European tech stars lit up London’s Park Lane last night, as the continent’s leading investors and entrepreneurs gathered at the Hilton Park Lane hotel for the 17th Annual Investor Allstars event.
The European tech industry has recorded yet another stellar year of growth, prominent company exits and global success stories. If you’ve been wondering who the leading names in 2019 have been, who’s invested the most, or who the up-and-coming companies are, then look no further – last night offered all the answers.
The event that convened over 750 of the preeminent names from Europe’s tech and investment landscape, celebrated not only the winners of the individual categories, but the strength of the ecosystem as a whole.
The big name on everyone’s lips last night was Adyen, the online payment platform giant, which landed a €7.1 billion exit in June – earning it the coveted Exit of the Year prize. With its customers including the likes of Netflix and Facebook, Adyen has built on the success of the likes of Spotify to record another strong European tech IPO.
As the struggles of WeWork continue to roll on, and with Uber dipping in performance, celebrating the successes of European tech companies going public in this fashion is all the more important.
In contrast to the big money exits, the awards also celebrated the other end of the entrepreneurial journey. The inaugural Young Entrepreneur of the Year award went to David Bailey, co-founder of Mediatonic, one of the UK’s largest gaming developers that has scaled off the back of the global gaming craze.
Amongst other notable winners, Beringea claimed the title VCT of the Year, DDM were the standout in the Tech for Good category, while the Entrepreneur of the Year prize went to Timo Soininen, CEO and co-founder of Small Giant Games – claiming even more success for the gaming sphere.
Perhaps the most thrilling part of the day was the reveal of Europe's Allstar company. Believe pitched their company to a room full of expert judges and was crowned the most exciting business emerging in Europe today.
Denis Ladegaillerie, Founder & CEO, Believe said: “We are absolutely delighted to have won Europe's Allstar category this year, and to be included in a cohort of such innovative and pioneering entrepreneurs. Europe’s tech scene is continuing to thrive and prove why it is globally first-class – we are so proud to be contributing to this.”
Hosted by the tech and investment advisory firm GP Bullhound, in partnership with Bonhill Group plc, the Investor Allstars were a great reminder of the breadth and depth of the European tech landscape. Manish Madhvani, Managing Partner of GP Bullhound, commented: “Europe’s tech talent makes immense progress each year, and the awards are the best indicator of who the leaders across the industry are.”
It’s evident that Europe’s tech ecosystem is maturing. We are seeing growth across different sectors, a testament to the innovative entrepreneurs across the continent who are disrupting all fields of play.
Most importantly, however, it’s clear that there is a strong pipeline of funding available, from early to late stage capital, all the way to landing successful exits.
Much more than just handing out prizes, evenings like yesterday’s are a great moment to pause and take stock of all that’s been achieved in European tech. The Investor Allstars have been running for nearly 20 years, and year-on year the event spotlights how the tech sector is evolving, where investor funds are going, and serves as a valuable encouragement to the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
This content was sponsored by Investor Allstars
