Shortlist for East of England Business Awards unveiled
Shortlist for East of England Business Awards unveiled |
| East of England Business Awards - Business Awards News |
| Written by Ben Fountain |
| Friday, 30 January 2009 12:50 |
|
Companies big and small, private and quoted, from every conceivable
segment and sector right across the region entered this year's Awards
and have now been whittled down to a shortlist of just 34. Shortlist for the 2008 East of England Business Awards
The category in which each company has been shortlisted appears in brackets.
1Spatial provides operational solutions to organisations within
industry and the public sector operating large spatial databases,
basically making sure the spatial data – or geographical information –
is manageable and accurate, such as a local authority using digital
mapping information from Ordnance Survey Great Britain. Recent articles: 1Spatial strengthens Sensor Web capabilities with acquisition Q&A with 1Spatial managing director, Dr Mike Sanderson
AIM-listed APC is an independent distributor of specialist electronic
components, employing about 65 people and has been trading since 1982.
The company's Hero and Displays+ divisions operate from Eaton Socon in
Cambridgeshire. Hero distributes heat movement and pressure sensors,
timers, opto- electronics, wireless connectivity, RF devices and LEDs,
while Displays+ provides display technology components ranging from
cabling to screens.
A specialist in products and technology for IPTV, Internet TV and
in-home multimedia distribution, Amino continues to win contracts in
different corners of the globe and is partnered with world-leading
companies in systems integration, middleware, conditional access,
silicon, head-end systems and browser technologies. Recent articles:
Cambridge based Astex is the world leader in fragment-based drug discovery - described as the most important advance in drug discovery chemistry in the last 20 years. Over the past five or so years, Astex has a signed a deal with Novartis, potentially worth well over $500m, a deal with AstraZeneca worth a potential $270m; a $24m per target, multi-target agreement with German company, Boehringer Ingelheim; and another with Schering AG believed to be worth around $100m. Recent articles: Astex Therapeutics secures investment of £18.8m as part of cancer tie-up Extended half-billion dollar deal just part of the good news at Astex Therapeutics
AMG Systems Ltd in Bedfordshire is a leading provider of video and communication transmission solutions designed for CCTV surveillance operations in the Transportation and Security Sectors. With a growing amount of work coming from Asia and the Middle East, the firm has an envious international visibility and is in the middle of kitting out several thousand miles of Indian motorways with an innovative fibre optic transmission system for traffic management and control. Recent articles: From Beds to Bahrain for CCTV contract CCTV firm wires India's road network
The BGL Group, formerly known as Budget Group of Companies, was founded
in 1992 and has grown to become one of the UK’s largest personal lines
insurance intermediaries. Recent articles: Insurer’s profits up 43 per cent to £43 million
British Sugar is the sole processor of the UK sugar beet crop: over 1
million tonnes of sugar is processed each year at its factories.
Recent articles: Foods giant invests in Peterborough technology centre Norfolk beets off competition to land new £25m plant
The name is new, but the acoustics-based biosensor technology which can
detect biological agents, malaria and meningitis, and has attracted
several million dollars from the US and UK governments as well as
leading tech consultancies, has been under development for many years. Recent articles: Recycled Cambridge biosensor technology attracts millions in investment
Founded in 2005 by a team of fertility and technology, the company is developing technologies for the continuous monitoring of human body temperature. Its first product is a non-hormonal and non-invasive patch that allows women to accurately identify ovulation cycles, without daily observation. Recent articles: Medical device spin-out to launch first product within year of seed funding Cash for wireless fertility firm
Formed in 2002, Cambridge University spin-out, CamSemi is a fabless semiconductor company developing more energy-efficient power conversion products. Its power management circuitry will allow consumer electronics devices such as TVs, DVD players or phone chargers to consume almost no power while in the much-maligned standby mode. The power semiconductor market is estimated to be worth over $16 billion and is experiencing faster expansion than the overall IC market. The company was ranked a lofty third in the 2008 Guardian/Library House CleanTech 100. Recent articles: CamSemi ships 10 millionth chip for next generation power supplies
This privately-owned, Cambridge-based drug discovery company has had a tremendous 12 months, culminating in a deal with GSK potentially worth over €1 billion which sees it tied into significant collaborative deals with three of the world’s top five pharmas and which has led to physical expansion in the region. Its pipeline of small-molecule therapeutics is driven by a proprietary technology for the screening and profiling of kinases. Initially targeting drugs to treat inflammatory diseases, it is also a potential gold mine for outfits seeking cures to some of the world’s most devastating diseases. Recent articles: Double joy as Mansion House becomes full Cellzome set for Cambridge expansion
A European force in telematics, Cybit is the UK’s leading telematics
provider and has been growing the company both organically and through
acquisitions, resulting in a 50 per cent growth in turnover for the
last financial year and doubling of pretax profit. Cybit absorbs German logistics firm
Yet another world-class Cambridge company with roots in the city's now-legendary AT&T Labs, . Backed by Atlas Venture, Balderton Capital, Benchmark, DAG Ventures and DFJ Esprit Capital, the company now has bases in the US and the Far East. The company's technology is now at the heart of a range of products from Tier 1 global OEMs. Recent articles: DisplayLink expands Cambridge presence DisplayLink hopes to emulate Microsoft, Google and Amazon with Seattle move
E-Stack Ltd provides low energy ventilation systems, using
the principles of natural mixing ventilation in winter and natural
upward displacement ventilation in the summer. The company's systems
are controlled by a programmable logic controller responding to
variations in temperature and CO2
levels. The system also includes low energy fans, which may be used to
enhance the flow in extreme conditions and thereby provide a reliable,
engineered low energy ventilation system.
E-Stack Ltd has installed its system in numerous schools and theatres, halls and is presently developing an installation for a major retail outlet. Recent articles: Body heat can be key to cutting fuel bills says Cambridge start-up
The aim is to productise open source applications around this information, adding value by developing business-oriented functionality and providing commercial support and maintenance for the private pharma, biotech and agricultural companies the data is really for in the first place.
As the services division of Belgian drug discovery firm Galapagos,
Chesterford Research Park-based BioFocus DPI is at the heart of many of
the company’s most important deals, bringing in heavyweight
pharmaceutical collaborations on an regular basis. Recent articles: BioFocus helps to haul Sareum back from the brink New contract for BioFocus nets $1.8m
Having been in business for over 150 years, Global Marine Systems in
Chelmsford is the largest independent provider of subsea cable
installation and related services in the world, with particular
expertise in telecoms, renewable energy, oil and gas, and science &
research. Recent articles:
Essex-China JV targets marine billions
Babraham-based Horizon Discovery is leading the way in the field of ‘personalised’ drugs. Central to its approach is the use of genetically-defined ‘isogenic’ cell-lines, which represent accurate laboratory based models of human genetic diseases and their matched normal cell-types. Isogenic cell-lines speed-up and reduce the cost of discovering novel ‘personalised’ drugs that target the fundamental causes of diseases such as cancer. The company has already wrapped up a number of key deals with Big Pharma partners.
Horizon X-MAN to the rescue for Actelion Millennium looks to Cambridge superheroes for personalised medicine technology
ISG Jackson in Ipswich is part of the publicly-quoted Interior Services Group. The company operates extensively throughout the East of England, Kent, the Midlands, London and the Home Counties on new build and refurbishment projects across all market sectors. As well as announcing a string of multi-million pound contracts already this year, ISG Jackson also recently completed a £4.5 million design & build project to provide Quotient Bioresearch - another short-listed company in the East of England Business Awards - with a new high integrity drug testing facility at its Fordham site near Cambridge. Recent articles: ISG secures £4 million housing deal in Southend Premier Foods to invest £1.3m at Bury St Edmunds facility
Spun out of Philips Research and backed by leading entrepreneur, Hermann Hauser, Liquavista’s electrowetting technology has the potential to transform the display industry. Last year the company raised €8m. It provides world-leading brightness at low power and offers the potential for clear viewing in all lighting conditions, from a dimly lit office environment to bright sunlight. Applications range from watches, mobile phones and digital cameras to notebook computers.
Recent articles: Innovation bandwagon rolling in the East of England Liquavista appoints mobile industry leader as Chairman
LPA Group is a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of electronic and electro mechanical systems with a major presence in the rail industry as well as solutions for aerospace, airport, defence, marine, telecommunications and industrial markets. Established over 100 years ago and based in Saffron Walden, LPA has expanded significantly in the last 10 years with several key acquisitions and recently broke new ground when it landed its first contract supplying the French domestic rail market, one of a string of landmark deals for the firm. Recent articles: Saffron Walden firm on track with French rail contracts
Nujira's power efficiency technology for mobile phone and broadcast infrastrucuture equipment - and now mobile phone handsets - has put the company firmly in the spotlight in 2008. The $18m in Series C funding the company raised in September 2008 is allowing the company to bolster headcount in preparation for prime-time commercialisation. The Cambridge cleantech firm placed a volume production contract for its Coolteq power modulator modules for mobile phone base stations with Sanmina-SCI in Shenzhen, China in December 2008 and was ranked in the top ten of the 2008 Guardian/Library House CleanTech 100. Recent articles: Cleantech star shines while ip.access soars Nujira predicts tens of millions in revenues by 2011
With bases at two of the world’s top hi-tech clusters, Silicon
Valley and Silicon Fen, ObjectSecurity’s mission is to simplify
security in the complex IT environments most organisations face today,
its primary focus is around simplified security management and secure
IT application integration.
The Owlstone detector is a revolutionary 'dime-sized' device that can
be programmed to detect a wide range of chemical agents that may be
present in extremely small quantities. Using leading-edge micro- and
nano- fabrication techniques, Owlstone has created a complete chemical
detection system that is one hundred times smaller and one thousand
times cheaper than existing technologies. There are numerous applications for the Cambridge company's technology - across industries from security and defense to automotive and healthcare - that depend on the rapid, accurate detection and measurement of chemical compounds. Recent articles: US drive to counter chemical warfare threat boosts Owlstone Billy Boyle, co-founder of nanotech sensors pioneer, Owlstone Nanotech
Cambridge-based Plextek is one of the largest independent electronics design consultancies in Europe. Established in 1989 and now with one hundred staff, the firm specialises in high quality custom electronic product and system design. Plextek works predominantly in the communications, defence, automotive, industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) markets. The company has announced a number of high-profile contract wins in 2008, including a $3.5 million radar contract for the UK Armed Forces. Recent articles: Plextek in defence and aerospace hook-up Plextek breaks into Tech Track 100 and ip.access stars again
PolySolar is developing transparent photovoltic architectural glazing for building integrated applications in windows, curtainwalling and roofing. The Hertfordshire based company is working on innovative low cost processes for the manufacture of high performance photovoltic glass modules based on organic and thin film technologies. Recent articles: Innovation bandwagon rolling in the East of England
It is a member of the Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) Group, a subsidiary of the multinational conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL).
Recent articles:
Pursuit Dynamics was founded in 2000 to develop and commercialise the PDX platform technology. Applications identified range from food, brewing and dairy industries through to oil and gas - all benefiting from the substantial time, cost and energy savings released by PDX. Further innovation has resulted in the FireMist system that can produce smaller liquid droplets and project them further, with greater turbulence, than any competing system. 2008 was a breakthrough year for the company in its commercialisation effforts, with the technology being adopted in key market segments. Recent articles: Pursuit Dynamics ventures towards US millions Pursuit Dynamics raises £6.5m to exploit its bioethanol program
Fordham-based Quotient Bioscience is the parent company of three world-class businesses – Quotient Bioresearch, HFL Sport Science and Alba Bioscience. The divisions offer services ranging from early stage drug development in the areas of bioanalysis and biomarkers, microbiology, chemistry and metabolism to drug surveillance and doping control to the manufacture of monoclonal blood grouping products. In December 2008, Quotient Bioresearch announced the completion of a £4.5M, 19,000 ft2 laboratory build project at its Fordham site near Cambridge. Recent articles: Boston spree party as £35m fundraising sparks bioscience acquisition jamboree More heat on biotech companies as fundraising climate goes cold
Sagentia is an international technology consulting, product development and IP licensing organisation headquartered just outside Cambridge. Established in 1986, Sagentia operates in six global market sectors – medical, industrial products, consumer products, chemicals, materials & energy, telecoms & media and public sector - developing new technologies, products and services.
Q and A with chief executive of Sagentia Dr Alistair Brown Team ramps up as European & US medical clients come calling
Silicon CPV in Harlow is a spin off from the successful Akhter Group, a
long established player in the electronics, semiconductor and IT field.
The company has performed strongly in the face of the internet with the Peterborough headquarters a constant at heart of the operation in the UK. Thomas Cook Group plc had sales of £8.8 billion, 22.3 million customers and 31,000 employees. Recent articles Thomas Cook to keep Peterborough HQ
With the potential to become the most successful spin out of Cambridge tech consultancy TTP, Tonejet’s digital printing technology promises much with its electrostatic drop-on-demand deposition process that enables high-quality designs to be printed onto virtually any type of surface at high speed. Backed by “tens of millions of pounds” from several unnamed industry partners, Tonejet is targeting high volume, multi-billion dollar markets and is hoping for billion dollar revenues itself within as little as five years and has recently signed a deal with one of Europe’s leading beverage can makers that would allow images of the man or woman of the moment to be printed onto drinks cans the day after they have hit the headlines. Recent articles: Your soft drink could talk to you on an individual level from next year TTP sets tone for $1 billion dream
Founded by Nick Ogden, architect of Cambridge success story, WorldPay, Voice Commerce Group is a developer of voice biometric technology. The company's system uses voice biometrics to gain the unique voice signature of a bank customer, for example, which can then be used to identify them and confirm a particular transaction, be it b2b, retail shopping or withdrawing cash from the ATM. Recent articles: WorldPay founder's new venture to create 100 Cambridge jobs
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| Last Updated on Tuesday, 03 February 2009 19:07 |
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