- All Winners, Runners Up and Ones to Watch have been announced in the sixth annual Growth Investor Awards
- All companies were announced yesterday in a virtual festive ceremony via Zoom
- Managing Director Guy Tolhurst, and special guest TV presenter Claudia Winkleman hosted the evening
The winners, runners-up and ones to watch have been revealed in the sixth annual Growth Investor Awards at a fun-filled festive virtual event.
The panel of 34 prestigious judges scrutinised 107 entries in 21 categories – the most in the history of the event, as Intelligent Partnership strives to ensure recognition for all those that deserve it. Intelligent Partnership is proud to celebrate those who are nourishing the UK’s start-up and scale-up community, now more than ever.
The judges came up with 52 deserving finalists, from whom the winners were announced last night.
Those winners honour the ongoing tradition of excellence and hard work in putting strategy, expertise and investment to work in growing small businesses. Identifying, nurturing and realising the massive potential in this area is key to both private investors and the UK plc with six million private sector businesses in the UK of which 5.9 million are SME’s. At the start of 2020 they had a combined turnover of £2.3 trillion (52% of all UK turnover), but half of that turnover comes from less than 34,000 high growth companies.
Meet 2020’s Winners, Runners Up and Ones to Watch:
Industry Champion
Tim Hames – Former Director General of the BVCA
Exit of the Year | Presented by TALiNT Partners
Winner: Merica Asset Management
Runner up: Par Equity
One to watch: Oxford Capital
Most Impactful Investment | Sponsored by Adempi Associates
Winner: Haatch Ventures
Runner up: Vala Capital
One to watch: Committed Capital
Industry Game Changer | Sponsored by MICAP
Winner: SeedLegals
Runner up: GrowthInvest
One to watch: PensionBee
Best Investment Platform – Funds | Presented by Guy Tolhurst
Winner: GrowthInvest
Runner up: Wealth Club
Best Investment Platform – Companies | Presented by Attis Ventures
Winner: SeedLegals
Runner up: Envestors
One to watch: QVentures
Financial Adviser of the Year | Presented by the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association (EISA)
Winner: Stephen Jones (Clear Solutions)
Runner up: Nick Combes (Holder and Combes)
One to watch: Gordon Hay (Redbourne Wealth Management)
Wealth Manager of the Year | Presented by Claudia Winkleman
Winner: St. James’s Place Wealth Management
Runner up: Tavistock Wealth
Best SEIS Investment Manager | Presented by MICAP
Winner: SFC Capital
Runner up: Ascension Ventures
One to watch: Jenson Funding Partners
Best AIM Portfolio Service | Presented by Paradigm Norton
Winner: Charles Stanley & Co
Runner up: Sarasin & Partners
One to watch: Blankstone Sington
Best BR Investment Manager – Listed | Sponsored by Exact Libris
Winner: Blackfinch
Runner up: Octopus Investments
Best BR Investment Manager – UnListed | Sponsored by Exact Libris
Winner: Foresight Group
Runner up: Octopus Investments
Best EIS Investment Manager | Sponsored by Mainspring Fund Services
Winner: MMC Ventures
Runner up: Mercia Asset Management
One to watch: Praetura Ventures
Best VCT Investment Manager | Presented by Guy Tohurst
Winner: Octopus Investments
Runner up: Mobeus Equity Partners
Mindful Investor of the Year | Presented by Guy Tolhurst
Winner: Connect Ventures
Team of the Year | Presented by Tabby Tolhurst
Winner: Deepbridge Capital
Runner up: Octopus Investments
One to watch: Praetura Ventures
Best New Product or Service | Presented by Claudia Winkleman
Winner: Nova Growth Capital
Runner up: Foresight Group
One to watch: SuperSeed
Industry Rising Star | Presented by the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA)
Winner: Nova Growth Capital
Runner up: Vala Capital
One to watch: Haatch Ventures
Best Accelerator | Presented by the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA)
Winner: Pi Labs
Most Valuable Player | Presented by Claudia Winkleman
Winner: Karen Sullivan, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Puma Investments
Runner up: Deepbridge Customer Service Team
Growth Champion of the Year | Presented by The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN)
Winner: Moneybox
Runner up: Pasta Evangelists
One to watch: Cera Care
Growth Investor of the Year | Presented by Beauhurst
Winner: MMC Ventures
Runner up: Parkwalk Advisors
One to watch: Puma Investments
“At the Growth Investor Awards, we’re rightly proud of the crucial work the UK’s early-stage business community undertakes every year to bring new ideas to fruition, grow employment opportunities, and underpin a flourishing economy” says Guy Tolhurst, Managing Director of Intelligent Partnership, the organiser of these respected awards.
He adds: “2020 has been a year unlike any other but it has shone a light on the true value of not only innovators, but also the community that funds and empowers them. This year’s winners deserve the highest praise for dedicating their expertise to the cultivation and support of the SMEs whose massive potential is a vital light at the end of the Covid and Brexit tunnel.”