Inside the Adventure of a Czech Deep-Tech Startup
Q: Can you introduce yourself, describe your background, and explain how you got to your current position?
I joined LAM-X roughly a year and a half ago. I originally applied for a position as an R&D specialist focused on polymer chemistry. Formally, I am trained as a chemist – I studied physical chemistry and before that organic chemistry – but in recent years I have been increasingly interested in electronics and engineering.
Here at LAM-X, my initial assignment was to work on the development of new materials, their characterization, and the development of filtration materials. However, it quickly became clear that we would also need to work on the engineering part of our technology. So, at this point, I spend at least half of my working time on various construction, engineering, and development projects that go beyond pure chemistry.
Q: How did you acquire your engineering and electronics skills?
I started with electronics as a kid. When I was about seven or eight years old, I started doing physics and electronics experiments with my father. Together, we built various machines such as electric motors. Later, together with friends, we built things like a Tesla coil capable of generating voltages up to 500 kV. So, electronics was my first technical passion.
I got into chemistry somewhat later, after visiting a clinical biochemistry laboratory. I was given basic lab glassware, which allowed me to start building my own chemical lab at home. From that point on, chemistry gradually became my main focus, while electronics moved more into the background.
During my PhD studies, I returned to electronics in a very natural way. I had many practical ideas and home projects that required custom-built devices, and electronics was essential for making them work. Through trial and error, I started building various devices. Over time, the ratio of those that worked compared to those that burnt out increased, so I guess I made some little progress…
Q: Why did you ultimately choose to study chemistry?
I considered several other fields, like physics or, for a short time, even civil engineering – I was fascinated by bridges and dams. However, my relationship with chemistry was so strong that by the time I was finishing high school, the decision was essentially made.
At the age of fifteen, I also got the opportunity to work at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. Initially, I tried computational chemistry as teenagers were not allowed to work in chemistry labs at that time. Once I reached 18, I transitioned into experimental chemistry. I stayed in that environment all the way until my PhD studies where I combined both experiments and computations.
Q: Why did you decide to join LAM-X specifically?
I was choosing between two companies, and the decision was not easy. The other company actually offered me more money, but I still turned it down. What mattered most to me was the opportunity to be involved at the very beginning of a company that has strong ambitions and is trying to solve a meaningful problem.
The vision and ambitions of LAM-X resonated with me – not only from a technological perspective, but also in terms of values. I wanted to contribute to something with long-term relevance and impact.
Q: How would you describe LAM-X to people from outside?
For me, LAM-X is above all an adventure. We tackle challenging technical problems, explore potential applications of our technology, we meet interesting industrial and business partners…
But despite all the hustle and bustle, I am most impressed with the team we have managed to build. We have people who are highly skilled, hardworking, creative, and at the same time easy to work with on a human level. That combination is far from common.
Q: Can you explain the science behind LAM-X technology and why it poses no risk to human health?
The core of our technology lies in nanofibrous membranes that contain a photoactive component. When exposed to visible blue light, this component converts oxygen – either dissolved in water or present in the air – into highly reactive singlet oxygen.
Singlet oxygen has a very strong antimicrobial effect. It can deactivate bacteria and other microorganisms by disrupting their cellular structures. At the same time, it is safe for humans because it has a very short lifetime and does not leave behind any hazardous residues; it quickly converts back to ordinary triplet oxygen.
Q: Can you highlight the key advantages of our technology, especially when it comes to water filtration?
The current filtration technologies have several deficiencies that we try to overcome. Common filters have very small pores to allow efficient bacteria removal. But this comes with a high, and costly, pressure drop. Our technology retains the high level of bacterial removal efficiency but with significantly lower pressure losses.
At the same time, we can use our light activation to kill the bacteria trapped on the filter and subsequently oxidize their residues to revive the filter. This way, we can prolong the filter life which saves costs for the customer.
We are also gradually working to replace existing polymers with more environmentally friendly alternatives wherever possible.
Q: Is singlet oxygen limited to water filtration, or does it have broader potential?
The mechanism is shared across our technologies, not just in water filtration. Applications will continue to be refined, but this core principle underpins the entire LAM-X technology platform – with one exception – our soon to be released product for bioanalytical tools.
Right now, our priority is to bring the first products into real-world use and onto the market. Only practical deployment will show where the technology delivers the greatest value, and which additional applications make sense to pursue.
Q: What is the real world impact LAM-X has?
Our technology is a platform with potential applications across multiple areas. If we manage to bring products with real added value to market, this could have an impact across several industrial sectors. To name just a few examples. We strive to bring more efficient and environmentally friendly filtration, providing cleaner water for both industry and common people. We try to provide safer alternatives to insecticides by developing our agricultural products.
I also think that on a local level, a successful deep-tech startup could also serve as inspiration for others in the Czech Republic.
Q: Can you walk us through the filtration project and other initiatives you’re involved in at LAM-X?
My main responsibility is the filtration project and its related subprojects. The primary goal is to develop various filtration materials which then can be used in different industries. In parallel, we are working on the engineering aspects of our filtration technology – we develop the illumination systems, electronic controllers, filtration cartridges, or the necessary testing equipment.
But it must be noted that right now, everybody sort of works on everything in our company. So, I also try to help with chemical or engineering tasks in other projects.
Q: Can you give an example of a concrete technical problem you solved?
Shortly after I joined LAM-X, it turned out we would benefit from having a device for testing our filtration membranes. Sure, you can buy these but there are prices ridiculously high and they lack flexibility when you need to make some changes in their setup. So, I started working on the project and in two days I had a working prototype fitted with pumps, sensors, LCD, and controlled by Arduino, which was new to me at that time. After that it took some time to refine the device but now, we use it routinely in many areas of our work. However, the device itself is not as important as the new programming and electronics skills I learnt, which I now apply also to other projects.
Q: How do you perceive the startup environment in the Czech Republic?
I should say I don’t have a full view of the startup environment. But my feeling is that large proportion of the startups in the Czech Republic operate in IT or services in general. There are only a few startups focusing for instance on life science or chemistry related products. There are even fewer deep-tech startups which might potentially have a high economic and social impact.
On the other hand, it seems to me that many new initiatives trying to help the startup community emerged recently, I mean various incubator or networking programs. So hopefully more innovative companies will spring up thanks to this support.
Q: Do you see a difference between university spin-offs and garage startups?
Yes, and I think the difference is fundamental. University spin-offs often build on years of basic research that would be impossible to fund in a typical garage startup. At the same time, they are usually more constrained by academic structures, financial ties, and institutional rules, which can limit their agility and risk-taking.
Garage startups, on the other hand, may start with very limited resources, but when hard work, improvisation, and a willingness to take risks come together, they can grow into highly successful and innovative companies.
Q: What do you see as the strengths of Czech researchers?
Well, based on my brief encounter with academic community, I believe Czech scientists are hardworking, creative, and good at improvisation. Historically, we have often achieved strong results with very limited equipment, which forced us to think creatively and find unconventional solutions.
If we could combine these qualities with a greater willingness to take risks, we would have a very strong foundation for successful startups and innovation.
Q: What would you say to people who might be interested in LAM-X but are unsure whether to apply?
I would encourage people not to be afraid to simply come and take a look, even without a formal job interview. Just drop an e-mail or call us. Seeing what we do in person, meeting the team, and getting a feel for the environment can make a big difference.
At the same time, it is important to be realistic. We cannot afford to open a large number of positions right now. However, if LAM-X succeeds, many new positions will gradually open. That is why early connections and familiarity with the company can be very valuable both for us and for the potential newcomers.
Q: How do you perceive attitudes toward risk and ambition in the Czech Republic?
I think, in general, we prefer security over risk taking and at the same time, we complain about low wages. But without taking risks, we won’t build new innovative companies that will bring wealth to our economy and society. This is exemplified by recent surveys showing that the ideal employer for today’s young generation is the (secure) state sector or a big corporate company. Fewer and fewer young people consider starting their own business, which I find very sad.
And there’s also the problem of ambition and self-confidence. From an early age we are taught that self-confidence or big ambitions are somehow unhealthy or even bad. And yet we have so many highly skilled and educated people, who, having more self-trust, could do wonders.
Can you imagine starting your own startup right after finishing school? Even the question sounds crazy, right. Yet, it is not unheard of in some other countries. The challenge here is that our schools at all levels do not encourage such way of thinking and it needs to change if we want to succeed as a wealthy society.
Therefore, I think we need to work on these mentality problems as hard as we work on the startup or financial infrastructure.
Q: What advice would you give to researchers considering a move from academia to industry?
I would say that in most cases, the longer you stay in academia, the harder the transition to private sector will be. Therefore, a successful transition requires some preparation. It is also very specific to your field and where you’d like to move. Ask yourself what you can offer beyond your main expertise. Can you differentiate yourself from other job candidates who already have a few years of experience in the private sector? I’ve worked in academia so I can say with confidence that many researchers have a lot to offer both in terms of hard and soft skills. They are usually smart and used to learning new complex stuff. This is their biggest advantage over their competitors from private sector.
One important thing – be prepared for the ‘job-search’ shock. In our country, there is an extreme difference between the innovation level in academia and in the private sector. As I mentioned above, there are only a handful of companies doing something truly new, based on fundamental research. So, if you want to retain this level of expertise, your options become quite limited. This probably applies more to natural sciences than to, say, electrical engineering.
To actually find the right job, there are platforms such as StartupJobs, although they often focus mainly on IT roles. For research-oriented and deep-tech positions, platforms like ResearchJobs or direct outreach to companies tend to be more relevant.