Matúš Nosko: "Don't be on your own—neither in your studies, nor in your business."

Bc. Matúš Nosko, a final-year Master’s student at FIT BUT (Brno University of Technology) and co-founder of the successful companies MaNoSens and Guardexy. Even during his studies, he managed to bridge the gap between business and academia. In this interview, he speaks openly about his coding beginnings, the rigors of university life, balancing work with school, and the journey from a student project to a partnership with a major industrial player.

What originally led you to choose a university degree in Information Technology? Were you a high school "nerd" immersed in programming and electronics long before graduation? Or were you simply looking for a well-paid job?

The reasons were mainly familial. I have an older brother, Svetozár Nosko, who completed his PhD at FIT. I started writing simple scripts—like ones to open programs—at the end of elementary school. I followed in my brother's footsteps. By high school, I was already programming in C, which is very close to the embedded world I work in today. High school gave me a solid foundation.

So, choosing FIT was a clear-cut decision. Or did you have a "Plan B"?

I definitely wanted to get into the faculty, but the stumbling block was the SCIO [national entrance] tests; I think I tried them four times. With these tests, it’s not just about taking them, but about preparing for them properly. I took that preparation too lightly, and looking back, I consider that a mistake. My alternatives were Slovak universities in Bratislava and Žilina. I remember being motivated by a recommendation from our high school teacher, who said that FIT was currently the best IT school in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Do you remember your first year? Was it difficult for you?

I admit I wasn't the best student in high school. However, I didn't have any issues with programming in the first year of university. On the other hand, I was surprised by the difficulty of mathematics; I had to play catch-up there. Luckily, we had a good group of friends: I helped them with programming, and they helped me with math—specifically things like integrals. I even had to repeat some subjects, and then COVID-19 hit. For a while, one lost contact with the faculty; we basically only came here for exams. The Bachelor's was simply demanding, especially due to the transition to remote learning. On top of that, I started working at the faculty spin-off Cognitechna during my second year.

Did you "overstretch" yourself by combining studies and work?

You have to consider it very carefully and have excellent time management because you will definitely sacrifice a large portion of your personal and family time. But it brings a massive plus: the industry—or rather, practice—gives you a different perspective on technology. Once I started working, after just a year, I basically had no trouble with any project at FIT. It was about learning hard skills where seniors showed me new approaches, a new perspective on programming, and on the structure and quality of projects. But mainly, it’s about the way you think about problems. You acquire the ability to break a large problem down into smaller ones; I then frequently applied that to my studies. And today, I use it in business. Don't be intimidated by a challenge—divide it, set priorities, and start.

Where and when was the idea to start your own startup born?

I think it was in the third year. My brother and I were brainstorming what we could do in the field of hardware. We thought of "smart beehives," for example, but the market was already full of those. Then an opportunity arose to try controlling and monitoring frequency converters. We got a lead from our dad, who had been looking for a similar monitoring system for home use for a long time. There was simply a small gap in the market. We signed up for the faculty’s summer competition, the Booster Challenge. A friend told us we’d get feedback on our ideas and, if successful, some funding. However, we couldn't wait for the results; in the meantime, we formally founded the company and started testing the first products. So, by the end of the Booster Challenge, we were already presenting real results. The next step was participating in the university-wide Entrepreneurship Award. We specifically wanted the project to get in touch with the JIC (South Moravian Innovation Centre) to consult on launching the business further. FIT helped us find a lawyer for the articles of incorporation and other legalities. We also felt support from the Dean at the time, Prof. Pavel Zemčík. It was a very important helping hand in the beginning.

Studies, Cognitechna, and your own business venture. That sounds like a recipe for burnout.

Well, and that wasn't all... At Cognitechna, we worked with computer vision, where I was also an embedded developer. Our control units for frequency converters were starting to sell in dozens of units per month, though demand was seasonal as it was tied to pump operations. We innovated the product with the finals of the Entrepreneurship Award in mind. During the competition, one of the judges, Michal Hrabí, approached us about potential cooperation. He was active in the field of photovoltaic (PV) power plants and directed us toward a tender for the company SOLSOL. In the first round, they gave us 50,000 CZK to develop our vision for controlling and monitoring PV plants and assigned us a project manager, David Klíma. We had one month to deliver a result. It wasn't easy. But we won the tender, even though we were just a two-man team competing against established companies. We were the only ones to present our own hardware and an entire ecosystem right away. We simply offered a complete solution package. And in the Entrepreneurship Award itself, we tied for 3rd place with our previous product. That year of the competition was very high quality; if I remember correctly, all the top participants are still active in business today.

Did the win catch you off guard? Did you feel like your life turned upside down?

Very much so. Beating the "heavyweights" from the position of a micro-company was a great feeling. Moreover, we got a unique opportunity to take our work to the next level... but also to move from relative calm into a situation where you communicate with many people every day. It’s no longer just a "family business." The cooperation with SOLSOL began two years ago. During that time, we approached their representatives with the information that we were also working on something in the field of cyber protection for PV plants. In their lab, we quickly connected our tool and showed them we were able to block and filter all commands within the operation. They were thrilled... and also slightly distressed [by the security vulnerabilities found]. We shook hands on a new direction of cooperation; it made sense: we guarantee development, and they, as a large distributor, handle sales. The result—a device for the cybersecurity protection of PV inverters—was introduced in November 2025. I’d like to highlight the approach of SOLSOL’s management—Radek Orságh, Mirek Kolář, Martin Novák, and Jiří Hlavenka. Even though it was a negotiation between a large firm and a startup, it was set up fairly and correctly from the start.

Did you think at the beginning that there was an untapped opportunity in PV cybersecurity?

No, we didn't know such an opportunity existed. Essentially, we repeated the previous path: it all started as a side project because my brother has a PV plant at home. And again, we used help from JIC; specifically, Martin Zadražil helped us with advice on how to build a company, how to communicate with a big player from the position of two tech-coders, and how to turn a project into a broader structure. Martin pushed us significantly from a purely technical view toward a business one—reminding us that it’s not just about implementation, but also about negotiations, contracts, agreements, and the overall setup of the partnership. He also emphasized how important it is to continuously validate ideas, create financial plans, and think about whether what we are developing makes sense from a business standpoint. It’s no longer just "we'll develop whatever we think of," but whether it has real benefits and financial logic. Today, there are five of us just in the development team, and many others handle everything from marketing to accounting. But we still try to maintain a friendly, "family" atmosphere.

You are finishing your Master's degree at FIT this year. How do you manage to balance the roles of student and entrepreneur?

Studies and practice go hand in hand. My family, especially my brother, motivates me to finish school as soon as possible. Thanks to Cognitechna, where I worked very closely with researchers from FIT, I was able to experience how research works in reality, and we managed to create some interesting outputs. That’s why I wouldn't want to close the door on research. However, I see myself more in applied research—bridging the commercial and academic spheres where results have a clear practical impact.

Looking back at your studies and career: what do you see as FIT's contribution to your professional path? And what was the biggest challenge?

The school opened the path to entrepreneurship for me; it gave me the opportunity to start. All the competitions I mentioned gave us vital initial feedback on what we wanted to do and whether it made sense. Regarding obstacles, I hesitate. I’d perhaps mention the focus of some subjects that went perhaps too deep into detail. It is crucial to have friends among students; that help within a student group is vital, especially in the Bachelor's years and beyond. University simplifies your start in business or employment and gives you perspective. While it’s not a strict requirement for working in IT, it is important for higher positions like system architects, where a general overview is necessary. Furthermore, it teaches you a certain way of thinking—that decomposition of problems. Finally, someone who has attended university for five years is capable of organizing themselves, planning, and working systematically. And that is no small feat. I’ll leave you with one piece of advice: don't be alone in anything—not in school, nor in business. It will be easier for you. And the path can easily lead through school projects and university competitions, where you might meet future business partners or school friends. You never know who you might run into.

Bc. Matúš Nosko is a final-year Master's student at FIT BUT. Together with his brother Svetozár, he founded the successful startup MaNoSens and, most recently, the company Guardexy, which focuses on the cybersecurity of photovoltaic power plant operations. He has received awards in the Booster Challenge and the BUT Entrepreneurship Award, and recently secured a significant investment from a major company.