Recognising the achievements of investors, entrepreneurs and advisers across the European digital economy, the winners of the 15th annual Investor Allstars Awards took to the stage to collect their awards at a ceremony at the Westminster Bridge, Park Plaza, London.
GP Bullhound’s recent Titans of Tech report found 57 billion-dollar tech companies across Europe, highlighting the strength of the ecosystem and its potential to create its first $50 billion titan. Exemplifying this resilience and growth, Exit of the Year went to Scottish Equity Partners for its £1.4 billion exit from Skyscanner. Skyscanner’s success has had a vast impact on the Scottish tech ecosystem and the firm remains heavily focused on harnessing the thriving tech talent in the North of England and Scotland.
Entrepreneur of the Year went to Samir Desai, CEO and co-founder of peer-to-peer lending marketplace, Funding Circle, while Idinvest Partners was crowned VC Fund of the Year, in recognition of its substantial number of successful investments and exits over the past 12 months.
LendInvest was announced as Europe’s Allstar Company – an accolade celebrating a fast-growing star of European tech. Four other companies were shortlisted in the category including Fnatic, Garrison Technology, MSAB and OakNorth.
The evening started with a keynote speech from Nick Fry, former CEO and co-owner of Mercedes Formula One, sharing his insights into how to drive success through innovation. Other winners included the only software business in the FTSE 100, Sage Group, for ‘Corporate Development Team of the Year’, and Octopus Ventures, who topped the ‘VCT of the Year’. In addition, Benoist Grossman of Idinvest Partners was named ‘Investor of the Year’.
This year’s event also saw the introduction of a new category, the Tech4Good award, which was won by CoderDojo, the volunteer-led global network providing free computer programming clubs for young people.
Manish Madhvani, managing partner of GP Bullhound, comments, “The awards demonstrate that European tech is becoming a powerful force on the global stage. The collective ambition, talent, and innovation of the leaders gathered last night will drive the industry to new milestones in the year to come.”
Niki Baker, executive director of Vitesse Media, adds, “Investor Allstars sets the tone for European tech. Last night was the culmination of a year of successful growth and exceptional deals, demonstrating the remarkable ambition of Europe’s leading investors and entrepreneurs. This ambitious growth will continue to accelerate in the next 12 months.”
Christian Faes, co-founder and CEO of LendInvest, Europe’s Allstar Company, comments, “We are delighted to receive this recognition of the growth, success and ambition of LendInvest. The level of competition shown by each of the Allstar companies reflects the exceptional talent that is thriving throughout European tech.” Watch the interview of Christian Faes on CNBC this morning here.
The event brought together over 750 leading figures from every stage of the investment cycle along with Europe’s most successful digital entrepreneurs. It is organised annually by GP Bullhound, the technology investment bank, and GrowthBusiness, a Vitesse Media publication specialising in providing information for entrepreneurs and leaders of fast-growth businesses.
The Investor Allstars Awards 2017 are sponsored by Orrick, .ART, Barclays, Berenberg, Bird & Bird, Calibre One, Cooley, JAG Shaw Baker, Shoosmiths and Taylor Wessing, alongside a media partnership with CNBC.
The full list of Award winners is:
Exit of the Year: Skyscanner (Scottish Equity Partners)
Growth and Buyout Fund of the Year: Livingbridge
Entrepreneur of the Year: Samir Desai (Funding Circle)
VC Fund of the Year: Idinvest Partners
Europe’s Allstar Company: LendInvest
Corporate Development Team of the Year: Sage Group
Investor of the Year: Benoist Grossmann (Idinvest Partners)
VCT of the Year: Octopus Ventures
Specialist Debt Provider of the Year: Kreos Capital
Seed Fund of the Year: LocalGlobe
Service Provider of the Year: Orrick
Tech4Good Award: CoderDojo Foundation (part of Raspberry Pi Foundation)
Digital Innovation in Art: Articheck
To view the full shortlist for the awards, please click here
