Prix SVC Nordschweiz 2017: A high-tech company wins the prize

More than 1200 guests attended the award ceremony of the Prix SVC Nordschweiz 2017 at the Congress Center Basel on November 30. The Swiss Venture Club - SVC for short - once again put the spotlight on six SMEs that are considered "hidden champions" in their fields. The new SVC President Andreas Gerber acted as "Master of Ceremony" for the first time. Asked about his goals as successor to founder Hans-Ulrich Müller, Gerber said that there was no need to reinvent the SVC. However, his aim is to continue to grow the number of currently around 2900 members and to develop the entrepreneurial network - according to his own information the largest in Switzerland - into a platform that is also perceived as important in politics.

Six top-class finalists

Once again, six SMEs from the cantons of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Land, Solothurn and Aargau were in the final for the Prix SVC Nordschweiz 2017. They prevailed in a selection process by an independent jury of experts against around 100 other companies: Dectris AG, the Krafft Group, the Kuratle Group, Nikles Inter AG, Sensile Medical AG and Stäger & Co. AG. All of these six companies are distinguished by a leading position in their industries, innovative strength, sustainable corporate management, and the fact that they are considered employers that continuously create new jobs and thus prospects for people in their regions.

Decipherers of the Zika virus

Finally, Dectris AG, represented by CEO Dr. Christian Brönnimann, received the main prize. This company, based in Baden-Dättwil, was only founded in 2006 as a spin-off of the Paul Scherrer Institute. It develops and produces spectral X-ray detectors that can "make the invisible visible". For example, with the help of a detector from Dectris, it was possible to decode the Zika virus and thus create the basis for combating it. This success brought the company a great deal of attention among experts and contributed to its rapid growth. In just over a decade, Dectris AG has created 100 - highly qualified - jobs. According to the jury's laudation, this was one of the reasons that tipped the scales in favor of the first prize.

Boy dream come true

Second place goes to the Krafft Group from Basel, which is active in gastronomy. With the "flagship" Hotel Krafft, CEO Franz-Xaver Leonhardt has virtually fulfilled a boyhood dream: Because even in a school essay from the 4th grade, he dreamed of one day owning a hotel directly on a river or lake. Today, the group of companies, which in addition to Hotel Krafft also operates other restaurants and its own brewery, employs 150 people.

In third place was the Kuratle Group from Leibstadt (AG), which is active in the field of wood wholesale, logistics and storage. The family-owned company can count on numerous long-serving employees with a wealth of experience and counts very short delivery times among its strengths. Innovation prizes were awarded to Nikles Inter AG from Aesch BL (designer and manufacturer of innovative shower and bath accessories), Sensile Medical AG from Olten (developer of micropumps for the highly precise dosage of medicines) and Stäger & Co. AG from Muri AG (manufacturer of packaging solutions made of plastics).

At the Prix SVC Nordschweiz 2017 all winners were

It was emphasized several times that the six companies were big winners, regardless of their ranking. After all, the impact of such an award ceremony is priceless, as last year's winner Willi Miesch of Medartis AG pointed out. Several applicants only became aware of his company thanks to the Prix SVC and contacted him.

More information: Swiss Venture Club