2012 Winners Results and Fast Facts

   2012 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 APAC Winners Report and Ranking

   2012 Deloitte Technology Fast 500 APAC Media Release

This year's fastest-growing tech company, ProCrystal Technology Co. Ltd., comes from a mature industry sector — Semiconductors, Components, and Electronics — and a historic centre of Asia's post-war tech revolution — Taiwan. The company was founded in 2008 and grew at 10,028 percent over the last three years. ProCrystal specializes in manufacturing high-quality sapphire wafers. Most of the business applications for sapphire wafers are in the illumination area, where the products are used in automotive applications, general lighting, signage, and screens, as well as in backlighting for notebooks, mobile phone screens, TVs and monitors, and tablets. They are also used in camera lenses and cover glasses for watches and mobile phones, and even in their traditional application of jewellery.

Ranked number two, Vipshop is the leading online discount retailer for brands in China. The company successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange on March 23, 2012, becoming the first e-commerce company from South China listed on the NYSE. Vipshop offers new sales events daily, with a curated selection of apparel, fashion goods, cosmetics, home goods, and lifestyle products from popular domestic and international brands, at discounted prices in limited quantities for limited time periods.

Ranked third, Gamewave Group (PRC) is China's largest internet game provider, and is also a leader in the Chinese online game industry and a professional provider of interactive entertainment services. Since its establishment, Gamewave (abbreviated from Gamewave Interactive Technology Co., Ltd.) has followed the vision of "engaging in the most professional web game development and operations, pursuing continuous innovation, providing the most efficient customer service". Inspired by its core values of "belief, diligence, innovation, and achievement", Gamewave is growing steadily since its creation.

Top ten ranked companies at a glance

This year's top ten company's average three-year growth rate was 5,209 percent, down on 2011's 6,949 percent. China and Taiwan contribute a total of five companies to the top ten, South Korea provides two companies, and New Zealand, India, and Japan each contribute one. Semiconductor, Components, and Electronics (3) and Software companies (3) dominate the top ten list.

Top 10 Ranking

Key ranking statistics and trends

The top five companies combined three-year revenue growth figures for 2012 came in at 6,837 percent, down on 2011's 9,910 percent, and below 2009's figure of 8,980 percent. Encouragingly though, the entire field of 500 high-growth companies delivered growth of 467 percent in 2012, a small drop from 2011's 476 percent, and consolidating the recovery from 2010's 374 percent and 2009's 361 percent.

The Semiconductor, Components, and Electronics sector continued to lead the Top 500 in 2012 with 160 firms, only a little behind the 166 of 2011 and still more than double the 77 of 2010 and the 76 of 2009. It also yielded this year's fastest-growing company, Taiwan's ProCrystal Technology, and fifth-placed Brightek Optoelectronics. The Software sector placed second with 119 companies, well up on 2011's 87.

The Internet sector pulled back from 92 companies in 2011 to 85 in 2012 as consumer propositions retrenched, although it still contributed two Top 5 companies: China's Vipshop and India's Online Recharge Services.

The Telecommunications and Networking sector ranked fourth once again with 40 firms, while the Biotechnology/Pharmaceutical/Medical Equipment sector came fifth with 33. Computers and Peripherals yielded 25 firms, and Green Technology 19, both comparable to their 2011 performances. The Media and Entertainment sector also yielded 19 entrants, including one Top 5 enterprise: China's Gamewave Group.

Taiwan held on to a lead over China, clinched in 2011, contributing the highest total of fast-growth tech companies in Asia Pacific with 130 in the Top 500 ranking, close to last year's 133. This included three in the top ten: Brightek Optoelectronics, No. 5 this year and No. 8 in 2011, and the No. 1 placed ProCrystal Technology.

China followed close behind Taiwan in the Top 500 rankings, contributing 103 companies as well as the No. 2 and No. 3 finalists in this year's Top 5, respectively the online flash sale portal Vipshop and web game provider Gamewave Group, which saw 7,998% and 6,214% three-year growth apiece.

South Korea placed third this year, with 71 companies making the ranking and two firms in the Top 10. Australia delivered 60 companies to the Top 500 while India contributed 55, including one in the Top 5: No. 4-placed Online Recharge Services. New Zealand, despite its small market, had 45 companies ranked, and one in the Top 10 – software company EROAD (No. 10) – while Japan contributed 26, including the No. 7 entrant, software firm gumi Inc.

Final year revenue figures were respectable overall. The highest tier, with over USD1 billion in final year revenues, actually rose to 14 companies from eight in 2011, a 57 percent increase. The USD50-100 million tier likewise rose from 44 to 78 companies, a 56 percent increase. The very small end of companies with less than USD10 million of final year revenue pulled back from to 207 companies in 2011 to 177 in 2012, almost back to 2010's 175.

Private and Public

Privately-owned firms continued to dominate the Top 500, constituting 305 of the total this year, substantially up on the 291 firms in 2011. In the volatile public markets of 2012, the number of high-growth public companies in the Top 500 dropped back from 209 to 195.