Michal Laco is an Associate Partner in the consulting company Civitta Slovakia, a.s. Bratislava, which focuses on supporting innovation, technology companies and entrepreneurship. He is in charge of programmes and training courses aimed at supporting start-ups and matching them with investors and partners. He is currently responsible for the CHALLENGER acceleration programme that supports start-ups and innovative companies in cleantech, mobility and the circular economy. Formerly, he worked as an innovation policy analyst at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Economy of the Slovak Republic. Michal Laco studied economics and economic development at the London School of Economics and the University of St Andrews in the United Kingdom.