Collanos

The Swiss start-up is crowned one of the best in Europe

Collanos Software is to receive a Red Herring 100 Europe 2008 Award in Malta. The award places the Swiss start-up among the 100 most innovative private technology companies in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, Africa). Collanos was one of nine Swiss companies to bag one of the highly coveted awards.

Collanos Software, the creator of Collanos Workplace and Collanos Phone, enabling teams to collaborate electronically over the Internet, is definitely one of the best start-ups in Europe, and has duly been honoured with a Red Herring 100 Europe 2008 Award. These awards are handed out every year to the 100 most innovative private technology companies.

Collanos Software CEO Peter Helfenstein is suitably proud: “For me it’s a great honour to travel to Malta to accept this award in the presence of the combined Red Herring investor community. Just over a year ago we just made it into the Swiss Top 50; now we are among the Top 100 in Europe, so naturally I’m over the moon”.

“The impressive list of this year’s award-winners underscores Europe’s growing role as a key centre of innovation in the global technology sector”, explained Red Herring Editor-in-Chief Joel Dreyfuss. “The extraordinary achievements by European technology start-ups and companies indicate the rapid progress being made in Europe’s innovation eco-system”.

Every year, writers from the globally active media company Red Herring pick their most exciting new technology companies, 100 of which are given a prestigious Red Herring 100 Europe Award.
Swiss start-ups are gaining ever greater recognition from Red Herring every year. In 2008, Switzerland produced nine of the 100 top companies netting an award. A year ago, seven Swiss companies won an award, and in 2006 the total was six. In addition to Collanos, the following Swiss companies won a Red Herring 100 Europe 2008 Award: Language Direct, LiberoVision, Museeka, ReVolt Technology, SECU4, sonic emotion, Starhome and Symfact. Compared with the number of German winners, this year and last year there were 12 winners, compared with six in 2006.

Franco Dal Molin, the founder and CTO of Collanos Software, said: “Switzerland has always been one of the best places to enjoy global success through innovation. Greater entrepreneurial confidence and better communication by company founders is now finally giving Swiss start-ups the status they deserve in Europe”.