Oliver Dlouhý

Oliver Dlouhý
Dlouhý on Show Jana Krause in 2016
Born (1988-01-07) January 7, 1988
Prague, Czechoslovakia
EducationNewton College (attended)
OccupationEntrepreneur
Known forCo-founding Kiwi.com
TitleCEO of Kiwi.com

Oliver Dlouhý (born 7 January 1988) is a Czech entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of the online travel company Kiwi.com.[1] He co-founded the company in 2012 with programmer Jozef Képesi around the idea of algorithmically combining flights operated by airlines without interline agreements.[2]

In 2019, the American investment firm General Atlantic acquired a majority stake in the company, while Dlouhý and Képesi retained significant shareholdings and continued in executive roles.[3]

Dlouhý was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in the technology category in 2018.[4] In 2020, he was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 for the Czech Republic.[5] In 2021, he became president of the Association for Applied Research in IT (AAVIT), an industry association supporting digitalisation of Czech public administration.[6]

Early life and education

Dlouhý was born in Prague on 7 January 1988 and grew up in Jindřichův Hradec.[7][8] He studied informatics, economics, philosophy and business at several universities, but did not graduated.[8]

Dlouhý began experimenting with business already at the secondary school, when he bought blueberries from local pickers and resold them near the Austrian border. Then he made and sold jukeboxes and traded electronic cigarettes.[9]

While studying in Brno, Dlouhý formed a business idea after spending days searching for inexpensive flights for himself. He realized that there is a business case for combining flights operated by airlines that did not cooperate through traditional interline arrangements.[10]

Kiwi.com

While developing the idea for an automated flight-combination service, Dlouhý met programmer Jozef Képesi, who subsequently became co-founder and CTO of SkyPicker.[11] The company, founded in 2012, initially focused on combining low-cost flights. Entrepreneur and investor Jiří Hlavenka provided early financing and became the company's first investor.[12]

SkyPicker subsequently expanded from a flight-search service into an online travel company. In May 2016, it was renamed Kiwi.com, as the company sought to expand its services beyond air travel.[13] Dlouhý remained chief executive and one of its largest individual shareholders, while several other shareholders were considering selling their stakes.[14]

In June 2019, the American investment firm General Atlantic acquired a majority stake in Kiwi.com. Several investors sold their holdings, while Dlouhý, Képesi and programmer Luboš Charčenko retained their stake.[15]

The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected Kiwi.com's business as international air travel collapsed and large numbers of flights were cancelled. The company faced criticism from customers over delayed refunds and communication, while Dlouhý attributed the delays to difficulties recovering money from airlines.[16]

In 2025, he described a restructuring of Kiwi.com's business model aimed at increasing cooperation with airlines.[17]

Other ventures and investments

Dlouhý has invested in several Czech technology startups, such as games platform Fireball.[18] In 2017, he and Jiří Hlavenka invested in the bikesharing startup Futupilot.[19]

In 2026, Dlouhý invested in the restoration and operation of a historic brewery in Jindřichův Hradec. The brewery resumed production under the Jindra brand.[20]

Personal life

Dlouhý's paternal half-brothers are famous Czech actors Michal Dlouhý and Vladimír Dlouhý.[21][22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Jak změní covid leteckou dopravu? Dlouhý: Klesne poptávka po letech za zážitky". Deník (in Czech). 28 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Mikulka, Milan (2 June 2019). "Jako náctiletý kšeftoval s borůvkami, teď zakladatel portálu Kiwi řídí miliardový byznys s prodejem letenek". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech).
  3. ↑ "Většinu v Kiwi.com koupil fond General Atlantic. Dlouhý a Képesi si podíly ponechali". E15 (in Czech). ČTK. 3 June 2019.
  4. ↑ Olson, Parmy (21 January 2018). "Meet Europe's 30 Under 30 In Technology 2018: Masters Of Robots, A.I. And Malware". Forbes.
  5. ↑ "Ocenění Podnikatel roku získal zakladatel Kiwi.com Oliver Dlouhý". E15 (in Czech). ČTK. 4 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Novák, Ondřej (10 May 2021). "Vznikla Asociace pro aplikovaný výzkum v IT. Chce pomoct s digitalizaci státu a tvorbou pracovních míst v IT". Lupa.cz (in Czech).
  7. ↑ "100 nejbohatších Čechů 2019 – Oliver Dlouhý". Forbes (in Czech). 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 Kynčl, Jakub (30 January 2018). "Studia ho nebavila a žádnou vysokou nedokončil. Ve 30 letech zaměstnává 1700 lidí". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Mikulka, Milan (2 June 2019). "Jako náctiletý kšeftoval s borůvkami, teď zakladatel portálu Kiwi řídí miliardový byznys s prodejem letenek". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Zakladatel českého miliardového startupu: Studia mě nebavila, tak jsem začal dělat byznys". Český rozhlas Plus (in Czech). 2 December 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  11. ↑ Mikulka, Milan (2 June 2019). "Jako náctiletý kšeftoval s borůvkami, teď zakladatel portálu Kiwi řídí miliardový byznys s prodejem letenek". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Skypicker prošel Tomkovým investičním „trojúhelníkem" a dostal 25 milionů". Forbes (in Czech). 8 January 2015. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  13. ↑ Rumanová, Jolana (20 May 2016). "Skypicker se mění na Kiwi.com a nabídne nové služby". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Řeháková, Markéta; Rousek, Leoš (13 April 2018). "Zakladatel Kiwi.com odmítá ve firmě ztratit vliv a podíl. Jeden z nejrychleji rostoucích českých start-upů chce dále rozvíjet". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Většinu v Kiwi.com koupil fond General Atlantic. Dlouhý a Képesi si podíly ponechali". E15 (in Czech). ČTK. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Vzestup a škobrtání Olivera Dlouhého. Návrat k úspěchu čeká jen na starty letadel". Forbes (in Czech). 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Liebreich, Jiří (15 June 2025). "Kiwi.com už nechce být nejlevnější za každou cenu. Oliver Dlouhý mění byznys model, chce spolupracovat s aerolinkami". E15 (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Štědrý rok 2021: Přes 200 českých startupových investic a dealů. Loňská přehledně v jedné větě". CzechCrunch (in Czech). 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Úšel, Jan (30 June 2017). "Mladý Slovák v Brně rozjíždí Uber pro kola. Do jeho bikesharingu už investoval například šéf Kiwi Dlouhý". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Kačírek, Šimon (10 June 2026). "Zakladatel Kiwi Oliver Dlouhý se vrhá do pivovarnického byznysu. Chce přivést mladé zpátky k pití piva". E15 (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  21. ↑ Mikulka, Milan (2 June 2019). "Jako náctiletý kšeftoval s borůvkami, teď zakladatel portálu Kiwi řídí miliardový byznys s prodejem letenek". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  22. ↑ Renovica, Vera (9 February 2025). "Miliardář ze slavné herecké rodiny, šéf Kiwi.com Oliver Dlouhý: Bráchovi jsem dal „tučnou" brigádu!". Blesk (in Czech). Retrieved 30 August 2026.
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