Štefan Koreň

R&D and Innovations | Strategy & Finance | Sustainability

I strengthen teams with key competencies to advance solutions toward successful commercialisation – delivering short-term projects with long-term strategic impact.

Praha / Kolín - Czechia
Portrét Štefan Koreň

Services

Innovation & Incubation

Supporting the growth of innovative ideas and bringing them to market.

Do you need help with:

  • Incubating innovative solution
  • Mentoring
  • Business plan
  • Validation of commercial potential, market analysis
  • Pitch deck
  • Strategy, financial projections, and funding sources

Especially if you are:

  • Start-up / Spin-off
  • Researcher / University
  • Research organization
  • SME
Case study: From dairy waste to pilot commercialization

Client

Technology start-up from CEE

Topic

Converting dairy waste into a new raw material with a wide range of uses

Task

Find the best path to commercialization in terms of market, margin, risks, and barriers of entry

Baseline

The client had cutting-edge technical expertise and was developing unique technology. However, it lacked a clear commercial strategy: what needed to be ensured in terms of commercializing the solution, deciding whether to be a technology provider or a raw material supplier, which market to enter first, what the realistic potential was, and what would be needed to obtain financing.

Services provided

  • Mapping of the value chain – all customer-supplier relationships, connections and dependencies, potential bottlenecks.
  • Selection of target markets and quantification of TAM, SAM, SOM (total addressable market, total addressable market, and total addressable market) for each of them, and three realistic entry scenarios.
  • Preparation of financial projections for individual scenarios (P&L, cash flow, NPV, IRR, KPIs).
  • Multiparametric analysis (including, for example, margins, regulatory complexity, certification time, competitive pressure, business cycle, capital requirements).
  • Recommendations for the pilot market: cosmetic products; the baby food market was relatively saturated, while the pharmaceutical market was highly profitable but heavily regulated and time-consuming.
  • Preparation of a business plan and pitch deck.
  • Identification of potential investors (sector, ticket, exit, etc.).

Result

  • Clearly chosen pilot market (cosmetics) with the best margin/risk/speed ratio.
  • Commercialization roadmap including milestones, budgets, and checkpoints.
  • Fundraising and go-to-market materials that accelerated market entry.
  • The client is now successfully operating in the market.

Financing & Infrastructure

Assistance with financing and project optimization.

Do you need help with:

  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Feasibility studies
  • Financial projections and funding sources
  • Risk analysis

Especially if you are:

  • Start-up / Spin-off
  • SME
  • Public entity
Finance & infrastructure – financing a cross-border energy project

Client

Public entity in the energy sector (cross-border infrastructure project)

Topic

Combination of subsidies, financing from international financial institutions (IFIs), and equity

Task

Propose an optimal financing structure, identify risks, and set mitigation measures

Baseline

The client was considering a large capital investment in the energy sector and needed to prepare a feasibility study. The project involved multiple partners and jurisdictions, and the task was to analyze financing options – to align grant options with IFI loans/guarantees and own financing. Furthermore, to provide a risk analysis for different phases and categories.

Services provided

  • Project management in the coordination of financing source analysis and risk analysis with suppliers of other parts of the feasibility study: cooperation with technical experts; transfer of technical inputs into financial and risk logic.
  • Analysis of financing sources for multiple scenarios – selected combination of grant, financial instrument (loan with EIB guarantee) and own resources.
  • Risk analysis across project investment phases. Quantification of probability and impact – risk matrix.
  • Scenarios and sensitivity analyses: quantification of various events on key KPIs and financial indicators.

Result

  • Clear financial structure and financial projections for the project's lifetime for decision-making by the founder and partners (combination of subsidy/IFI/own resources).
  • Risk matrix including defined mitigation measures.

Business sustainability and resilience

Supporting the strategic and environmental resilience of companies.

Do you need help with:

  • Process and governance support
  • Baseline analysis
  • (ESG) Strategy
  • Ensuring regulatory compliance
  • EU Taxonomy

Especially if you are:

  • Start-up / Spin-off
  • SME
  • Large corporate
Large corporate in the automotive (Tier 2) sector – integrating ESG into the company

Client

Manufacturing company in the automotive industry (Tier 2)

Topic

Responding to ESG trends and holistically integrating them into the company's operations

Task

Identifying key areas that will bring financial value and setting up and implementing specific measures for the company's operations.

Baseline

The client was considering a large capital investment in the energy sector and needed to prepare a feasibility study. The project involved multiple partners and jurisdictions, and the task was to analyze financing options – to align grant options with IFI loans/guarantees and own financing. Furthermore, to provide a risk analysis for individual phases and categories.

Services provided

  • Mapping of the value chain, including key links, material flows, and potential bottlenecks.
  • Analysis of key customer requirements and sector trends.
  • Establishment of a methodology to ensure compliance with legislation (ESRS), customer requirements (Ecovadis), and identification of opportunities presented by ESG.
  • Review of the organizational and governance structure and proposals for ownership of topics, responsibilities, and decision-making processes.
  • Mapping of stakeholders (banks, employees, agencies, suppliers, etc.) and definition of their needs, responses to these needs, and setting of metrics and milestones.
  • Mapping the availability and structure of data needed for ESG reporting and performance management.
  • Calculating the carbon footprint (subcontracted – GHG protocol – Scope 1-3).
  • Setting KPIs and targets, including measurement and reporting methods.
  • Proposing specific measures for the short, medium, and long term (quick wins, process and technological improvements, more transparent supply chain, internal governance).

Result

  • Implementation of a series of optimization measures in production and internal processes.
  • Systematic collection of ESG data that was not previously monitored – the client can now manage and improve it.
  • Improvement of data quality and integration of new metrics into internal systems.
  • Clear governance and responsibilities, faster response to customer and bank requests.
  • Preparation for ESRS reporting.

Experience

Innovation & Incubation

Innovation & Incubation

Financing & Infrastructure

Financing & Infrastructure

Business sustainability and resilience

Business sustainability and resilience

12+
years
in consulting
6+
years
in incubating innovation and commercializing R&D
6+
years
in sustainability
Business Economics and Management, Master's degree

Business Economics and Management, Master's degree

The CFA Institute Sustainable Investing Certificate

The CFA Institute Sustainable Investing Certificate

Internal auditor ISO 14001:2015

Internal auditor ISO 14001:2015

References

250+
clients
within various forms of consulting
50+
projects
as a project manager

Selected clients

Brenowa
Technology Centre Prague
DEM
EY
SIC
Czech Academy of Sciences
Enviros

Selected activities (2025)

Expert role in incubation programs:

  • TC Runway – Technologické Centrum Praha
  • Market Scan – Středočeské Inovační Centrum
  • Get Spin-off/Start-up Ready! – ČVUT
  • Close-to-market initiative – CINEA

Projects and services:

  • ESG Strategy – Construction, Transport, Healthcare
  • ESRS Reporting and EU Taxonomy – Media
  • Market Analysis and Validation of Commercial Potential – Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Laser Technologies
  • Business Planning and Financial Projections – SaaS, Healthcare, Circular Economy, Water Management, Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture

About me

I am a consultant who believes in the positive impact of consulting. My background spans consulting, corporate banking, innovation incubation, sustainability, and the creation of new services and their integration into companies’ portfolios and processes.

I help companies and innovations move towards market adoption. For example, in situations where technical development or research progresses faster than commercialisation activities, where existing processes are not functioning effectively, or where there is a lack of capacity or experience in commercialisation, project management, or setting a long-term direction and business sustainability.

In such cases, I provide clients with the missing capacity and competencies, while connecting technical, commercial, and strategic perspectives.

I help start-ups, research organisations, and established companies turn ideas, projects, and innovations into commercially successful solutions.

No universal recipes – only an approach tailored to the specific needs of each client.

Contact

Potkejme se

Prague / Kolín - Czechia

E-mail

[email protected]

Telefon

+420 723 945 863

linkedin.com/in/stefankoren