Business XL AwardThe Business XL and GP Bullhound Investor AllStars Awards recognised the nous, nerve and acumen of some of the key players on the UK’s thriving venture capital scene. Nick Britton reports Private equity isn’t all champagne and caviar, but it certainly does have its moments
of glamour. The annual Investor AllStars Awards, held this year at London’s Park Lane Hilton, saw over 600 of Europe’s venture capital elite gather together and be acknowledged for cutting-edge deal-making over the past 12 months.
The awards were presented by BBC newsreader Emily Maitlis and recognised achievements in a range of categories, from Jon Moulton’s Triumph over
Adversity to VC Personality of the Year. Nominees included long-established global giants such as 3i as well as relative newcomers such as investors’
network Hotbed.
International Deal of the Year Winner: Sudbrook Associates LLP (Safeguard) Nominees: Nigel Weller (I-CanNano), Alps Ventures (OM Energy), Nordic Venture Partners (Player X), Wellington Partners (Zopa).
Sudbrook Associates LLP leads investments into early-stage ventures in the life sciences sector. The judges were impressed with the firm’s ability to secure backing from public and private investors in the UK and North America for Safeguard, which develops portable technology providing rapid diagnoses of diseases or genetic defects in plants and animals. Says James Culverwell, partner at Sudbrook: ‘It was a very international deal, which is always difficult to execute, but it gives us a good shareholder base to support the business going forward.’ |