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Comment by ivanech | Hacker News Reader

There's not a single example of one of these businesses in the article

This is known as quantum observer effect. If the business were listed in the article they will cease to be little-known.

See the wiki page for a list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_champions

The real hidden champions are naturally not included in that list.

This scene from Cocktail includes some other ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHdUl8hHwKY

(None of those examples are on that list.)

I was lucky enough to tour the Flugelbinder estate just last year. The gardens were breathtaking.

Interestingly, the only two companies I know from that list are in the field of aviation: Embraer and NetJets.

Jamba certainly takes me back.

I'd heard of Bobcat, De La Rue, Embraer, McIlhenny, Petzl, Tandberg (famous for reel-to-reel tape-recorders). I do think it's wonderful that the list includes a company known for "wristwatch hands".

Molex is a pretty well-known name because of the eponymous connector, but I'd never considered whether it might be a company.

I knew ARRI, Embraer, Höganäs, from their old school kitchen ware) and Enercon.

I thought I knew "International SOS", but I actually knew "SOS International", another entity altogether.

I'm not sure I would consider Embraer a hidden champion. It's a fairly large aerospace conglomerate in Brazil with very high level of public awareness (especially among the global flying crowd).

It has a revenue of R$20m, which falls within the arbirary hidden-champion revenue cut-off of US$5b only due to the poor BRL-USD exchange rate right now.

I suppose the author wants to keep them hidden.

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