The student startup Citymind at MENDELU addresses public sector communication through artificial intelligence

7. 4. 2026
The Czech tech startup Citymind, founded by students at the Faculty of Business and Economics at MENDELU, was created with the goal of using artificial intelligence to address a long-standing problem of overburdened communication between institutions and the public—repeated inquiries, confusing websites, the unavailability of information outside of office hours, and a heavy administrative burden on staff. Today, it is used not only by the Faculty of Business and Economics at MENDELU, but also by municipalities and private companies

The startup is built on the belief that public administration can operate just as efficiently, accessibly, and user-friendly as modern tech companies, provided it is properly grounded in data and artificial intelligence. “In public administration, most communication follows repeatable processes, and modern language models make it possible to automate this work to a large extent without compromising quality. At Citymind, we have therefore developed our own AI agents that can respond 24/7 to inquiries from citizens, students, or clients and automatically resolve approximately 86% of all common requests on average. The key principle of the solution is working with the organization’s real-world data. The system connects to existing sources, structures them, and continuously updates them,” explained Martin Mikulášek, one of the startup’s founders.

One of the projects undertaken by the student startup Citymind involves the digitization of services using AI at Mendel University in Brno, which has long faced a high volume of repetitive inquiries from applicants, students, and the general public. The greatest burden falls on the admissions office, help desk, and administrative departments. The project began with a pilot deployment at the Faculty of Business and Economics and demonstrated high interest among students as well as significant potential for cost savings. After successful validation, the system was put into full operation. The strategic goal of the Citymind project is a gradual transformation toward a fully digitized university. “In addition to external AI agents for communicating with the public, we also offer internal AI assistants for employees, officials, and administrative staff. These help them quickly search for information in internal guidelines, documents, or processes, write texts, and automate routine tasks, which significantly increases work productivity,” added Martin Mikulášek.

Citymind currently works with nearly fifty clients—ranging from cities and city districts (Prague 6, Pardubice, Žilina) to universities (such as the Faculty of Economics and Management at Mendel University or the Faculty of Economics at Masaryk University) and private companies (O2 Arena). “Citymind’s strategic ambition is to become a dominant player in the field of AI-driven public sector communication in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and subsequently expand into other European markets,” Mikulášek outlined.

Citymind was founded by students from the Faculty of Business and Economics at Mendel University in collaboration with students from Masaryk University as part of a joint inter-university course. During the semester, they developed the idea, verified its practical potential, decided to further develop the project outside the academic environment, and founded the company. The Faculty of Business and Economics at MENDELU provided the facilities for further development and testing of all solutions. Citymind currently has a team of eight members, all of whom are still students, which allows them to combine current academic knowledge with rapid implementation in practice.

Photograps for use

Source: Martin Mikulášek

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