Awards

The Swiss Technology Award is one of the leading technology and innovation awards in Switzerland. It honors and promotes unique Swiss innovations and technology-based developments created by companies, universities and technical universities, institutions, start-ups as well as self-employed. In 2010, Hocoma was one of the three finalists in the “Maturity” category.

The title of Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 in the Start-Ups category went to Dr. Gery Colombo. On 24 September 2004, the professional services firm Ernst & Young announced the winners of its seventh annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in Switzerland. The awards are made to businessmen and women in recognition of their outstanding entrepreneurial record, prizes were awarded in three categories: Trade/Services, Industry/ High Tech and Start-Ups.

Each year, on the occasion of the Swiss Economic Forum, the Swiss Economic Award is presented to three young businessmen or women in recognition of outstanding entrepreneurial achievement. The Swiss Economic Award is, without doubt, the ultimate accolade for innovative new businesses in Switzerland. Hocoma AG was the winner on the third rank in the year 2004.

Hocoma presented its business plan to the Industrial Support Committee of the Federal Office for Professional Education and Technology’s Innovation Promotion Agency (KTI) in June 2002. The Committee granted Hocoma and the Lokomat project the commendation “eligible for venture capital financing”. On the one hand, this commendation brings the company continued support by a KTI adviser and simpler approvals for KTI-backed development projects. On the other hand, the commendation could also prove significant in future negotiations with potential investors.

In 2001, the three founders of Hocoma AG were awarded the most renowned and most highly financed entrepreneurs prize in Switzerland of the W.A. de Vigier Foundation for the set-up of the company and for the Lokomat project.

In 2001, Hocoma AG received the "Technology Award 2001" of the technology location Switzerland for the Lokomat project, combined with a presentation of the Lokomat system at the Hanover 2001 Industrial Trade Fair. In 2006 Hocoma was again among the awarded companies for its work on an upper extremity rehabilitation device in collaboration with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich.

For his thesis on "Automated Locomotion Therapy", Gery Colombo was awarded the renowned Ludwig Guttmann Prize of the German speaking Medicinal Association for Paraplegiology (DMGP) in 2001.

In 1999, Gery Colombo received the "The Outstanding Young Person of Switzerland" (TOYP) award by the Swiss Young Chamber of Economics for the development of the Lokomat.