AmCham Slovakia

Košice’s Economic Transformation

Historically, Košice was Eastern Slovakia’s economic hub, driven by steel manufacturing, a booming IT sector, and now major automotive investments. Yet, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—the true backbone of any healthy, resilient economy—were often overlooked. Due to a short free-market history, we lack the dense SME network seen in developed nations. Existing SMEs often struggle to compete for human capital and know-how.

However, the local business landscape is shifting rapidly. Over the past decade, locally owned companies in Košice have thrived, organically scaling from small operations into large, highly competitive enterprises. Many harbor bold global ambitions, bringing valuable financial capital back home. Today, numerous local firms boast revenues in the tens of millions of euros, consistently outpacing broader market trends.

TPA recognized this potential. After opening our Košice branch in 2009, explosive growth arrived in 2022, fueled by post-pandemic shifts and our strategic merger with GetFinDone. We pivoted to focus entirely on ambitious SMEs that possessed high growth potential but struggled with internal processes, accounting, and securing expansion capital. As the regional SME segment matured, TPA Slovakia scaled right alongside it.
Why Strong SMEs Matter

Previously, top-tier professional advisory services were financially inaccessible for most SMEs. Today, we are seeing a profound mindset shift; business owners are increasingly willing to invest in the efficient high-quality services once reserved exclusively for multinationals. This is fueled by accessible financing, including subsidized bank products and EU-backed guarantees via Slovak Investment Holding.

Local and family-owned businesses often possess immense potential but lack a strategic vision. An experienced advisor with global corporate expertise helps materialize these plans by professionalizing internal processes. To be truly scalable, a company must first clean up its accounting and management reporting. We provide this crucial data transparency through accessible business intelligence (BI) reporting and fractional CFO services.

By merging GetFinDone’s specialization in rapidly growing sectors, such as e-commerce, SaaS, publishing, gastronomy, real estate, manufacturing, and startups, with TPA’s extensive international corporate experience, we created a unique blend of know-how. We actively empower local companies to succeed globally. We have successfully guided regional clients through securing several investments via e.g. Crowdberry or VC’s, acquiring several commercial real estates, and obtaining vital grants and bank financing. Regional development does not start with investments, but with quality companies.

Investing in Talent

Behind every scaling company are talented professionals. Currently, we employ over 50 colleagues in our expanded 600-square-meter Košice office, growing annually. We focus on a unique hybrid skill set: merging modern IT capabilities with deep economic expertise. Our employees understand finance comprehensively - from initial data inception and automation to advanced BI reporting and strategic interpretation. By automating routine tasks, our team shifts from simple data entry to ensuring data consistency, optimizing processes, and improving corporate efficiency. We are actively creating highly qualified, value-added jobs for the regional economy.

Retaining young, ambitious talent in Eastern Slovakia remains our top priority. We maintain robust partnerships with regional universities, specifically the University of Economics in Bratislava (PHF) and the Technical University of Košice (FEI and FBI). We engage students directly through practical internships, mentoring programs (including Nexteria and local startups), university lectures, and thesis consultations. Currently, 15 trainees are progressing through comprehensive programs covering accounting, audit, tax advisory, and digital automation. Upon successful completion, they transition into permanent roles.

Building an Ecosystem

Uplifting a region requires seamless, ongoing collaboration between businesses, universities, local governments, and business organizations. TPA is an active pillar of the Eastern Slovak ecosystem, dedicated to connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts. We maintain strategic partnerships with AmCham, IT Valley, the Austrian and German Chambers of Commerce, Bezycklenia, and Growclub etc. We also co-host professional conferences and networking events designed to strengthen local tech and startup communities.

Beyond corporate initiatives, our commitment extends deeply into the nonprofit sector. We dedicate pro-bono support and volunteer hours to initiatives focused on youth leadership and poverty alleviation. Our corporate social responsibility (CSR) portfolio includes close cooperation with Centrum Dorka, Nadácia DEDO, the Carpathian Foundation, Odpadnesh, Nexteria and lot more. By supporting NGO’s, we strive to make Košice a fundamentally better place to live.

Looking Ahead

TPA GetFinDone is the fastest-growing organic advisory firm in Slovakia. We operate as a comprehensive financial “One-Stop-Shop,” offering cloud ERP implementation, process automation, accounting outsourcing, M&A advisory, and fractional CFO services to secure essential investment financing.

Our ultimate vision is to establish a modern shared service center right here in Košice. By merging financial and technological skills within single roles, we provide scalable financial services across the CEE region. Having successfully expanded our footprint into the Czech Republic last year, we are officially launching in Poland this year.

We believe deeply in Košice’s potential to attract and develop top-tier talent. By fostering cross-sector innovation, supporting local education, and showcasing successful entrepreneurship, we directly contribute to the region’s long-term economic competitiveness and resilience.

There are no shortcuts to a stable regional economy. Foreign direct investment and state support can provide important momentum, but they cannot, on their own, create lasting prosperity. We must build strong regional pillars ourselves by actively supporting the growth of local startups and SMEs, empowering their global ambitions, and helping them scale beyond Slovakia’s borders.
 

Juraj Tobák, Partner, TPA Slovakia