Photo : D.R.
Tobii technology develops software and product solutions for detecting and following eye movements (eye-tracking). This technology allows computers to ascertain, in real time, the exact spot where a person is looking. On this basis, Tobii has produced applications focusing on four areas: market studies (for testing advertising campaigns and new packaging…), scientific research (in developmental or cognitive psychology, neurophysiology), assistance and adaptation technologies (for disabled persons) and OEM technology. Its objective is to extend the applications made possible by this innovation to new domains. Tobii has thus recently launched nine new AAC (alternative and augmentative communication) products. These interfaces, coming under the name of MyTobii, allow computers to be controlled by eye movements. They aim at allowing disabled (notably paralysed) persons the means to write emails, edit documents or surf the net. Established in 2001, this Swedish company, based in Stockholm, has offices in Norway, Germany, Japan and the United States. Thanks to a network of partners and retailers, it commercialises its products all over the world. It has won numerous prizes, including a spot in the 2008 Red Herring 100 Europe, and has scored the title of “World Class Company” attributed by the magazine of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
2. Lincor Solutions (Ireland - health): 3 145%
Lincor develops IT solutions for health structures. Installed on computers at the bedside of every patient, its software MEDIVista meets the needs and expectations of patients and medical staff. Health professionals thus have access to the patient’s updated data and can carry out a certain number of daily tasks more efficiently, without impinging on health security requirements. Patients can take advantage of multimedia entertainment options on the screen, as well as carry out certain requests (television subscriptions, meal choices…) formerly made by filling out paper forms. This solution today equips over 50 hospitals in 12 different countries, in Europe and North America, in other words a total of 12,000 beds.Created in 2003, Lincor has notably been awarded a “World Class Innovation” prize at the iCT Excellence Awards 2008, as well as the title “Company of the Year 2008” by the Franco-Irish Chamber of Commerce. It is currently developing telemedicine solutions that offer the same functions as MEDIVista, this time to allow the remote follow-up of home-based patients. Their target: to allow doctors to examine patients and prescribe treatments from a distance. This service is likely to expand heavily in coming years, with the ageing of the population and public policies in favour of health cost cuts.
3. Synomia (France - technology): 1 399%
Synomia has developed a linguistic analysis software that organises the textual content of a web site in an intelligent manner, whatever the theme. Its aim: to allow visitors an intuitive and immediate access to the information they are looking for. To achieve this, Synomia relies on a semantic analysis technology perfected by the CNRS, the fruit of fifteen years of fundamental research in the domain of automatic language processing, and the object of an exclusive partnership of technical development and commercial exploitation. Capable of identifying and linking thousands of key words and expression from a web site, this technology is declined into five applications: Site Search, the first search engine to link semantics and multiple sorting facets, for more comprehensive and better defined results; Site Index, for an automated thematic content index providing for better visibility; Smart Links, where relevant thematic links are automatically generated; Smart Clouds, navigation by clouds of contextual key-word; and finally Site Alert, the personalised monitoring solution where email alerts are issued, based on key words and expressions selected by the cybernaut. Established in 2000, this French company has over 300 clients in Europe and North America. These include Bouygues, Danone, EDF, Essilor, France Telecom, GDF, Renault, Veolia Environnement, and in the media domain, the newspapers Libération and Le Figaro.
4. Morphic Technologies (Sweden - energy): 1 839%
Created in 1999, Morphic Technologies specialises in renewable energy. Its main activities include the development and manufacturing of fuel cells and turbines for wind turbines. The innovation policy of this Swedish group is attested by its 33 trademarks. Listed on the Scandinavian stock exchange OMX since March 2008, it is made up of a mother company and seven specialised subsidiaries, that it owns wholly or in joint ventures: Cell Impact, Helbio, AccaGen, Exergy Fuel Cells, DynaWind, ScanWind and Finshyttan Hydro Power. Today, Morphic Technologies employs a total of 220 employees, and is present in Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, and Japan. The group is currently setting up distribution companies in the United States and China.
5. Broadbean Technology (UK - technology) : 2 882%
Broadbean Technology develops and commercialises software for diffusing job offers online. Its solution, AdCourier, allows offers to be published on web sites (hundreds of portals in Europe, social networks…) and for them to be managed (notably by deleting them from one or several addresses); it also allows budget use to be optimised (from the generation of data on the web sites that yield the most replies, and those which are the most relevant), and applications to be followed up (via a tool for composing personalised replies to candidates). Established in 2001, this British company today assists some 30,000 recruiters in Europe, with a total of 1.5 million advertisements published each month. It employs 52 persons and is number one in its sector in the UK. Its managing director, Dan McGuire, is a young personality to watch in the British business world. Joining Broadbean in 2002 at the age of 21, even working for free at the outset, he was named “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” at the 2007 Growing Business Awards organised by CBI/Real Business. Also voted as one of the Top 30 “Young Guns” by the magazine Growing Business in 2008 Dan was furthermore named by the very British Courvoisier Future 500 as one of the rising stars in business.
6. Smart Fuel Cell (SFC) (Germany - energy) : 4 605%
Smart Fuel Cell (SFC) develops portable fuel cells that, for the last four years, it has been selling to companies and private clients. Its concept is based on technology that ensures non-grid electric supply in domains as varied as leisure, industry and defence. In concrete terms, these fuel cells supply energy to camping-cars, yachts, holiday cabins, road traffic-monitoring systems, observation systems, metering and early-warning devices… and even light electric vehicles. Established in 2000, this company is listed on the German stock exchange’s Prime Segment. Today it employs around 100 people, and in 2008, produced a turnover of over 14.5 million euros. All its production is carried out in Germany, on the Brunnthal site not far from Munich, where its research and development department is also located. This proximity is conducive to the innovation of its products. And thanks to an international network of partners, its technologies are available in numerous countries all over the world. SFC has been awarded a number of prizes for its technological innovations. It is notably one of SFC’s fuel cells which was, as a world first, included as standard equipment in a motor vehicle. It has moreover registered 21 families of trademarks, giving it access to 59 protection rights and ensuring it prime position in intellectual property in its sector.
7. Icomera (Sweden - technology): 2 295%
Icomera is a leading player in high-speed WiFi access points, providing technology mainly used in public transport (trains, buses, boats…) and offering users access to internet. Its other targets: companies, urban spaces, as well as the domain of public security (notably live remote surveillance). Its headquarters are in Sweden, while it also has offices in the United Kingdom. In all, it employs 40 persons. Its clients include the British coach company National Express, the Scottish Citylink and the Swedish Swebus Express. It recently equipped certain buses of Premier League players, notably those of Manchester United!
8. Albumprinter (Netherlands - retail): 21 952%
Founded in 2001, Albumprinter, which recently changed its name to Albelli, commercialises printed and bound photo albums. Software that can be downloaded on its web site allows users to design and personalise their albums. Today, this Dutch company is the leader on its national market. The key to its success: selling under its own brand name, thanks to its web site, and in major Dutch stores in its sector, through a network of partnerships established since 2005. Recently, it set out to conquer other European markets and the United States. Each month, it produces over 25,000 albums! PC Magazine attributed Albumprinter the distinction of being the year’s best product in two successive years, 2005 and 2006.
9. Zepto Computers (Denmark - retail): 1 034%
Established in 2002, Zepto is a manufacturer and distributor of electronic products for the general public: portable computers, LCD TV screens and accessories. The main attractions of its devices: pleasant design, and for the Znote computers, the option of choosing your own configuration on the web site (amongst 30,000 possibilities!). All production takes place on Danish territory. Since 2005, it has furthermore embarked on conquering new markets, via subsidiaries or partnerships. Today, its brand is present in 19 countries,in Europe, but also the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Riding on its success, Zepto finally opened two concept stores in Copenhagen last year.
10. AITIA International (Hungary - technology): 1 531%
AITIA International is a software and telecommunications service provider. Its domains of expertise include voice recognition technology, portals, simulators and other virtual interfaces. Its main advantage: it has set up research projects with universities and institutes, notably with the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Founded in 1995, the company employs some 40 researchers and developers. Amongst its clients are national administrations and domestic companies, from all sectors of activity, ranging from multinational branches to SMEs: notably DHL, Ericsson, Nokia, T-Mobile and Vodafone. In 2005, it launched a subsidiary in the USA.
11. Spectronic (Sweden - technology): 2 021%
Established in 1964, Spectronic started out by manufacturing radio communication devices, before launching itself in mobile telephones. The key to its endurance lies
in its investments in research and development, which have furnished it with significant technical innovations. It was notably an actor in the first radio communication group, one of the cornerstones of mobile telephony, developing in this sector from 1985 onwards, before, several years later, coming up with the first mobile phone that allows communication via voice and text, and exchange of data. Its advances have been recognised by the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, which awarded it with a gold medal for the development of the first mobile phone equipped with an integrated computer. Amongst the other awards accumulated by Spectronic: the Polhem Prize, the oldest technology award in Sweden, and the titles “Electronic Enterprise of the Year” and “Export Enterprise of the Year”. Today, all Spectronic production is carried out in Sweden, and its products are sold throughout the world, thanks to a network of distributors. Amongst its clients: Philips, Siemens, Bosch, as well as its compatriot Ericsson. This Swedish company has moreover recently perfected a mobile phone control system, named Sidetouch, which aims to replace both the touchpad and the tactile screen. In concrete terms, it is possible, using the fingers of a single hand, to navigate one’s phone: the tactile part is no longer the screen but the sides of the device!
12. Nomovok (Finland - technology): 2 367%
Novomok is an integrator of technology based on Open Source. Its domains of expertise: development, follow-up and maintenance, as well as management of economic and regulatory aspects for its clients. The issue of intellectual property rights is in fact crucial for companies, which must pay attention to the integrity of the software they develop. The Novomok solution relies on Z, a Linux-based programme that ensures project management and manages intellectual property rights. Launched in 2001, this Finnish company is today present in Japan and Vietnam. Its turnover reached almost 3.5 million euros in 2008.
13. Parrot (France - retail): 1 983%
Parrot is one of the world leaders in wireless systems. It offers an extensive range of Bluetooth hands-free systems for mobile phones, notably for cars and two-wheeled vehicles, as well as wireless products dedicated to sound and image (speakers, digital photo frames, products for iPod and iPhone…). In 2008, Parrot launched a collection of upper-end products designed by renowned artists, including wireless stereo speakers by Philippe Starck. Established in 1994, this French company has been listed on Euronext Paris since 2006, and today is part of the SBF 250. It was notably the winner of the INPI “Innovation Trophy” in 2007, and the “Electronics and Hardware” prize of the Deloitte France Technology Fast 50 in 2008. Its turnover came to 220 million euros in 2007.
14. picoChip (UK - technology): 4 483%
picoChip is a provider of signal processing technology for wireless communications. This British company is notably the leader in multi-core digital signal processors (DSP). It is also the creator of the first femtocell modem, a base station for residential use (notably integrated in the “boxes” of internet service providers to allow multiple connections within the same house). picoChip has production sites in Europe and China, and sales branches throughout the world. Its clients include Airspan (partner of Fujitsu), Intel and Ubiquisys (supplier for Nec and Motorola). In 2008, it was awarded the WiMAX World EMEA Industry Innovation Award.
15. Bluegiga Technologies (Finland - technology): 1 191%
Bluegiga Technologies is one of the world’s largest providers of Bluetooth access and Bluetooth OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) module solutions. Its clients are manufacturers of electronic materials, call centre operators and systems integrators in the world. Created in 2000, this Finnish company has an office in Boston and a network of distributors and retailers in over 60 countries. Its Access Point 3201, the world’s smallest Bluetooth access point, was adopted by the Anoto group, the world leader in digital pens. A tool that allows for fast and reliable transmission of handwritten texts into digital form.
16. Newbay Software (Ireland - technology): 1 213%
NewBay Software has commercialised a set of software for telecommunications operators, allowing subscribers to create, host and consult shared content, on internet via computers or mobile phones. NewBay LifeCache consists of an integrated set of rich-media services, including albums or photo and video blogs, social networks or synchronised contact and messaging services. Established in 2002, this Irish company has offices in Dublin, as well as London, Germany and the United States. Its clients include T-Mobile, Telefonica 02, Orange and Swisscom.
17. TAT The Astonishing Tribe (Sweden - technology): 6 089%
The Astonishing Tribe (TAT) is a provider of products and services for the creation of user interfaces for mobile phones. TAT Cascades and TAT Motion Lab, its two key software products, not only place a focus on integrated technology, but also on the design and graphics of interfaces. The WOW effect, created by this Swedish company, has been installed in over 240 million mobile phones throughout the world. TAT’s clients include SonyEricsson, Motorola, Samsung, Vodafone and Orange. Its headquarters are located in Sweden, but it also has offices in South Korea and the United States.
18. Bigmouthmedia (UK - marketing): 3 357%
Bigmouthmedia is an internet marketing agency specialised in search engine optimisation. Outside of the United Kingdom, it has offices in Madrid, Milan, Munich, Hamburg, Paris, New York, Stockholm and Oslo. Amongst its clients: MTV, Hilton Hotels International, British Airways, Barclays, Tesco and Starbucks. In 2008, it notched up no less than six prizes, and its charismatic CEO, Steve Leach, was atrributed that of “Entrepreneur of the Year” during the European Business Awards.
19. Ikivo (Sweden - technology): 4 422%
Ikivo commercialises solutions aimed at developing applications and services for mobile phones. In particular, it targets mobile telephone operators and manufacturers, as well as service providers with a focus on rich-media content: TV on mobile phones, mobile phone internet portals, multimedia readers and other widgets. Its tools, which are constructed on the basis of open norms and very widespread technologies, such as SVG and JavaScript, are targeted both at applications and content developers, and are compatible with almost 250 million devices. This Swedish company features in the Red Herring 100 Europe 2009.
20. Digital Window (UK - marketing): 2 319%
Digital Window provides marketplace solutions for e-commerce players. Affiliate Window, which, as its name suggests, consists in affiliate marketing, is the largest British independent network. It has 150,000 members, ranging from major distributors – Marks & Spencers, Virgin Media or Debenhams – to independent retailers, via price comparison web sites, blogs or search engines. When clients make a purchase on these web sites, the e-merchant pays a commission to Digital Window and the affiliate.
21. Global IP Solutions (Sweden - technology): 1 212%
With a software used at 800 million points, Global IP Solutions is the world leader in voice and video over IP processing technology. It can boast of having developed codecs that are imposed as standards in its sector – iLBC and iSAC –, as well as a recognised software for optimising bandwidth, whilst offering adequate flexibility for its solution to be easily integrated to any application. This Swedish company, indexed on the Oslo stock market, owns some 20 trademarks in its domain, and counts amongst its clients Samsung, WebEx, Yahoo!, Oracle and AOL. It is currently working on the same technology for WiFi devices.
22. Entraction (Sweden - entertainment): 2 952%
Created in 2001, the Entraction company develops online gambling software. And through its subsidiaries based in Malta, which hold the necessary licences, it operates gambling networks on the Web. Its online poker network, with 94 rooms, including 24hpoker, is ranked the world’s tenth. The Entraction group also has a range of sports betting and casino games offers. As well as offering clients the necessary software, it provides a panel of services aimed at facilitating use of the web site: the interface design, promotion tools, security payment solutions… In 2008, this Swedish group
achieved a turnover of over 30 million euros, reaping a net profit of 3.2 million. It is indexed on First North, on the Scandinavian stock market OMX.
23. Ubisense (UK - technology): 15 324%
Ubisense provides solutions for situating objects in real time, in 3-D and at a degree of inaccuracy of only 15 centimetres! Driving this performance is an innovative application reliant on a radio modulation technique called ultra wide band, based on the transmission of very short pulses, often spaced by less than a nanosecond. This technology allows reaching levels of precision much higher than RFID or WiFi. Ubisense has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States and Singapore, and clients in over 30 countries like BMW, Continental, General Motors, Honda, Fiat, DHL and even the US army!
24. Arkadin (France - technology): 825%
Arkadin is the world’s third supplier of integrated audio and web conferencing solutions. Established in 2001, this French company owns operational centres in 22 countries in Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania, that have secured it some 8,000 clients in all, and a 2008 turnover of 70 million euros. Its main services, ArkadinAnytime, ArkadinEvent and ArkadinAnywhere, enable the connection of users throughout the world for efficient and economical meetings. In the last Technology Fast 50 organised by Deloitte France, Arkadin was awarded the Innovation Prize by Oséo, which recognised its new unified communications services.
25. Thunderhead (UK - technology): 28 558%
Number 1 in Deloitte’s Fast 500 Europe in 2008, Thunderhead has displayed growth of over 28,500% in the course of the last five years. In other words, its turnover has been multiplied by over 285 since 2003! This British company, founded in 2001, has developed an innovative software solution for the creation of company communications documents. Thunderhead NOW in fact allows for targeted communication to be generated during each dealing with a client. The user can select the language and communication channel: mail, email, mobile telephone, social networks… All this means a flexible solution which can be easily integrated into the system used by the company, notably in applications for content creation. Thunderhead’s clients include the world’s largest banking and financial institutions, such as Allianz, Barclays Capital, BNP Paribas, Citigroup, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, ING Direct, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Société Générale, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS… It has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, Australia and Singapore. In February this year, it was awarded the “Partner of the Year” Prize by IBM in the Independent Software Vendor category.
26. Nomination (France - marketing): 885%
Nomination is the first information service on decision-makers in France. Born in 2002, its database contains 150,000 biographies and 35,000 organisation charts. It is furthermore enriched by 2,000 new names every month, while 18,000 notifications of new appointments are published every year. In concrete terms, analysts collect information (press reviews, professional associations, company management, alumni associations in leading tertiary institutions, public relations agencies…), check and enrich it before publishing it on the web site. Information enriching consists of supplementing data (the person’s full contact details, organisation charts, biographies…) and segmenting it (by sector and functions).
27. Adthink Media (France - entertainment): 8 322%
Adthink Media is a French internet group that draws together three complementary poles of activity: raising income from audiences (internet advertising, direct marketing), editing online services (dating, gambling, portals) and acquiring traffic (online marketing: search, adwords). The company Advert Stream, in charge or raising income from audiences, is the fourth largest internet advertising manager in France, and manages the advertising spaces of over 5,000 web sites. Supported by the traffic acquisition pole, editing companies can promote their services. Adthink Media counts amongst its clients prestigious names such as Warner Bros, for which the French group broadcast a Web video campaign for the film Harry Potter. Indexed on Alternext since 2007, Adthink Media won the Internet and NYSE Euronext Prizes during the last Technology Fast 50 conducted by Deloitte France.
28. ReplaceDirect (Netherlands - retail): 5 279%
ReplaceDirect.com lists, for the benefit of individuals and professionals, an impressive number of spare parts (including batteries) for portable computers, PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras and other video cameras, classified by brand. This is what you need to help increase the lifespan of your devices… on condition that you can speak a bit of Dutch – the web site’s only language!
29. JobIndex (Denmark - technology): 613%
JobIndex, a well-established Danish web site that lists job announcements, is also known by the name of JobSafari in Germany, Austria, Spain, France, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland. Behind this project lies a software that allows the employment pages of companies or recruitment agencies to be perused.
30. Miton (Czech Republic - marketing): 1 035%
Launched in 2000, Miton is an important internet player in the Czech Republic. Its skills: web site creation, hosting, online marketing, software retailing… The web sites designed by this agency stand out in particular for their pleasant appearance: lively colours and catchy fonts are what it’s known for!
31. Nexway (France - entertainment): 1 935%
Founded in 2007 by Téléchargement, itself founded in 2002, Nexway is the leader of the French digital content distribution sector, covering software and video games. The company’s major strength is that it has built up a vast network guaranteeing a presence on major internet portals and e-commerce sites in Europe, including Orange, 01 Net, Alice, Fnac, Pixmania, Game, RueDuCommerce, VirginMega, The Phone House and Tom’s Guide in France, and Gamestop and El Corte Ingles elsewhere. Nexway also has an e-commerce platform – Toomaï – which serves international publishers including Electronic Arts (EA), Symantec, Nero and Kaspersky. Today, the French company is present in Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, the United States, Japan and Singapore. Its network includes over 7,500 software packages and 3,000 videos games by more than 1,000 different publishers. Last January, Nexway acquired Boonty, a leading retail sector digital video game distributor. The move means that Nexway now provides the largest offer in Europe in this rapidly expanding market.
32. Eleven (Germany - technology): 4 710%
Eleven is a world leader in the field of email security. The firm’s offer has seduced over 30,000 companies around the globe, most of them in North America and Asia; the client list includes internet actors managing several million email accounts (freenet.de). Eleven’s spam filter – eXpurgate – launched on the professional market in 2003, has a spam detection rate of over 99% and an error rate of under 0.00001! Every day, eXpurgate checks up to 500 million messages. The German company has won numerous prizes, including the Red Herring 100 Europe Award, which it picked up in early April.
33. JKP Instruments (Germany - health): 930%
JPK Instruments produces nanoanalytical instruments (particularly based on atomic force microscope and optical tweezer systems) for life sciences and soft matter applications. The German company recently won the US-based Prism Award for Photonics Innovation for its NanoTracker, a new optical tweezer system combined with an inverted fluorescent microscope which can trap, track and detect nanoparticles. The high-resolution instrument, which can be used to observe particles in 3-D without destroying them could prove vital in advancing research in the pharmaceutical industry.
34. LifeGuard (Netherlands - health): 2 725%
Founded in 2002, LifeGuard helps employers improve the health of their employees by emphasising accident prevention in the workplace. In 2005, LifeGuard launched HealthGuard, a web portal providing health tests, advice, stress-reduction, alcohol use and tobacco, and a chatroom where employees can talk to LifeGuard experts. Equipped with a user name and password, they can monitor their state of health. Employees only have access to information of a general nature and personal data is off limits. Its clients include Fortis, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young.
35. OB10 (UK - technology): 3 488%
OB10 is a global electronic invoicing network which enables thousands of firms in some 70 countries to send and receive invoices. Founded in 2000 and up-and-running since 2001, the British company has offices in London, Germany, Atlanta and Kuala Lumpur, as well as help desks in Sofia and Bangalore. OB10’s solution enables suppliers to send invoices in the format of their choice straight from their invoicing system direct to clients. Likewise, buyers receive directly invoices which observe the tax laws of their country, particularly in respect to VAT. The solution also generates economies of up to 60%. OB10’s client list includes BP, HP, General Motors and Kellog’s.
36. Zamano (Ireland - marketing): 1 627%
Since the year 2000, Zamano has been distributing mobile telephone content in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Australia. The firm works with 3 Mobile, O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Virgin and Vodafone. Zamano’s clients have the option of using only its distribution services or taking advantage of its content services too. To this end, the Irish company has developed applications for creating and managing content (SMS, MMS, 3G video, chat video, and WAP portals for selling and downloading music and video content). Zamano has been quoted on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) since 2006 and on the Irish Enterprise Exchange (IEX) since 2007.
37. Sponge (UK - marketing): 854%
Seven years after being set up, Sponge has built a strong position in the UK mobile marketing sector and established footholds in the US, Europe and Australia. The London-based firm uses the TG³ mobile phone applications platform, a platform it developed itself. TG³ combines all aspects of digital marketing and can be used to create integrated solutions (mobile phones, mobile internet, emails, etc.). The firm recently celebrated its 20,000th application. And in 2005, 2006 and 2007, Sponge was recognised at the Barclays Media Momentum Awards as the fastest growing mobile telephony company in the United Kingdom.
38. ESET (Slovakia - technology): 1 354%
ESET designs and develops software for detecting viruses and other threats. The firm’s flagship product, ESET NOD32 Antivirus, is sold in over 160 countries. The Slovakian company has developed a wide-reaching network of partnerships, notably with Canon, Dell and Microsoft, and has offices in Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Argentina, the United States and the Czech Republic. ESET is represented by other firms in over 110 countries.
39. Blue Media (Poland - technology): 10 026%
Set up in 1999, Blue Media is an IT services firm specialising in secure transaction services for telecom operators, banks and e- and m-commerce (mobile commerce) clients. Blue Media came in first in Deloitte’s Central European Technology Fast 50 listing in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
40. TH_NK (UK - marketing): 3 137%
TH_NK is a digital marketing agency based in the UK. The firm specialises in defining strategies; using its technical and aesthetic skills to create internet sites; and providing online marketing solutions (optimising search facilities, analysing hit rates, estimating buzz, etc.). Since being founded in 2002, the number of employees at the company has grown from 3 to more than 60. In 2008, TH_NK turned over £3.7 million (4.19 million euros).
41. QuesCom (France - technology): 1 828%
Since 1999, QuesCom has been conceiving telephone convergence solutions for companies. Compatible with voice over IP, these solutions can be integrated with the telephone infrastructure already in place. Amongst the services offered: a single number for voice and fax services, landline and mobile phone convergence and savings of up to 50% on bills! This French company has been recognised by a number of awards, including first prize in the telecom and network category of Deloitte France’s latest Technology Fast 50, as well as 2008 product of the year awarded by the magazine Internet Telephony and Technology Marketing Corporation.
42. Vilant Systems (Finland - technology): 1 238%
Vilant Systems puts in place Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems in warehouses or factories. In concrete terms, products are fitted with RFID tags that include an antenna associated with an electronic chip, allowing them to receive and respond to requests emitted by RFID reader. Amongst the advantages of this system: better stock visibility, quicker inventories and lower stock levels. Today, this Finnish company records, for its clients, some 300,000 daily movements. Nokia, the world’s leading mobile telephone manufacturer, relies upon its major production centre in Salo, Finland.
43. Servoy (Netherlands - entertainment): 2 604%
Since 1998, Servoy has marketed a software solution aimed at creating and implementing user interface applications. This Dutch company today counts 1,500 clients in over 25 countries, in other words, some 10,000 developers who work with its products. Amongst them: Motorola, Stanford University and Sony Entertainment, that call on its services to manage the data of video games developed for PlayStation, and notably for NBA basketball games.
44. Key-Systems (Germany - marketing): 945%
Key-Systems was originally an association set up in October 1998 by two students who wanted to make a bit of pocket money. Ten years later, it has become an independent company that has secured for itself a prime position in the sector of registrars (the sale of internet domain names), hosting and online trade systems. This German company manages over 2.5 million domain names for clients throughout the world. Since 2005, Key-Systems has featured amongst the world’s most rapidly expanding registrars. In 2009, Key-Systems, which employs only 25 persons, is aiming for a turnover of 17 million euros.
45. Sqills (Netherlands - technoloy): 2 833%
Sqills offers Internet software solutions. Its portfolio includes content management and online reservation systems, back-office solutions, online security payment and e-ticket systems, as well as traffic and chat management software… This Dutch company has notably worked on the web sites of the NS national railway company and the KPN telecom company.
46. Webmedia (Estonia - technology): 702%
Setting up in 2000, Webmedia is the software development company that has undergone the fastest development amongst Baltic countries, going as far as becoming one of the region’s top three companies. This Estonian company began its internationalisation in 2004 by opening offices and development centres in Lithuania, Finland, Denmark, Romania and Serbia. With knowledge in BEA, Oracle, J2EE, .NET, Microsoft and IBM, its clients are in fifteen European and Asian countries, in the sectors of finance, health, media, energy and public sector.
47. Arobs Transilvania Software (Rumania - technology): 2 722%
Founded in 1998, AROBS has gone from mere software subcontracting to the development and distribution of its own solutions – mainly targeted at the Romanian market, in the sectors of retailing, tourism and transport. Today, this activity represents 25% of its turnover (5.1 million euros in 2007). A far as subcontracting goes, this company, specialised in Microsoft and Java technology, has clients in Western Europe, the United States and Canada, mainly in the sectors of retailing, education, health, e-commerce and tourism. In April 2008, it drew attention by launching Smailo, the first Romanian-made GPS navigation system.
48. Futurice (Finland - entertainment): 2 884%
Launched in 2000 when the Internet boom was in full swing, Futurice has accompanied all evolutions in mobile telephone software: the appearance of images, then music on devices, photo-sharing technology… before embarking, in 2006, on applications geared towards Internet for mobile phones. Today, this Finnish company employs some 65 persons.
49. NetDialog (Netherlands - technology): 2 116%
NetDialog is behind a software aimed at monitoring and analysing the use of bandwidth in large networks, with the aim of optimising it. The sustained evolution of the company IT landscape in the last decade has resulted in increased pressure on network performance and application infrastructure. NetDialog’s software solution, NetX, comes with installation and support services. The uniqueness of this Dutch company comes from placing, at the heart of its solution, a user-friendly (and not a merely technical) approach.
50. Technologica (Bulgaria- technology): 623%
Notably a partner of Oracle and Microsoft, TechnoLogica now stands out as one of the most important Bulgarian companies in terms of software solution development. Created in 1990, it is today the partner of major national organisations, public and private, notably in the sectors of banking and finance. At the start of the year, it was awarded top prize in the “Investor in Knowledge” category of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum. This award recognises its work that reconciles the business world and education sector, concretised by numerous donations made to Bulgarian universities.
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