Angel Investing celebrated at the UK Business Angels Association Gala Awards Dinner on Monday 2nd July.
Nearly 200 people gathered together at the magnificent Swan Dining Room at the historic Shakespeare’s Globe, one of the most exciting and uniquely interesting venues of the Capital, to celebrate achievement for investors and early stage entrepreneurs at the UK Business Angels Associations Gala Awards Dinner held on 2nd July and which was supported by City of London Corporation
The UK Business Angels Association, which has superseded the British Business Angels Association and which has the backing of major industry players, had been launched earlier that day at the trade association’s National investment Summit. As a new body, aiming to represent the whole of the angel finance marketplace in the UK, the 6 awards presented that evening offered an important opportunity to recognise the extent and range of investing across the angel community and the impact being achieved by this asset class.
The evening offered both extensive networking, guest speakers and even magic tricks!. Tim Luke, Cameron’s senior policy advisor, at No 10, kicked off the event and emphasised the significance of angel investing for the government’s strategy for technology, innovation and growth. Serial entrepreneur founder of Enterprise Nation and Co-Founder of StartUp Britain, Emma Jones, provided the after dinner speech, reinforcing the importance of angels backing the country’s entrepreneurial talent. Stuart Rock, award-winning business journalist and editor, Co-Founder and editorial director of Caspian Media, presided over the ceremony
The award for Angel Investor of the Year went to Peter Saunders , nominated by Xenos Business Angel Network of Wales - the first Welsh business angel to receive the title.
The Judges found that Peter Saunders, as successful is a very active angel investor bringing his own finance and a wealth of industry experience from building and selling multimillion businesses and making a significant number of substantial investments annually, including a number of successful exits and provides strong ongoing strategic support and mentoring to his investee portfolio.
Peter Saunders, who established and built up Tywyn-based Halo Foods Group into a multi-million pound turnover business before selling it in 2004, said he was "privileged" and "overjoyed" to have received the award.
A further key trend that was recognised at the awards was angels investing in syndicates. The Best Syndicated Deal of the year and which wassponsored by the new£50m Angel Co-Fund, managed by Capital For Enterprise ltd, was awarded to Lumejet, nominated by Wren capital
The Judges selected the deal in Lumejet l a Coventry–based firm which has developed a disruptive new digital technology for the traditional printing sector resulting from extensive research and development. The syndicate led by Wren Capital, was identified as one of the most extensive syndicates of different angel investors across the UK, co-investing also with early stage funds and raising a significant level of funding, involving 63 investors.
The role of the syndicate in bringing not only finance, but also skills and experience to the angel deal was also recognised in the award to Qi3 as Best Early Stage Team of the Year . The Judges felt that Qi3 brings together a group of highly experienced individuals who are taking an active portfolio approach and committing considerable sums of their own finance . They bring a strong professional approach to deal identification and due diligence whilst providing clear added value in their follow-up support.
With the number of female led entrepreneurs seeking investment still falling far short of the number of male-led businesses going for early stage equity, the award for Best Female Investment of the Year was supported by the Aspire Fund. The award went to Silver Lining Solutions – nminated byCatapult Business Ventures. The judges felt that the company with a female founder CEO and FD shows considerable promise in a challenging sector of workforce optimisation and gained the backing of a number of angel investors and VCs, having established a good blue chip customer base and achieved international sales growth.
In recognition of the role played by investors in supporting high growth businesses with social objectives, the award for Social Impact Investment of the Year was jointly awarded toCentral England Business Angels and the FSE Group for their investment inPure Global. The Judges made this award to Pure Global for its innovative design solution to improve the propulsion of wheelchairs
The award forBest Technology Investment of the Year went to Neul – IQ Capital .The Judges found that Neul nominated by IQ Capital is an exciting new and disruptive wireless technology, using TV white space to increase geographic coverage supported by an interesting combination of angels and VCs working together. The company has demonstrated considerable growth as a result of the investment in the company.
Before concluding the ceremony, however, a special award was given to Anthony Clarke in recognition for 8 years service in establishing and growing the British Business Angels Association which is has chaired since 2004. Anthony. who is passionate about angel investing and has worked tirelessly for the trade association over the past years is handing over the chair to Sir Nigel Rudd, active angel investor and industrialist who will take forward the newly launched UK Business Angels Association
UK Business Angels Association would like to thank the City of London Corporation, all the award sponsors and the judges and award presenters for their contribution and congratulations to the award winners, as well as those shortlisted for the awards..
Details of the Awards:
Best Syndicated Deal of the year. Winner: Lumejet – Nominated by Wren Capital
This award was sponsored by the new£50m Angel Co-Fund, managed by Capital For Enterprise ltd
This award was open to syndicates of angels either as part of a business angel network; or structured group or syndicates who have successfully structured a deal including a number of investors in an early stage business and should include a lead angel. The syndicate can have done the whole investment or co-invested alongside other finance sources including VC funds, seed funds, co-investment funds or banks.
The shortlisted nominations were:
- Par Syndicate- MBM Commercial LLP
- Lumejet Holdings- Wren Capital
- SciCorr- Central England Business Angels
- Sparcana Ltd- Midven ‘Early Advantage fund’ & Minerva Business Angels
- Playjam- Endeavour Ventures
The Judges selected the deal in Lumejet led by Wren Capital, as an example of one of the most extensive syndicates of different angel groups across the UK, co-investing also with earls stage funds and raising a significant level of funding, involving 63 investors. The syndicate backed a Coventry–based firm which has developed a disruptive new digital technology for the traditional printing sector resulting from extensive research and development
Social Impact Investment of the YearWinner: jointly awarded to Central England Business Angels and the FSE Group for their investment in Pure Global –
Award sponsored byCity of London Corporation
This award was aimed at businesses, including social enterprises, that are carrying out activities with social objectives, addressing an identified societal or global challenge and that have received investment either from an angel network; or a specialist social impact fund or new area of funding. Nominations for this award must demonstrate that the business is bringing an innovative approach or new business model that is likely to achieve significant social impact and that the investment will support the growth of the company and increase the potential impact of its activities.
The shortlisted nominations were:
- Playmob- Midven
- Pure Global- Central England Business Angels
- Pure Global- The FSE Group
- Squease Ltd- Envestors (Rising Stars)
The Judges have made this award to Pure Global which has made an innovative design solution to improve the propulsion of wheelchairs. The deal shows high social impact given the vulnerability of the target market and the scalability of the product and the investment has a clear focus on growth and entering new markets. Since this was put forward by both Central Business Angels and Finance South East the judges have awarded this as a joint award.
The Third Award was for Best Female Investment of the Year.-Winner: Silver Lining Solutions – Nominated by Catapult Business Ventures
Award sponsored by the ASPIRE FUND
This award was aimed at businesses in any sector which are led by women, and that have successfully accessed Angel Investment. Alternatively where the investment has been made by a woman investor, either acting alone or as lead of a syndicate Nominations for this award must demonstrate that the business is innovative or addresses a key social or market challenge and that the investment has significantly supported the growth potential and competitiveness of the company.
The shortlisted nominations were:
- BlueBella- The FSE Group
- Playmob- Midven
- Silver Lining Solutions Limited- Catapult Venture Managers Limited
- Style Passport- Capital for Enterprise
The Judges Found that Silver Lining Solutions, nominated by Catapult Ventures shows considerable promise in a challenging sector of workforce optimisation. The female founder CEO and FD have shown strong leadership and gained the backing of a number of angel investors and VCs, having established a good blue chip customer base and achieved international sales growth.
The Fourth Award is for Early Stage Team of the YearWinner: Qi3 Accelerator- London Business Angels
Award sponsored by Finance Wales PLC and xénos
This award is open to any VC fund, angel co-investment fund; business angel network or syndicate. The team will have completed a significant number of deals in the past year in innovating early stage business propositions as well as supporting its existing portfolio, including potentially achieving some exits or significant growth. . The team will have also shown an active role to raise new funds or further develop their current fund potential.
The shortlisted nominations are:
- Early Advantage Partnership- Midven
- FSE Investor Network- The FSE Group
- Par Equity- MBM Commercial LLP
- Octopus Investments: Venture Team- Octopus Investments
- Qi3 Accelerator- London Business Angels
- Rising Stars - Envestors
The Judges felt that Qi3 Accelerator brings together a group of highly experienced individuals who are taking an active portfolio approach and committing considerable sums of their own finance and bringing a strong professional approach to deal identification and due diligence whilst providing clear added value in their follow-up support.
The Fifth Award for Best Technology Investment of the Year Winner: Neul – IQ Capital
Award sponsored by Midven
This award is aimed at start-up or early stage businesses in any aspect of technology that have received angel investment in the past twelve months. Nominations for this award must demonstrate that the business has strong innovation/disruptive capacity in the market or responding to key challenges and demonstrating a defensible competitive position with capacity to achieve high growth. Applicants must show that the investment has facilitated the growth potential and competitiveness of the company.
The shortlisted nominations were:
- Datasift- The FSE Group
- Foodient Ltd-C7 Medical
- Lumejet Holdings- Wren Capital
- Neul- IQ Capital Partners
- Pavegen Systems- London Business Angels
- PureVLC- MBM Commercial LLP
- Real Status- Envestors
- TouchType Limited (SwiftKey) - Octopus Investments
The Judges found that Neul nominated by IQ Capital is an exciting new and disruptive wireless technology, using TV white space to increase geographic coverage supported by an interesting combination of angels and VCs working together. The company has demonstrated considerable growth as a result of the investment in the company.
Angel Investor of the Year: Winner: Peter Saunders – Xenos Angel Network
Award sponsored by Angel Capital group
This award recognises the individual angel investor that can be shown to be a very active investor in start-up and early stage businesses during the past year- they can be new to investing or experienced. The award will seek to identify the investor who has not only brought their financial capacity to the businesses but provided clear added value to their investee portfolio, offering experience, skills, and contacts and mentoring to support successful growth and potential exit. The investor can be acting alone or as part of a syndicate and is open to men and women.
The shortlisted nominations were:
· David Atherton- Northwest Business Angels
· Marija Bichan- The FSE Group
· Stephen Bullock- London Business Angels
· Helen Fowler- Envestors
· Jeremy Middleton- Entrust
· Peter Saunders- Xenos the Wales Business Angel Network
The Judges found that Peter Saunders, nominated by Xenos angel network in Wales, is a very active angel investor bringing his own finance and a wealth of industry experience from building and selling multimillion businesses and making a significant number of substantial investments annually. He has already had a number of successful exits and provides strong ongoing strategic support and mentoring to his investee portfolio.
Special award for Services to Busienss Angel Community 2004-2012: was awarded to Anthony Clarke, chair of the British Business Angels Association since 2004.
For further information about the award winners and for further photos please contact events@bbaa.org.,uk or see the web-site: bbaa.org.uk/events/photos
