Applied Precision

This year's favorite Northwest biotech company provides a tool that scientists in top research labs around the country couldn't live without: the state-of-the-art microscopes and imaging equipment that enable them to see their work on a cellular and subcellular level. Applied Precision is a "great company pursuing vital science necessary for cures and other treatments of disease plaguing humankind," one employee says. "You feel you're contributing to something great." Although the Issaquah-based company has been around since 1986 and counts huge companies like Nikon among its competitors, many employees appreciate that Applied Precision has stayed small and maintained a strong culture of teamwork and meticulous problem solving. "We're this scrappy little company," another worker says, "but we're really nimble."

Other top finalists*

• Alder Biopharmaceuticals
• Amgen
• Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals
• Dendreon
• Immune Design Corp.
• NanoString Technologies
• North Coast Biologics
• OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals
• Seattle Genetics

*Listed in alphabetical order