Jan Lichtenberg from InSphero creams off the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award

The Swiss Entrepreneur Of The Year competition 2015 has been concluded. The coveted titles were awarded on October 23 for the 18th year in a row. The distinction was again bestowed on outstanding businesspeople in four different categories – "Trade/Services", "Industry/High-Tech/Life Sciences", "Emerging Entrepreneur" and "Family Business". This year, the award ceremony for the nominees, finalists and winners was held at the tpc/SRF (Swiss Radio and Television) television studios. Over 300 guests from the business, political and cultural arenas were in attendance to celebrate with the proud winners. Bruno Chiomento, CEO of EY Switzerland, commented: "For EY Switzerland, this competition has been unearthing the talents of our economic center for the past 18 years. With every passing year, I feel even greater respect for what these businesspeople achieve for our country."

 

The award winners for the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2015 in Switzerland are:

 

The "Emerging Entrepreneur" category always features surprising entrepreneurs who dare to reconsider conventional practices and look at new ideas as the rule rather than the exception. In all economic sectors, this continually leads to useful innovations that make progress for the entire industry, and not just for the emerging entrepreneurs’ companies. A great example is Dr. Jan Lichtenberg, who has won the award for Entrepreneur Of The Year 2015 in this category. With his biotech company InSphero AG, a venture leader USA, Venture Kick winner and Switzerland's Nr. 1 startup until 2015, he aspires to bring about a revolution in testing practices in drug development, using his systems and materials to bring greater efficiency, reliability and effectiveness to the testing process. Organotypic 3-D micro-tissues are the centerpiece of the InSphero revolution. The jury was fascinated by the opportunities offered by Dr. Lichtenberg's innovation, and was impressed by his ability to concentrate the focus of a diverse, international research team of top specialists to target a common goal and stay on course. What's more, he also communicates eye-to-eye with investors. Dr. Lichtenberg is an entrepreneur of international standing and global potential, so it is no surprise that he can count himself among the winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2015.

 

The team of InSphero 

 

2 Venture Kick alumni competing for EY's Emerging Entrepreneur award 
Poken and InSphero were standing for the Emerging Entrepreneur Award at this year's EY competition. InSphero was until 2015 Switzerland's Nr. 1 startup in the TOP100 Swiss Startups ranking.

 

Good, better, excellent - The EY selection process

The winners of the Entrepreneur Of The Year award have all passed three selection rounds with top marks. The first hurdle is nomination, which is purely technical, i.e., all those satisfying the necessary criteria are allowed to enter the competition. In the second stage, the Ernst & Young interviewers take a closer look at the entrepreneurs and their companies. The observations made in the second stage are then used by the jury to select the finalists. In 2015, 39 candidates were nominated, of whom 15 reached the final stage. Finally, the jury is also responsible for selecting the winners. In making their decisions, the jury members hold in-depth discussions with the finalists and visit their companies to obtain a clearer picture of each one. They assess the level of entrepreneurial achievement, business performance, innovation, leadership and future capability, as well as the overall contribution to society made by the candidates and their companies. The subsequent discussions, although controversial at times, led in the end to a decision on who is to become Entrepreneur Of The Year.

 

Comparable worldwide

EY holds this entrepreneur competition worldwide using identical criteria. In total, over 10,000 entrepreneurs in more than 60 countries compete annually for the coveted title of EY Entrepreneur Of The Year. This is the only competition of its kind. In early summer of the following year, an independent jury selects the World Entrepreneur Of The Year from among the national winners.

 

In 2015, the Entrepreneur Of The Year competition is being held in Switzerland for the 18th time in a row. It is supported and assisted by its program partner Credit Suisse, and by its sponsors AMAG, watchmaker H. Moser & Cie., SWISS and Swiss Life