Brightpick  (Ján Žižka and Tomáš Kováčovský) secured its first major automotive‑sector contract for its AI‑powered warehouse robots. In the first phase, it will supply 100 robots to US company Napa, with the potential for significantly more later. Originally designed for e‑commerce, the robots will be used in warehouses for car spare parts. The US accounts for 60% of Brightpick’s revenue, and its headquarters are in Texas. The company has 250 employees and has raised €40m fro

Agromačaj (Mačaj family) completed a €9.3m investment in warehouses near Hlohovec, expanding storage capacity by one‑third to 120,000 tons. The largest domestic vegetable grower will thus be better positioned to withstand market fluctuations, such as the current decline in potato prices. The group plans further expansion through exports to Hungary and Czechia, which already account for 30% of output, and is considering new warehouses near Galanta that would exceed the scale o

Slovakia and Hungary are the only EU countries still purchasing Russian crude oil, arguing it is cheaper. Last year, Slovakia had gasoline prices 6% higher and diesel prices 7% higher (excluding taxes) than Czechia, which has already phased out Russian oil. The only beneficiary of “cheap” Russian oil is Mol , which dominates fuel sales in both countries. Technically, Slovnaft could switch to other oil types relatively easily, but Mol is in no hurry. Using Adria will increase

The government will not dismiss Radko Kuruc  from his position as CEO of the state guarantee bank SZRB after he was convicted of corruption by the Specialized Criminal Court, PM Robert Fico said. Kuruc received a 3‑year suspended sentence and a €60,000 fine for accepting a €120,000 bribe. Fico correctly assumed that keeping him in the post would not cause any further reputational damage. Central bank governor Peter Kažimír is in a similar situation, having also been convicted

The government plans to further expand the state-supported rental housing  scheme, PM Robert Fico said. He intends to sign contracts with two additional investors, whom he did not name, and to increase or abolish the maximum income threshold for applicants, currently set at eight times the minimum subsistence level (€2,200). He did not specify whether the state would raise support for investors; so far, the only incentive has been a reduced 5% VAT rate. Rents in these apartme

The Specialized Criminal Court found Jozef Brhel  Sr., his son, and former Deputy Finance Minister Radko Kuruc guilty  in the Mýtnik case concerning IT contracts awarded by the tax authority FS under former FS head František Imrecze in 2012-18. Prior to the penal code reform, Brhel and his son faced potential prison sentences of 12-20 years. Brhel Sr. received a four-year suspended sentence and a €1.5m fine, while Brhel Jr. received a four-year suspended sentence and a €1.2m

Tax collection this year will be €600m below  the level projected in the approved state budget, according to the Finance Ministry’s latest forecast . Last year, tax revenues undershot the budget by €1.8bn. VAT and corporate income tax receipts are expected to fall short of plan as new and higher taxes dampen economic growth and a reduced anti-corruption drive weakens collection efficiency. Although the nominal VAT rate is 23% (with multiple exceptions), the effective rate has

U.S. Steel Košice more than doubled EBITDA to $156m last year. Gains from exchange rate movements, inventory revaluation, and lower raw material costs outweighed the negative impact of lower steel prices and high energy costs. Output fell to a five-year low of 3.6m tons, down from a peak of 5.1m tons in 2018. Revenues declined 7% to $2.8bn. A modest recovery in demand is expected this year, partly supported by stronger EU trade protection. New owner Nippon Steel of Japan is

Slovakia’s economic growth slowed to 0.8%  last year, following 1% growth in 4Q25, according to a flash estimate from the statistical office ŠÚ. In 4Q25, the economy was supported by public investment and exports, while fiscal consolidation dampened domestic demand. Employment declined 0.1% last year after a 0.2% drop in 2024, with the total number of employed falling 0.2% to 2.4m in 4Q25. Analysts expect GDP   growth to accelerate slightly this year to 1-1.3% , supported by

The group around Ján Sabol  controls companies with annual revenues of €4.5bn, including €1.5bn from biofuels. About 90% of revenues come from Europe, though the group is expanding globally. It recently acquired full control of pharma firm Saneca Hlohovec and plans to invest €40m to expand production there. Saneca also intends to build a new €50m plant in Saudi Arabia. The group grows coffee in Colombia and rice in Uzbekistan. In Brazil, it produces biofuels, grows sugar cane