Electric bike company EcoRide and IT company Pilotfish Networks are the winners of the Gothenburg Company Prize 2017. The prize was awarded by the Trade & Industry Group at Göteborg & Co and the Chairman of Gothenburg City Executive Board, Ann-Sofie Hermansson, on 5 February, 2018.

“This year’s winners are two companies that have both demonstrated impressive entrepreneurship and innovation. Through their innovative work they have changed their respective industries and are now at the cutting edge of development,” said Lennart Johansson, Director of the Trade & Industry Group at Göteborg & Co. He awarded the prizes together with Ann-Sofie Hermansson, Chairman of Gothenburg City Executive Board.

Since its foundation in 1994 the Gothenburg Company Prize has been received by around 60 successful companies that are run and developed in the Gothenburg region. The prize consists of SEK 25,000 and a silver statue.

EcoRide

EcoRide was formed in 2007 by the young brothers Martin and Christian Walleräng who, taking inspiration from China, wanted to bring electric bikes to Sweden and give everyone a chance to cycle more and reduce climate impact. EcoRide is now the leading electric bike company in the Nordic region and sells around 10,000 bikes each year.

“The Walleräng brothers, who created EcoRide, timed the launch of their electric bikes very well and the company has had a fantastic journey. EcoRide is now almost synonymous with electric bikes. For the bike industry it is important to continue developing urban infrastructure to reduce environmental impact and find good transport solutions. We are still in the early stages of sustainable development. It’s naturally a great pleasure to receive the Gothenburg Company Prize and it’s something that everyone in the company should be proud of,” commented Mårten Nydahl, CEO of EcoRide.

Pilotfish Networks

Pilotfish Networks, which was formed in 2000, was originally a spin-off from Ericsson. The company has brought the Internet of Things to public transport and made it both smarter and more eco-friendly by developing systems that optimise and manage complex wireless data communications to and from mobile devices. Their product is currently installed in around 5,000 vehicles in several countries.

“This is the first time we have won a prize and it feels amazing. Getting this recognition in our own city makes it extra special! Digitalisation and public transport are in a period of growth, and between 2016 and 2017 we doubled our business. There is strong demand in our industry and we will continue to improve our product and business,” said Tomas Gabinus, CEO of Pilotfish Networks.