Gyros
Uppsala, Sweden
Founded: 2000

Why we said: A spin-off from life sciences supplier Amersham Pharmacia Biotech, Gyros had an impressive exec team and an innovative line of microfluidics products. What most impressed us was Gyros' ability to woo blue chip Swedish investors in Europe's tough venture capital market, garnering Sweden's largest biotech-related investment up until that time. And for that, we viewed Gyros as a survivor.

What happened: And survive it did. But Gyros managed much more than that. The company's products are used by many of the leading pharma and biotech companies, including Amgen, Roche, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer, as well as contract research and contract manufacturing companies. Earlier this year, the company raised $7.5 million in an investment round led by Scandanavia's SLS Invest. The cash will fund the company's Gyrolab, a bioanalytical platform designed to speed the development of therapeutic proteins.

View the original Fierce 15 of 2003 report.