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 →620% profit growth at Chinese chipmakers — export controls were supposed to starve this ecosystem, not turbocharge it. Beijing's self-sufficiency campaign found the best possible accelerant: US sanctions plus an AI boom.
A $75B US holding company buying into a Bratislava AI shop is the kind of deal that signals CEE enterprise AI has cleared the 'interesting experiment' phase — Eldridge doesn't do charity investments.
Export controls were supposed to accelerate China's chip independence, but CUDA lock-in is doing more to protect Nvidia's moat than any US trade policy. Rewriting your entire ML stack to run on Huawei hardware isn't a weekend project.
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.