From the 15th to the 17th of April Jeremy and I were in Malta with some very cool European tech startups and European VCs to see whether we would make the cut as one of the Top 100 Tech Companies in Europe as voted by Red Herring magazine’s editorial team.
As Red Herring puts it:

“For 10 years, Red Herring’s editorial team has diligently surveyed entrepreneurship around the globe. Technology industry executives, investors, and observers have regarded the Red Herring 100 lists as an invaluable instrument to discover and advocate the promising startups that will lead the next wave of disruption and innovation.”

Anyway, to cut to the chase, on the Wednesday night (16th April) we learned that we had won this prestigious award. Given that past winners have included Google, Yahoo!, Skype, Netscape, Salesforce.com, and YouTube, we felt honoured indeed.

A couple of personal highlights from the conference:

Webjam
Webjam is a Web 2.0 startup that allows groups and communities to create their own shared space on the web with minimal fuss and maximum personality. I’ve been using it for some of my own projects for over a year now, so it was a pleasure to meet and speak to their CEO and co-founder, Yann Motte, a man with a genuine passion for his product and his customers.

Trampoline Systems
I’d never heard of Trampoline Systems before, but the presentation from their CEO Charles Armstrong was for my money one of the best at the conference. Using principles derived from the social sciences, Trampoline have developed a social networking platform for enterprises that helps to unlock the hidden knowledge and networks of expertise within any business, using existing data sources (such as email) as a starting point. It’s a sort of Facebook for business that automatically updates your profile with all the projects you’re working on and the people you’re talking to. That might sound a bit scary but what you expose and to whom is completely under your own control - the privacy aspects have been thought through very carefully.

Award Recognizes the 100 “Most Promising” Companies Driving the Future of Technology

Malta, April 15, 2008 – Red Herring today announced that Zygo Communications is a recipient of the Red Herring 100 Europe, an award given to the top 100 private technology companies based in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region each year.

“This year’s impressive list of winners demonstrates Europe’s emergence as a major player in the global technology sector,” said Red Herring Editor-in-Chief, Joel Dreyfuss. “The exceptional accomplishments of European technology companies and entrepreneurs are a testament to the rapid advancements being made in building the European innovation ecosystem.”

Red Herring’s lists of top private companies are an important part of the company’s tradition of identifying new and innovative technology companies and entrepreneurs. Companies like Google, eBay and Skype were spotted in their early days by Red Herring editors, and touted as leaders that would change the way we live and work.

Red Herring’s editorial staff rigorously evaluated more than hundreds of private companies through a careful analysis of financial data and subjective criteria, including quality of management, execution of strategy, and dedication to research and development.

To honor the CEOs of Red Herring 100 Europe companies, Red Herring has invited each CEO to present his or her company at its Red Herring Europe 2008 event. Scheduled for April 14-16, at the Westin Dragonara Resort, this intimate, three-day event is themed “Ahead of the Curve” and will explore how European firms are leading the charge in many technology sectors, gaining the competitive advantage, and driving entrepreneurial success in ways that create business opportunities for challengers and incumbents alike.

About Red Herring
Red Herring is a global media company which unites the world’s best high technology innovators, venture investors and business decision makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine, an online daily technology news service, technology newsletters and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider’s access to the global innovation economy, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. More information about Red Herring is available on the Internet at www.redherring.com.