Jan Cifra
Operator · Strategist · Investor
Operator, strategist, and investor based in Bratislava. I work with founders and boards across Central Europe on strategy, leadership transitions, and scaling technology businesses through inflection points.
What I'm reading
All notes →A chip-smuggling probe gets handed off to the DOJ after Nvidia intervened — right as Huang's espionage scandal breaks. The timing is either catastrophic coincidence or the most expensive week in Nvidia's lobbying history.
When the firm that backed Google and Apple decides London isn't worth a permanent base, that's a signal worth taking seriously — especially for CEE founders who relied on Sequoia's European scouts as a path to US-tier capital.
$250M buys a lot of influence — apparently just not votes. Crypto and AI lobbying's 2-to-1 loss rate suggests that writing big checks to shape your regulators works better in theory than in a midterm where 76% of voters oppose data centers in their backyard.
About
I take on executive leadership roles, independent board seats, and senior advisory work across Slovakia and the wider Central Europe and DACH region. My focus is technology, SaaS, and e-commerce businesses at inflection points — scaling, leadership transitions, restructuring, or preparing for an exit.
Earlier I spent six years scaling a CEE web hosting group — WebSupport, Active24, and Webonic — from a single brand into a multi-country operation, before becoming CEO of Dedoles, one of Central Europe's fastest-growing e-commerce brands. MBA from Vlerick Business School; Executive Program in Strategy and Organization at Stanford GSB. Independent board member at Vacuumlabs and SAPIE, the Slovak alliance for innovation.
Based in Bratislava. I work in Slovak, English, German, and Czech.
Investments
Alongside operational and strategic work, I invest in early-stage and growth-stage companies in Central Europe — primarily technology, SaaS, e-commerce, and digital infrastructure. I look for founders who want more than capital: a hands-on partner who has run a P&L, scaled a multi-country operation, and sat on both sides of the table.
Services
I work with founders, boards, and investors who need senior strategic and operational experience — not just advice.
Experience
20 years across software, cloud services, e-commerce, and consulting in Central Europe — from service desk to CEO. Currently leading Dedoles, with board roles at Vacuumlabs and SAPIE.
View full experience →In the media
Interviews and coverage in Forbes, SME, Denník N, Startitup, and other Slovak outlets — mostly on Dedoles, e-commerce, and turnarounds.
View media mentions →Contact
Founders, boards, investors, and partners — happy to hear from you.