Zbyněk Frolík

Frolík was born in Prague on 26 December 1953 and studied technical cybernetics at the Czech Technical University in Prague.

Before founding LINET, he worked at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and then at Motol University Hospital in Prague. There he encountered technical aspects of hospital beds and became interested in making them.

During the communist period, Frolík and his wife grew roses and sold them privately. He later used the money from this activity to help finance his new business.

After reducing his involvement in LINET's operations, Frolík became more active as an investor. He has invested alongside the investment firms Accolade and Enern (whose venture capital business became KAYA), and in the US biotechnology company Alzheon.

Frolík has also been involved in Czech research and innovation policy and has served on bodies focus on cooperation between industry, research institutions and universities.

He was a member of the Czech Council for Export and Investment from 2008, a post he held until 2017. From 2010 until 2014, he sat on the government's Research, Development and Innovation Council. He was also board member of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic from 2011 and later served as its vice-president until 2019.