Lincor Solutions Ltd, has scooped the top prize in this year’s Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Awards in only its first year it has entered the awards.

The company, which was founded in 2003,  provider of next generation interactive digital media solutions for the delivery of content and communication services to the healthcare sector, and has offices in the Cork Technology Park and the Digital Depot in Dublin.

The Fast 50 programme, now in its ninth year in Ireland, ranks the fastest-growing technology companies in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Lincor wiped up because it had achieved an aggregate growth rate of 3,145% over the last five years. The average growth rate of the Fast 50 companies named in this year’s ranking was 460%. 

Fast 50 Entrance Criteria
To enter, companies must be in business for a minimum of five years, considered a technology company, which is defined as producing technology, manufacturing technology-related products, be technology intensive, or use unique technology to solve problems, devoting a high percentage of effort to technology R&D, must be Irish-owned and have its headquarters in Ireland and have had operating revenues of at least €50,000 for 2003.

Coming in second for the second year running was Zamano, a leading provider of mobile services in the UK, Australia and Ireland, with an aggregate growth rate of 1,627%, and third place went to iSite, a technology solutions provider specialising in systems integration with an aggregate growth rate of 1,503%. This is the first year iSite has achieved a ranking in the awards.

Rising Stars
This year, there are two winners in the Rising Star category, which recognises younger companies with the fastest growth in turnover over the past three years. Roomex Limited is the Republic of Ireland’s representative, with Stirk Lamont Associates, a technology business solutions company representing Northern Ireland.

To be  eligible for entrance, criteria is similar other than the company must have been in business for a minimum of 3 years and less than 5 years, and operating revenues must have been at least €30,000 for the year 2005.


North of Ireland Record
Three companies – Andor, textHelp Systems Ltd and Novosco, all from Northern Ireland - have been placed in the ranking for the ninth time and are the only three companies who have achieved a ranking in every year of the awards.

This year, there are 17 companies from Northern Ireland in the ranking with the accolade going to Unitas Software for being the highest ranked with an aggregate growth rate of 583%, and in total 16 companies achieved a placing in the ranking for the first time this year.

Announcing the winners of the Technology Fast 50 programme, David O’Flanagan, Partner with Deloitte, Dublin said: “Congratulations to our 2008 Fast 50 winners – and in particular to Lincor Solutions who has certainly made quite an impression in its first year. Lincor’s win is indicative of the innovative technology companies present in Ireland, who are identifying niche markets for themselves and targeting them to great success. To have 16 new companies in the awards is a true sign of the talent and creative thinking that is present in the technology industry in Ireland. It is this innovation and fresh thinking that will ensure Ireland’s continued success in this competitive industry.”

 

Industry figures speaking at the event included Jim Breen, CEO, Pulse Learning, John McElligott, Director of Strategy and M&A, eBay Global Classifieds, and David Tansley, Partner, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Deloitte UK.  

For Full Listing of Fast 50 Winners plus web addresses

More About www.fast50.ie