IMD, International Institute of Management Development, is pleased to announce that out of well over 70 ventures, 22 start-up companies have been chosen to work with its MBA and EMBA programs in 2007: these are the winners of the 9th annual IMD Start-Up Competition.

According to the organizers of the competition, Jim Pulcrano and Dr. Benoit Leleux, the overall quality of the start-ups who entered the competition was the best IMD has ever seen in the past nine years.

Jim Pulcrano comments: “Every year we have a couple of stars, but this year we had many great start-ups to choose from. We had to make some difficult choices.” Benoit Leleux commented, “It was a challenge deciding which companies have the highest potential for commercial success and provide the best learning opportunities for our students.”

The IMD Start-Up competition provides a unique opportunity for early-stage companies to benefit from the support and insights of a team of dedicated and experienced participants from two of IMD’s flagship programs, the MBA and the Executive MBA. The objectives of this unique collaboration between entrepreneurs and managers/participants are two-fold:

· Provide hands-on learning experience in entrepreneurship and new ventures for the IMD MBA and EMBA classes

· Provide input and support to early stage companies, to improve their chances of funding and success

“Life in a private company is unstructured, and IMD helped us to become more structured in our way of thinking”, comments Anil Sethi, CEO of Flisom.*

*A start-up that worked with a team of IMD EMBA participants in 2005. FLISOM’s product is a flexible and extremely lightweight solar cell that converts light into electricity with world-record efficiency. In March 2006 Flisom was recognized as one of the 100 most promising firms in the EMEA region for driving the future of technology by Red Herring magazine. And in September, Cash magazine and SECA (the Swiss Private Equity and Corporate Finance Association) voted Flisom the second most promising start-up in Switzerland. Past winners of this competition that have since had great progress include: AC Immune, GlycArt Biotechnology, SourcingParts.com, Applied BioMedical Intelligence, Chateauxmanagement, AXSionics, Axovan, 4DigitalBooks, Dartfish and VisioWave. Past laureates who have returned for a 2nd opportunity to work with the IMD participants include idQuantique and Xigen.

Winners of the 2007 IMD start-up competition

• Active Metrics is a leading provider of integrated dynamic pricing software and web services for hotels.
• Aginova develops application-specific low-cost/low-power Wireless Sensor Networks in the field of industrial inspection and condition-based maintenance.
• Arisgen is a start-up company focused on enhanced peptide/protein therapeutics & peptide/protein non-invasive delivery
• Arktis Radiation Detectors aims to make commerce safer by revolutionizing the detection of radioactive materials and explosives concealed in cargo.
• BioLogin is an advanced authentication solution using breakthrough bimodal biometric technology based on speech and face.
• Cidway develops innovative, leading-edge and highly secure solutions for authentication, access control, and mobile payment utilizing OTP and acoustic digital signature on mobile phones.
• Concentrix Solar is launching an innovative technology based on high concentration photovoltaics using Fresnel lenses to focus sunlight on high-performance solar cells.
• EyeKidZ software is an Internet browser with parental control capabilities.
• Gemmina Mia designs and markets unique, handmade children’s footwear, for an international market, with a subtext of fighting poverty.
• GenKyoTex is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of innovative therapeutics, with expertise in an entirely original therapeutic path towards fighting diseases associated with overproduction of radical oxygen (ROS) and superoxides.
• Hybiom develops hydrogen storage in solid form. A safe and efficient way to store energy.
• idQuantique develops and commercializes high-speed encryption solutions for storage and metropolitan area networks.
• Instant Market Intelligence is changing the face of consumer feedback market research by enabling companies to receive instant feedback from consumers via mobile phone SMSs.
• Kangoo-Caleido offers a distributed storage system for the Internet. Free, unlimited and secure online storage.
• L’Aurell Furniture is a manufacturer of replica antique furniture, based in Ecuador.
• Mimosys markets a revolutionary new software tool for designers of system-on-chips, delivering higher application performance while shortening time to market.
• PrimeEqual has developed a single-use and disposable syringe for dental anaesthesia.
• Sensile Technologies provides hi-tech systems for measuring and remotely displaying remaining volumes in fuel tanks, allowing optimization of wetstock management and deliveries.
• ShopYellow is a multi-media direct sales organization offering leading retailers access to mass markets through print and online shopping portals.
• TxtFo enables consumers to interact with businesses using text messaging.
• Xemtec  offers smart metering and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) based on non-invasive retrofit of installed meters and OCR-based data acquisition.
• Xigen is a pharmaceutical company developing intracellular peptide therapeutics for the treatment of major debilitating diseases: strokes, cancer and viral infections.

Alessandro Sofia
IMD Media Relations
Tel: +41(0) 21 618 0636
Contact Alessandro Sofia