She wanted to work in a startup and change the world around her. The idea took root during her Erasmus exchange in Finland, which she joined while studying at the Prague University of Economics and Business. Still a student at the time, Kateřina Linhartová joined the fintech company Dateio as an intern. She initially supported the sales team, but after six months, she shifted to working with data—looking for meaningful ways to use it, especially in the context of sustainability.
Today, she leads the Eco Trackproduct, used by major banks not only in the Czech Republic but also in Switzerland. Her ambition? To expand wherever ESG is on the banking agenda.
Why Banks Needed More Than Just Cashback
Dateio has deep experience in leveraging data: the company has long helped banks provide rewards to their clients, including cashback. So if you pay by card and receive benefits or discounts from your bank, there’s a good chance this fintech startup is behind it—supporting institutions like Česká spořitelna, Air Bank, or UniCredit Bank.
Now, Eco Track—created by Kateřina and her team in response to clients asking whether carbon footprint insights could be added to Tapix—also draws on payment transaction data. As a result, the app can now show that one lunch might generate the same emissions as a 15-kilometre car ride. That’s far easier to grasp than being told a meal caused 3.5 kilograms of CO2. Among its early adopters is Raiffeisenbank, and a major Hungarian bank may soon follow.
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What Is Eco Track and Why Banks Want It
Why did you launch Eco Track — and what exactly is it? What does it offer?
It started with a simple idea: how can we use payment data to help banks introduce sustainability to their clients? Today, Eco Track is a module that lets banks highlight the environmental impact of spending habits in a clear, non-intrusive way.
It works with real transaction data at the individual merchant level and connects it to emission coefficients we’ve been developing for more than a year. After each payment, the user gets a precise carbon footprint estimate—alongside “eco tips” that help them make sense of the numbers.
Who is Eco Trackfor, and who’s using it so far?
Eco Track is used by both retail banking clients—who are encouraged to reflect more on their consumption—and small to medium-sized businesses. For SMEs, it can support ESG reporting, which will soon be mandatory under European regulation or is already being requested by their partners.
For these companies, investing in high-end carbon accounting tools can be too expensive. With Eco Track, they get valuable insights directly from their bank—like Raiffeisenbank in the Czech Republic, for example.
But is carbon footprint tracking really important for retail clients?
For everyday users, it’s mainly about creating awareness of how their choices impact the planet. A raw number—like “3.5 kg of CO2”—doesn’t mean much on its own. But when we say “this lunch = 15 km by car,” the impact becomes tangible. We’re not trying to impose anything—just to make an abstract concept relatable in daily life.
Privacy-First, Insight-Driven
Isn’t that kind of... intrusive?
That’s exactly what we thought about while designing Eco Track. We wanted to avoid anything that would make users feel judged or monitored. Our approach is different—we aim to inform and engage, not evaluate. Everyone remains in control of how they use the insights.
Do people’s attitudes toward this vary by age?
Definitely. Younger generations—especially Millennials and Gen Z—are more sensitive to ESG topics than older cohorts. But education also plays a big role. Generally, people with more knowledge or awareness are more open to the idea. The overall appeal may not be universal, but there’s a clear and growing segment of users who actively seek out products like this—and expect them from companies.
Where do you see Eco Track going next?
Our goal is to maximize the potential of payment data and refine our carbon footprint methodology to reach more users. One current area of focus is how to better distinguish between restaurants based on price level. Just because a meal costs 170 vs. 500 CZK doesn’t mean its emissions are three times higher. Often, it might even be the opposite —pricier meals might use local ingredients or smaller portions, leading to a lower carbon impact.
Thanks to our deep understanding of transaction data, we can identify these nuances and adjust emission factors accordingly. The same applies to categories like fuel. We know how much CO2 is produced by burning a litre of petrol, but we also know pump-level pricing. That allows us to fine-tune coefficients even further. This attention to data detail is a major competitive advantage.
Local Data, Global Potential
Will you offer Eco Track outside the Czech Republic?
Absolutely. Eco Track is already live in Switzerland, and we’re planning to expand into other countries—essentially anywhere ESG is a focus for banks.
Of course, emission coefficients differ by country. They depend on things like the energy mix (coal in the Czech Republic vs. hydro in Norway), purchasing power, and cross-border emissions. That’s why we’re developing country-specific models for every market we enter.
Are there similar products out there?
Yes. Abroad, you’ll find similar solutions from companies like Ecolytiq and Doconomy. We studied them closely during the development of Eco Track.
The Future of Personalisation
What else can companies learn from the data they collect? Where do you see the biggest future potential?
The trend across industries is clear: personalisation. Banking is no exception. But in many cases, it’s still more of an ambition than a reality. The biggest opportunity lies in ultra-precise customer segmentation.
Using payment data, we can uncover detailed behavioural patterns. This allows banks to offer highly relevant products and services—delivering value without spamming users with irrelevant offers.
And what about you personally? Where do you see yourself in a few years? Are you planning to start your own company?
Right now, I’m fully focused on Eco Track and on ensuring it plays a clear strategic role within Dateio. That’s something I really enjoy—so for now, I’m not planning to launch my own startup. But who knows what the future holds?
