Michala Gregorová
(press release) The Czech investment group Miton is taking its gastronomy digitalization initiatives to the next level. Joining its team are Tomáš Mráz, the former Head of Sales at Pilsner Urquell, and experienced product manager Jakub Rafaj. With a fresh investment in POS Experts and increased stakes in companies Harsys and Savarin, the group now commands 20% of the market for point-of-sale (POS) systems.
Miton’s portfolio under the “gastrotech” label includes projects such as Qerko, Grason, Pecos, or Septim. In 2021, Miton acquired a minority stake in Septim, a dominant POS system in Czech restaurants. A year later, this stake was increased, making Miton the majority owner. Since last year, the portfolio of POS systems has also included Harsys and Savarin, where Miton has recently raised its stakes to 70%. Additionally, Miton has invested in a minority stake in POS Experts.
“The POS system is the digital heart of every business. Stakes in POS systems are a crucial part of our efforts to create an ecosystem that simplifies operations for restaurant owners,” explains Miton partner Milan Zemánek.
Tomáš Mráz joined Miton as a Gastrotech Partner
Another update is the addition of new team members. The first is Tomáš Mráz, the former long-time Head of Sales at Pilsner Urquell. “Few people understand the needs of restaurants and their guests better than Tomáš. From his position, he will be responsible for strategically leading all of our gastrotech activities,” comments Milan Zemánek on his arrival.
Gastrotech projects from Miton's portfolio already serve a significant portion of the market. Specifically, one-fifth of the 230 billion CZK spent annually in the gastronomy sector flows through them. “The potential is much greater if individual projects collaborate more closely and offer restaurateurs a compact all-in-one solution for their business. My task is to bring this vision to life,” says Tomáš Mráz.
Jakub Rafaj, a senior product manager and user experience specialist, recently joined Miton to support the development of digital solutions that simplify business operations. He joins Miton after six years at Czech Television.
“The entire industry has been transforming in recent years, primarily driven by post-COVID changes in consumer behavior. The whole gastronomy sector has a technological debt that needs to be addressed. At the same time, I sense that generational shifts bring new demands to the business. I want entrepreneurs in this industry to feel satisfied and focus on what they enjoy and excel at while technology helps them handle everything else. We aim to be proactive and become the go-to solution for their technological needs,” concludes Tomáš Mráz.
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(The article was written for Czechcrunch.cz - in Czech)
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