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ZENS, the Eindhoven startup that focuses on the wireless charging of mobile devices, has reached the second place in Deloitte’s Fast50. The High Tech Campus company won in the category Hardware. Each year, the Technology Fast50 ranking is published with the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the Netherlands.

Check the whole list with the Fast50 ranking, the sector winners, the Most Sustainable Grower and Rising Star winners of 2016.

ZENS previously won a E52’s Gerard and Anton Awards this year. Read more about ZENS.

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CEO Erik Plasmans was initially amazed to see the nomination of his company. “They asked us to hand over the annual figures for 2013 because they already had the ones for 2014 and 2015. If we would do this, we would have a chance to win the pre-selection and after approval we would even be invited to the real event in Amsterdam for the Fast 50 Awards. I said that I found this remarkable because how did they find these latest annual figures anyway? Our wireless chargers are well integrated into Deloitte’s new headquarters at the Zuidas, The Edge, but otherwise we have no association with Deloitte. But I thought, why not, after all it is quite a big thing this Deloitte Fast50.”

The surprise was soon replaced by pride. “Because our name appeared on the list together with big names like Ultimaker, Catawiki and Squala, we weren’t worried about a podium spot at all. We wouldn’t have a chance anyway, we thought. So everyone took their best suits and dresses and we went to Amsterdam to have a nice evening.”

Things turned out differently: Plasmans and his team won the Hardware category and became second overall. “A nice but unexpected result with which we obviously are very happy.”

(Main photo: Erik Plasmans at the presentation of Gerard and Anton Awards, in July this year)