South African start-up named best in European tech awards

The awards, spanning 22 categories, recognise and celebrate the most compelling technology start-ups, Internet and mobile innovations of the past year across the web and mobile space.

Cognician, the original thought processor that presents content in the form of provocative questions, helping users to apply the author's ideas to their own tasks, so that they can think better, further and faster, was selected through a process done by referencing TechCrunch's database of tech companies on CrunchBase. This was followed by a month of online public voting that saw 33 126 votes being cast across all categories. The final award winners will be determined based both on popular votes received through website voting, along with the results submitted by The Europas advisory board.

Meshing cogs

"It is especially rewarding, as the tech community who were invited to have their say in which start-ups should be recognised determines the Europas finalists. It is quite remarkable that we are there at all actually, as our local network would have cast few if any votes," says Patrick Kayton, co-founder and COO of Cognician.

"The company has made great strides in 2010 with limited resources. Prior to its soft launch in September, it won the Cape Town Activa competition in the Ideas Track. Later, it was selected as one of Africa's top three start-ups at Seedcamp Week Johannesburg and it was a finalist at Seedcamp Week in London."

He explains that the company is currently making 70 original cogs for two leading corporate clients, The Allan Gray Orbis Foundation and Old Mutual. "Furthermore we've signed publishing deals with the UK-based publishers, Profile Books and Infinite Ideas which will enable it to produce further cogs," he concludes. For more information go to www.cognician.com.