Since 2008, the innovation agency JIC has been an important part of this world’s largest network providing services and information for the development of innovative entrepreneurship and competitiveness. As one of the strongest business support providers in the Czech Republic, founder of the Ynovate network and certified by EBN, JIC supports entrepreneurs within the EEN in a wide range of areas, including international expansion, innovation, access to finance and investment or partnering. Read some of their recent success stories.
IDEA StatiCa: A success story of innovation and international growth
In the rapidly evolving field of structural engineering, IDEA StatiCa stands out as a benchmark of innovation and success. Founded in 2009 by Lubomír Šabatka in Brno, this SME has transformed from a local startup into a global leader in structural analysis and design software. Today, under the leadership of Lubomír’s son, Juraj Šabatka, the company operates across five continents, serving over 8,000 customers in 80 countries and performing approximately 14 million structural calculations annually. It was rightly named one of the 251 leading European technology scale-ups that are succeeding globally.
The journey of IDEA StatiCa to global prominence has been significantly bolstered by the strategic support provided by the innovation agency JIC, member of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). The company faced the common challenges of early-stage companies: developing a go-to-market strategy, scaling to international markets, and building a robust management team.
“There are very few structural engineers in the world, some 750,000, and that is why our business cannot be done locally. The challenge we faced with our technology was having the money to expand before we were copied. JIC, through experts, guided us on how to sell through third parties and helped us build a model for an international distribution network. The first milestone for us was Europe, and then exploring the specifics of the US market. This will make IDEA StatiCa the largest supplier of software for structural engineers in the world," says CEO Juraj Šabatka.
Since 2009, the company has expanded its team to 110 employees and established offices in Philadelphia, London, Dortmund, Eindhoven, and Singapore. The company’s revenue has exceeded 10 million euros, with 90% generated from exports. This growth is not just a quantitative achievement; it reflects a qualitative leap in market presence, successful certification processes, leadership maturity, and global influence.
The alignment of JIC support with EEN priorities of fostering SME growth, innovation, and market expansion was instrumental in the company international success. Through national and international collaboration within the EEN framework, IDEA StatiCa was connected with relevant partners, research and supporting organizations, facilitating its global expansion.