IRELAND HAS achieved 18 places on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, which ranks the fastest growing IT firms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Property website firm Daft Media, which was Ireland’s 2009 Fast 50 winner, was Ireland’s highest ranking firm. It came eighth with a growth rate of 8,453 per cent over the last five years.

Twenty-four Irish firms were included in the Fast 500 rankings in 2008, with Lincor Solutions, ranked highest at 35. This year, Lincor, which achieved second position in the Irish Fast 50, came 17th in the EMEA rankings.

There were also four companies from the North listed. These include Belfast-based SLA Mobile, which was ranked 29th.

Entrants must have been in business for at least five years and have had base-year operating revenues of at least €50,000 and current year operating revenues of at least €800,000.

Biotekno, a mobile business integrator based in Istanbul, achieved the top spot with a five-year growth rate of 42,417 per cent.

Britain remains home to the highest concentration of Technology Fast 500 companies, with 87, followed by France with 80.