Slovak Companies Among Big 5 Fixed Stars

• Average growth of Fast 50 companies reaches 933% in 2009 down from 1,271% in 2008
• Companies from 10 countries have placed on the ranking - making the 2009 ranking the most diverse
• Software companies (26 companies) dominate the Fast 50 ranking
• Two Slovak companies ranked in the Big 5

„In the main category four Slovak companies were ranked just like last year. In total seven Slovak companies were present in three categories. Such results prove that the Slovak entrepreneurs are successful.“

—Juan Carlos Garcia,
Partner in charge of TMT sector, Deloitte Slovakia

Bratislava, 21 November 2009: This year’s ranking consists of companies from ten countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia, Lithuania and Estonia which is the most diverse in its history of the ranking. The Central European Technology Fast 50 ranking the fastest growing technology companies based on their revenue growth during a five year period.

“In the ranking Slovakia was predominantly represented by companies from the software sector, in which more than 70% of them operate,” said Juan Carlos Garcia, partner in charge of TMT sector, Deloitte Slovakia. “In the main category four Slovak companies were ranked just like last year. In total seven Slovak companies were present in three categories. Such results prove that the Slovak entrepreneurs are successful,” Garcia added.

The fastest growing Slovak hi-tech company is ESET, spol. s r.o. with 951% growth. ESET has been present in the ranking for several years and it ranked 11th this year, which is a jump by five places compared to last year’s ranking. The company has developed a very successful NOD 32 antivirus software currently representing one of the most effective data protection solutions in the world.

“I consider ESET’s ranking among the fastest growing technology companies to be the combination of excellent employees’ work in developing the high-quality and acknowledged security software and permanent market growth reflected in gaining confidence of new customers, both households and corporations, in the products and technologies of ESET,” reacted to the ranking Miroslav Trnka, the company’s CEO.

The second fastest growing Slovak company is SOITRON, a.s. that recorded growth of 880%. SOITRON is one of the biggest information and communication integrators and IT services providers in the areas such as IP telephony, call centres, information security, IT outsourcing and data networks. “In particular, I would like to thank to all our employees, whose focused efforts contributed to the fact that SOITRON grew in 2008. Deloitte’s acknowledgement is a signal for us that we are on the right path,” said Vladimír Šikura, CEO of SOITRON, a.s.

Millennium 000, spol. s r.o. ranked third again this year with 670% growth; it is one of the top Slovak providers of comprehensive e-business solutions. “We are very pleased we ranked again among the awarded companies. Ranking in Fast 50 confirms that we have the right strategy and at the same time it makes us more visible. I take this opportunity to say “thank you” to our employees for their outstanding work,” said Radoslav Balajka, the Director of Millennium 000, spol. s r.o.

The fourth fastest growing Slovak company ranked in the main category is a newcomer - MadNet, a.s. The company offers data and voice communication services, internet services, surveillance and monitoring systems, and other services.

‘Rising Stars’ category

In the category “Rising Stars”, we nominate ‘young’ companies that show great potential but are too new to meet the five-year in operations criteria. These companies have to be in operation between three to five years and have to exceed yearly revenues of EUR 30 thousand in each of the last three years. Other than that, the same criteria apply as in the Technology Fast 50 category.

Sygic, s.r.o. is the only Slovak company that ranked in the “Rising Stars” category. “All ten companies that have placed on the ‘Rising Stars’ ranking belong to the software and internet business sector indicating the dominance of these sectors in the future Fast 50 rankings “, said Nachyla.

‘Big 5’ category

The ‘Big 5’ category of the Technology Fast 50 programme awards large fast growing companies that have achieved extraordinary growth in the past five years (2004 - 2008). To be eligible, company must meet stricter criteria of annual revenue in the final measure year (2008). In this year, companies need to achieve minimum revenue of EUR 25 million.

Two Slovak players, namely ESET, spol. s r.o. and SOITRON, a.s., ranked in the ‘Big 5’ category.

“Achieving such high growth in this category is remarkable and goes to show that the technology sector has great potential in Central Europe”, said Nachyla

“The CEO Survey which is part of the ranking illustrates that companies and CEOs themselves are facing different challenges that they had in the previous years.  Focus has shifted to achieving and sustaining profitability, managing risk and volatility and raising capital.” states Nachyla. Nachyla also states that “confidence in growth in the next 12 months is positive as 76% of respondents expressed as being very confident and extremely confident.”

Find more information on website www.deloitte.com/fast50ce.

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© 2009 Deloitte Slovakia.

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