic and show that a woman’s influence in this world is equally valuable.”

After spending several years abroad, she returned to the Czech Republic, where she continued in a director position focused on combining hardware with technological solutions. She then joined the telecommunications company Ipex, where she took over sales and marketing leadership and later the management of the entire company. That’s when the aforementioned phone call came. Today, Monika Frintová devotes much of her energy to Tesyda and its first tool, Besegma, which helps companies optimize their business and financial strategies based on data. Besegma is an advanced analytical tool that uses statistical models to quickly generate valuable and actionable insights from existing data. “It’s a tool for complex prediction in a minute — even without an army of data analysts,” Frintová explains in a nutshell, adding that Besegma significantly simplifies complex processes for companies. Instead of waiting months for analytical outputs, companies can make decisions instantly and with a high degree of confidence. In this way, Besegma enables companies to be faster, more flexible, and more efficient — a huge competitive advantage.

The Czech innovation scene has enormous potential — yet we often don’t believe in ourselves. We have strong technical education, high-quality research institutions, and talented people. But what’s sometimes missing is the inner confidence that our ideas can succeed globally. Innovation isn’t just about a creative idea; it’s also about the courage to take risks. And that’s where we often hit a barrier. When I talk to people in business, I often sense a certain caution — we tend to fine-tune details rather than dive into truly breakthrough solutions. But the situation is changing. We’re seeing more startups that aren’t afraid to go international, and investors are increasingly supporting tech-driven and innovative companies. To me, the key lies in encouraging courage — in believing that even an idea from Prague or Brno can have a global impact. That’s the mindset we need to cultivate more.

The UK market is progressive. Compared to the Czech Republic, British companies are much more open to experimenting with AI and new technologies. Here, there is still a degree of caution. In England, we test Tesyda in a significantly more advanced environment, and that pushes us forward.

 Yes, we aren’t against it at all. I’d say it’s our starting point – but not the destination. The truth is that after the UK, we plan to promote our tool mainly in other European countries like Italy or Germany, then in the United States, and only then possibly in the Czech Republic. The Czech market is important, but our goal is the world.

When I started working, I was 24. I had a certain idea that I wanted to work in processes, optimization, and manufacturing companies – I was initially more drawn to engineering. But my first job offer led me elsewhere. I accepted it, a little bit by coincidence. And I found that I enjoyed the environment much more than I expected. Today I know that innovation is the area where I want to grow and create.

The tool we are developing at Tesyda focuses on predictive analytics, which helps answer the key question: What could happen next? Using machine learning and AI, Besegma creates models that identify factors likely to influence future economic outcomes. Once we have data on these factors, we formulate a statistical model that provides fast and accurate predictions. The beauty of it is that predictive analytics can be used by people without deep technical knowledge – like general, financial, strategic, or marketing directors. Besegma helps you better assess the situation and decide on your business’s future. It enables immediate response to changes and making informed decisions, which gives your business a significant competitive edge.

We believe so. Often, company data is fragmented and stored across different systems, not unified or centralized. Without a unified overview, you can’t analyze data effectively. Without consolidation and a clear data structure, you only reach incomplete conclusions, which is a crucial weakness in today’s business. We change that. Our tool can analyze the data and predict customer behavior. It helps companies identify who might leave soon, who is interested in a new product, or where income might drop. Instead of reacting to problems, you can act before they happen. Once you structure the data correctly and understand what it tells you, you can finally make decisions based on facts, not feelings.

At its core, it’s about machine learning and AI. The more data you feed the system, the better the model learns, and the more accurate predictions it provides.

Honestly, I believe that human analysis can never be fully replaced. But can it be simplified, sped up, and made accessible to people without expert backgrounds? Definitely. We have competitors, but we believe that our simplicity is a huge advantage. We save companies time and significant costs. In a typical company, several analysts might work on data analysis. Our tool delivers similar results in a minute – no training, no complex processes. Moreover, our tool is often used by small and medium-sized enterprises that can’t afford large teams or data analysts.

Most often, it’s IT companies and marketing agencies that work with large volumes of data and seek tools for effective analysis. But we also have clients from other sectors – from startups to mid-sized companies. What they all share is that data is key to their business, and they need to evaluate it quickly and accurately. Currently, our product is implemented in about twenty companies, mostly in the UK.

We are thrilled with the amount of positive feedback, but we know we are just getting started. One client said: “We can finally see into the future.” Companies often realize that our tool helps them replace intuition with concrete data insights.

Our goal is simplicity. There are tools in the US or Israel with similar ambitions, but they are often too complex for a typical manager without a data background. We want someone who has never worked with data to make smart decisions with Tesyda. That is our key difference – accessibility and ease of use.

It’s not profitable yet. Along with Jiří Vácha, I am one of the investors. We are just at the beginning, focusing on aggressive growth, and we don’t expect profitability yet. We are also open to speaking with investors who share our vision because we believe this has great potential.

 It was the combination of trust and the strength of Jiří Vácha’s vision. I knew the product had potential and that we had the right mindset to bring it to market. My intuition has never failed me in these decisions. And here, I felt it would work. Also, very importantly for me, my collaboration with Jiří has worked great from the start – I never once felt that he doubted a woman could be in a particular role.

I think it’s still true that women have a harder position in tech than men, even though it’s gradually changing.

That’s a good question. I have experience in manufacturing and tech companies where I was considered an equal partner. But sometimes it takes more confidence. I’ve learned that self-belief and the results I deliver speak for themselves. I also believe that as a woman in tech, I bring a different perspective, energy, and more empathy. Of course, I encounter biases, especially in higher positions, where sometimes it feels like people see you more as part of a diversity statistic than for your expertise. But that motivates me – I see it as a challenge to overcome, not an obstacle.

In the UK, it’s a completely different story. Women in tech are not only common but often hold leadership roles. Equality is seen historically and culturally as a given. No one doubts that a woman can be an expert in a technical position – it’s simply a normal part of the workplace. Unfortunately, that’s still not always the case here, and I sometimes encounter the opposite.

For example, in Moravia, when they were looking for a production director, the company owner admitted they would never choose a woman for that role even if based in Prague. Outside big cities, stronger prejudices still exist. On the other hand, we met several amazing women who weren’t afraid to take leadership roles and show their expertise, which was a great encouragement.

The key is to be authentic. I never try to be someone I’m not. If I don’t understand something, I say it openly. A client recently asked me a technical question that wasn’t in my area of expertise, so I simply said, “That’s not my area.” Instead of taking it negatively, it created a moment of trust between us. People value honesty more than rehearsed answers.

We are mainly improving our tool to handle the widest possible range of data. Other projects are still under wraps, but they will all focus on data and how to work with it.

Exactly. Once we succeed, we are not opposed to an exit. My dream is to help other Czech startups – I would love to become an investor. I have a great passion for innovation and helping new ventures solve challenges. Not just financially – I want to offer my know-how and help them grow. When I look at the tech sector, I see so many opportunities for creative problem-solving, and I want to be one of those who help these projects bloom.