Each of the following awards recognises an individual or organisation that has helped move emerging UK technology businesses forward over the last twelve months.
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Entrepreneur of the Year
Awarded to an individual who has founded one (or more) successful high growth technology firms. This award recognises entrepreneurial instinct to successively spot market opportunities coupled with the drive, determination and ability to create a successful business around them.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- Must have founded the business/s
Judging Criteria
- Evidence of running a successful private or public fast growth technology firm
- Display of relevance of the technology within the market place
- Track record of success within the sector
- Manages own succession to ensure business longevity
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Technology CEO of the Year - Private Firm
Awarded to a CEO who has shown exceptional leadership and been instrumental in transforming or driving the business forward. This award seeks to recognise an individual who displays strategic vision, inspirational leadership and a real instinct for the business, its market and growth opportunities.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- CEO of a UK based private technology firm
Judging Criteria
- Of sound reputation in sector
- Displays significant improvement in financial performance
- Demonstrates the building of a strong management team
- Successful execution of business strategy
- Has had significant successes in 2007 such as major client wins, fund-raising, building of strong alliances or partnerships
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Technology CEO of the Year - Small / Medium Cap Public Firm
Awarded to a CEO of a UK based public sector SME who has shown exceptional leadership and success in transforming the business. This award seeks to recognise an individual who displays strategic vision, inspirational leadership and a real instinct for the business, its market and growth opportunities.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- CEO of UK based public firm with market cap of up to £500m
Judging Criteria
- Display an improved financial performance & share price increase over and above the long-term market group prospects
- Evidence of building a strong management team
- Example of a successful execution of strategy
- Long term group prospects
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Hottest UK Technology Prospect of the Year
Awarded to the 'hottest' pre-IPO technology company. Candidates will have a significant market opportunity, a quality management team and be able to demonstrate significant revenue growth potential. When submitting an entry for this award, you will need to include some Market and Financial Details as specified below.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
Judging Criteria
- Strength of management team
- Innovative product relevant to the market
- Strong long-term prospects for the business
- Evidence of market details, including: size, share, growth rate, competition and USP
- Evidence of financial details, including: turnover, profit and funding
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Hottest International Newcomer Award
This award is similar to its UK counterpart, but will be awarded to the 'hottest' pre-IPO overseas technology company that has been successful in the UK. Candidates will have a significant market opportunity, a quality management team and be able to demonstrate revenue growth potential.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- Overseas based technology firm, active in the UK
Judging Criteria
- Innovative product relevant to the market
- Strength of management team
- Degree of success in the UK marketplace
- Strong long-term prospects for the business
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UK Spin-out of the Year
Awarded to the 'hottest' technology spin-out company. Candidates will have a significant market opportunity, a quality management team and be able to demonstrate revenue growth potential. When submitting an entry for this award, you will need to include some Market and Financial Details as specified below.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- UK based technology firm
- Must be recognised as a spin-out from a university, corporate or technology consultancy
Judging Criteria
- Strength of management team
- Innovative product relevant to the market
- Strong long-term prospects for the business
- Evidence of market details, including: size, share, growth rate, competition and USP
- Evidence of financial details, including: turnover, profit and funding
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Cleantech Advancement of the Year
Awarded to the company which has shown strong developments in its contribution to clean technology. The award not only seeks to recognise companies who have succeeded in market growth, but also to recognise innovations in technology and the good business practices which support future success.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
Judging Criteria
- The company demonstrates significant clean technology development and/or growth in market penetration of clean technology
- The company can demonstrate significant impact of the clean technology (actual or potential)
- The company operates in a way which is consistent with the broader cleantech ethos (i.e. sustainable practices)
- The company demonstrates operational practices conducive to future innovation and growth
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Mediatech Impact of the Year
Awarded to the 'hottest' private digital media company. Candidates must have made a significant impact on the mediatech industry in the past year, as demonstrated by consumer uptake or adoption by other mediatech companies of candidate's products or services.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- UK based, private digital media firm
Judging Criteria
- Evidence of uptake of products or services, including: market share, growth rate and turnover
- Evidence of target market details, including: size, growth rate, competition and USP
- Strength of management team
- Strong long-term prospects for the business
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Technology Venture Exit of the Year
Awarded to a venture capital firm whose deal-making skills in venture capital have resulted in a significant increase in perceived company value - the impact must be large enough to be of significance to the industry sector as a whole.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- The Exit must have taken place in 2007 and involve a private technology firm
Judging Criteria
- Innovative and successful use of financing
- UK based VC firm
- Demonstrable support given to management team
- Demonstrable impact on company development (i.e. access to market/partnering etc)
- Return on investment
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IPO of the Year
Awarded to a UK based company who went public in 2007. We will consider the amount of money raised, costs of float, timing, the type of company being floated, the size of company and its sector.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- Open to all UK based companies
- The listing must have taken place during 2007
Judging Criteria
- The valuation of the company at float
- Performance of the shares since flotation
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Venture Capital House of the Year
Awarded to a recognised venture capital organisation that goes above and beyond the call of duty, this award is about providing much more than just finance but actively working in partnership with the portfolio to build and grow the technology businesses they invest in.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- UK based VC firm with active investments in 2007
Judging Criteria
- Quality of investments in UK growth technology companies made in 2007
- Success of exit strategy from UK growth firms from specific fund portfolio
- Current portfolio - details of top 10 investments
- Demonstrable support given to management teams in the portfolio
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Technology Law Firm of the Year
Awarded to a law firm demonstrating significant commitment to investing in technology client business. This award recognises law firms who have a talented industry team dedicated to the sector and who provide support and expertise above and beyond the call of duty to their technology clients.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- UK based operation with dedicated technology practice
Judging Criteria
- Added value through introduction of clients to potential partners
- Number of staff who spend 60%+ of their time with technology client business
- Key client wins
- Transactions - i.e. close of funding, exits
- Demonstrable results for a client involved in the technology business, can be both above and below the line
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Partnering for Innovation Award
Recognises a winning partnership alliance between two technology companies that has met and exceeded the joint objectives of both parties profitably.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- UK based operations; alliance/partnership operational through 2007
Judging Criteria
- A strong culture of partnering with excellent communications and partner-sensitive objectives and processes in place to create and sustain effective partnership.
- Excellent partnering behaviours: a commitment to the win/win and to sharing priorities and agendas.
- Sustained success over a period of months or years
- A clear commitment to bringing the partnership to life through joint business planning and joint account planning.
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PR/Marketing Campaign of the Year
This will be awarded to recognise an outstanding PR or marketing campaign. The judges will be looking for innovative campaigns that are creative, have a clear message and reinforce core brand values with demonstrable results. Campaigns that approach the client's requirements in a novel way are more likely to win favour with the judges than those which rely on widely used strategies.
Entry & Judging Criteria
Entry Criteria
- PR/marketing campaign for an emerging technology product/service based in the UK or being launched into the UK market
Judging Criteria
- Innovative PR or marketing campaign which is creative, contains a clear message and reinforces core brand values
- Degree of success within UK, with accountable results for the client in the growth of the product/service
- Novel strategies and use of media channels through which to communicate to the audience
- Enhancement of long-term prospects for the business
