• Eight expanding SMEs announced in the 2019 Growth Investor Awards

• Ambitious companies celebrated for using investment capital to grow

Eight more finalists have been announced today in the 2019 Growth Investor Awards, in a category that celebrates the achievements of growing SMEs.

In November, the Growth Investor Awards will celebrate their fifth year of bringing together the investment community and the high-growth businesses that they support. With new categories and more entrants, this year’s ceremony is set to be the biggest yet.

The Growth Champion of the Year award is the sole accolade for SMEs themselves. It highlights a standout company that has employed investment capital effectively to grow and scale-up. Judges will weigh up the company’s strategy while looking for evidence of ‘impact beyond investment’.

Last year’s winner was Thoughtonomy, a software company focused on automating work, which impressed the judging panel with stellar results achieved with relatively little investment compared to the other finalists. In 2017, innovative snack manufacturer All Good scooped the prize, while in 2016 online mattress seller EveSleep took the gold.

The 2019 finalists are:

• Airsorted
• Attest
• Gousto
• Horizon Group
• Moteefe
• Piccolo
• Privitar
• Taylor & Hart

“Now in their fifth year, the Growth Investor Awards have rightly become a landmark event in the calendars of the UK’s SME investment community. For one evening each year we celebrate the inspiring individuals and leading organisations whose talents and commitment helps UK entrepreneurs to power Britain’s economic growth”, says Guy Tolhurst, Managing Director of Intelligent Partnership, the organiser of these long-standing awards.

He adds: “I look forward to shining a much-needed spotlight on all of these providers on November 6 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. To reach the finalist stage in such a competitive field of entrants is a huge achievement.”

Winners of all the awards categories will be announced at an exclusive black-tie dinner hosted for over 450 guests on November 6 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.

ABOUT THE GROWTH INVESTOR AWARDS

Finalists have been chosen by Intelligent Partnership’s research team, guided by an advisory board. Their entries have now been passed to the second round of judging, carried out by at least three people from an independent panel of 35 judges to provide a diverse mix of qualified perspectives. All of the judges’ scores are collated to determine the winner, with all finalists receiving a personalised feedback and benchmarking report to provide insight about areas for improvement.

All the finalists announced this week will now go on to a second round of judging by an independent panel drawn from the alternative investment industry and wider business community.

All of the judges’ scores will be collated to determine a winner and runners-up in each category. Every finalist receives personalised feedback and a benchmarking report, providing them with valuable insight on areas of improvement.

The Growth Investor Awards is guided by an Advisory Board that ensures its criteria recognise best practice and the awards reflect key industry trends and developments. The Board includes:

• Claire Cockerton – Founder, Innovative Finance
• Sherry Coutu CBE – Angel Investor, Entrepreneur & Non-executive Director, London Stock Exchange
• Simon Deconshire OBE – Entrepreneur in Residence, UK Government
• Luke Johnson – Chairman, Risk Capital Partners
• Emma Jones MBE – CEO, Enterprise Nation
• Mike Harris – Founding CEO, Egg & First Direct
• Tim Hames – Director General, BVCA
• Michael Hayman MBE – CEO, Seven Hills

Information about previous award winners, judges and selection criteria for each award can be found at growthinvestorawards.com