Two companies were running for the Roskilde Business Award 2023, with the final battle standing between sailing and sensors. Before the final vote, the field of six nominated companies had been narrowed down to two, and it was up to the attendees at the New Year’s reception hosted by Roskilde Municipality and Roskilde Business Forum at City Hall to cast their votes and decide the winner.
The majority chose Searine (Undine), a company working to make sailing sustainable through its cobalt-free batteries and electric propulsion systems for sailboats. Searine’s (Undine’s) owner and founder, Anders Hovmøller, accepted the award together with Chairman of the Board and investor Kim Madsen, who has recently joined the company’s ownership circle. Madsen is the CEO of Momentum Energy Group, which was a finalist for the Roskilde Business Award in 2022 but lost out to DynElectro – so this time, it could be said that he got his revenge.
“I stand here today not just as the captain of Searine (Undine), but as a grateful sailor, surrounded by a crew who has made this journey possible and unforgettable. Winning this award is like the perfect wind filling our sails, propelling us even faster toward distant shores. With the wind at our backs and this award as our compass, we are ready to reach even greater heights,” said a visibly proud Anders Hovmøller in his acceptance speech.
He described the award as a significant recognition of Searine’s (Undine’s) vision to make sailing both green and digital. “But the award also comes with responsibility – to continue innovating, inspiring, and making a difference in the business world and on the world’s oceans. To set new standards, explore new horizons, break boundaries, and create sustainable results! So, this award is not only a symbol of recognition, but also a powerful confirmation that we’ve chosen the right course and that our goals are within reach,” he added.
Open for Nominations
Searine (Undine) won the award ahead of IoT Fabrikken, a company that develops and sells wireless sensors used, for example, to measure indoor climate or monitor space usage.
Demand for such solutions is on the rise, and the company, based in Svogerslev, had an extremely busy 2023 – recently hiring a commercial director. So, despite not taking home the award, the team was all smiles.
“We shipped our first product just 10 days before the country went into its first COVID lockdown, so we never imagined we’d be standing here today,” said Katja Kafling, Communications Manager at IoT Fabrikken.
