BUDEX

BUDEX is a Czech holding company and technology business incubator headquartered in Planá u Českých Budějovic. It was established in 2017 as part of a restructuring of companies linked to Terms, an electrical engineering and software firm active since 1991. The majority owner is Czech entrepreneur Pavel Schwarz. BUDEX describes itself as a technology business incubator and investment group that focuses on proprietary solutions helping to create a decentralised world independent of globalised resources. Its investment strategy is organised around four technology sectors: automation and robotics, precision farming, the energy industry, and software services. The group brings together operating companies and brands including Terms, GoMobil, GoSMS, GoEnergy, ZooControl, Cinkly and Roboton. Terms, the oldest company in the group, began in 1991 as a public company for the design, assembly and repair of electrical equipment, later adding software, telecommunications, solar power plants and a virtual mobile operator. GoMobil operates as a virtual mobile operator on T-Mobile infrastructure and also encompasses GoSMS and GoInternet. GoEnergy, under the company 2 Energy, supplies electricity and buys back surplus solar energy through Přebytky.eu. ZooControl develops custom software and IT services for group companies, while Cinkly provides call-centre sales services. Roboton is an autonomous agricultural robotics project developed with academic partners. BUDEX reported a 2021 turnover of EUR 10 million, 23 running and invested projects, and 140 employees. The group has invested in and supported ventures such as GoPay, the online payment gateway founded by Pavel Schwarz Jr., which was sold to Worldline between 2020 and 2022. In 2022 BUDEX began construction of a new four-storey headquarters in Planá designed to unite all group companies under one roof; the building, described as the tallest wooden building in the Czech Republic at completion, was ceremonially opened on 13 September 2024. The campus is planned to include 40 charging stations for passenger and freight electric vehicles.

BUDEX was established in 2017 as part of a restructuring of companies connected to Terms, a firm active since 1991. Terms was founded in June 1991 as a public company for the design, assembly and repair of electrical equipment, soon adding related software. In January 1997 Terms moved to Planá u Českých Budějovic, which remains the seat of both Terms and the BUDEX holding. At the end of 1999 Terms expanded into telecommunications, offering internet access under the TERMSnet brand and mobile telephony services, and manufacturing telecommunications containers and towers. At the start of 2002 Terms transformed from a public company into a joint-stock company, adding consulting to its electrical engineering design, assembly and service activities. From 2006 Terms built a number of solar power plants. In 2012 it sold part of its telecommunications division to Telefónica Czech Republic, and a year later launched its own virtual mobile operator service under the GoMobil brand. BUDEX itself was created in 2017 as a holding company grouping firms in information technology, mobile communications, energy, automation and robotics. The majority owner is Czech entrepreneur Pavel Schwarz. The group's subsidiary ZooControl separated from Terms in February 2017 and focuses on custom software development and IT services for other group companies, including CRM system Reago and GoBeyond. GoMobil operated as a division within Terms from 2013 until June 2019, when it became independent; it provides virtual operator services on T-Mobile infrastructure and includes GoSMS and GoInternet. GoSMS focuses on SMS-based identity verification and bulk messaging for firms, authorities and organisations. Cinkly was founded in August 2020 as a call centre offering telephone sales services to group companies and external clients in mobile services, internet, television, energy and compulsory insurance. In 2021 Kamila Jílková took its helm. On 1 October 2021 the company changed its name from BUDEX holding s.r.o. to BUDEX HUB s.r.o. The company 2 Energy, officially established in 2011, came under the leadership of Jiří Malecha in March 2023 and began operating under the GoEnergy and Přebytky.eu brands; GoEnergy supplies electricity and Přebytky.eu buys back surplus electricity generated from solar panels. In the first half of 2024 the number of GoEnergy supply points grew by an average of 14.14% month-on-month. Roboton, a project of Terms, was presented in 2022 at the Země živitelka international agricultural exhibition as a control system for autonomous agricultural robots developed with academics from the University of South Bohemia; it won the Golden Ear award in the mechanisation category. Further demonstrations followed in September 2023 and participation in the 50th Země živitelka in 2024. BUDEX also supported the online payment gateway GoPay, founded and led by Pavel Schwarz Jr., with significant financing in its early years. Between 2020 and 2022 GoPay was sold, with the consent of the Czech National Bank, to the Belgian multinational Worldline for an estimated several hundred million CZK. The BUDEX brands GoMobil and GoEnergy derive their names and logos from GoPay. In August 2022 construction began next to the existing headquarters in Planá on a new four-storey building intended to unite all BUDEX group companies under one roof. Due to legislative height limits on wooden buildings in the Czech Republic, it was expected to become the tallest wooden building in the country at completion. Its load-bearing CLT panel structure has a concrete core with an escape staircase for fire safety, and the building is designed to be energy self-sufficient using geothermal boreholes, heat pumps and solar panels. It was ceremonially opened on Friday 13 September 2024 during the autumn floods. The campus is planned to include 40 charging stations for passenger and freight electric vehicles, some for company use and some for the public.

• 2024

  New wooden headquarters ceremonially opened on 13 September; Roboton participates in 50th Země Živitelka.

• 2023

  Jiří Malecha takes helm of 2 Energy in March; GoEnergy and Přebytky.eu brands launched; Roboton demonstrates solar-powered tracked robot in September.

• 2022

  Terms presents Roboton at Země živitelka; construction begins on new BUDEX headquarters in August; Jiří Malecha leaves GoMobil in January and Lucie Kalusová takes over.

• 2021

  Company renamed from BUDEX holding s.r.o. to BUDEX HUB s.r.o. on 1 October; Kamila Jílková takes helm of Cinkly.

• 2020

  Cinkly is founded in August.

• 2019

  GoMobil becomes independent from Terms in June.

• 2017

  BUDEX holding is established as part of restructuring; ZooControl separates from Terms in February.

• 2013

  Terms launches its own virtual mobile operator service under the GoMobil brand.

• 2012

  Terms sells part of its telecommunications division to Telefónica Czech Republic.

• 2006

  Terms begins building a series of solar power plants.

• 2002

  Terms transforms from a public company into a joint-stock company at the start of the year.

• 1999

  Terms expands into telecommunications at the end of the year, offering TERMSnet internet and mobile services.

• 1997

  Terms moves to Planá u Českých Budějovic in January.

• 1991

  Terms founded in June as a public company for design, assembly and repair of electrical equipment.

A decentralised-technology incubator and holding investing in automation, precision farming, energy and software services.

• GoMobil

  Virtual mobile operator on T-Mobile infrastructure, independent since June 2019.

• GoSMS

  SMS identity verification and bulk messaging for firms, authorities and organisations.

• GoInternet

  Internet services part of GoMobil.

• GoEnergy

  Electricity supplier under 2 Energy, launched March 2023.

• Přebytky.eu

  Buys back surplus electricity generated from solar panels.

• ZooControl

  Custom software development and IT services for group companies; products include Reago and GoBeyond.

• Cinkly

  Call centre offering telephone sales services.

• Roboton

  Autonomous agricultural robot control system developed by Terms with academic partners.

• Terms

  Electrical engineering, software, telecommunications and solar power company, founded 1991.

1. 1BUDEX official websitebudex.com
2. 2BUDEX on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3BUDEX on Czech Wikipediacs.wikipedia.org