EBAN’s Gala Awards Honor the Best of the Best in the Early Stage Ecosystem 

The EBAN Awards honorees for the year 2017 were:

Successful Business Financed by Early Stage Investors:  mySugr, with investment from the Austrian Angel Investors Association‘s Hansi Hansmann;

Selma Prodanovic, AAIA Co-founder and Lisa Fassl, AAIA Managing Director, accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President, and Marcel Dridje, Sophia Business Angels President, 

Early Stage Investor/Network Who Has Been a Game Changer for Europe: Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN).

John Phelan, HBAN National director, and Sarah Cagney, HBAN Communications and Relationship Manager; accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President, and Albert Colomer, BANC Director

Best European Early Stage Investor: Andreas Mihalovits, Co-founder of Global Super Angels Club;

Andreas Mihalovits accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President and Riku Asikainen, EBAN Vice President

Best Performing EBAN Member: Estonian Business Angel Network (EstBAN);

Ivar Siimar, EstBAN President Emeritus, accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President and Jesper Jarlbaek, EBAN Treasurer

Best Performing New EBAN Member: CobinAngels;

Robert Lugowski, Managing Director of CobinAngels, accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

Best Individual/Organization Globally Engaging the Early Stage Investment and Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: Baybars Altuntas, World Business Angels Investment Forum Chair;

Baybars Altuntas accepting the award, pictured with Nikolay Mavromatis, Co-Founder and President of Bulgarian Association of Business Angels, and Riku Asikainen, EBAN Vice President

Best European Business Angel Week Initiative: Hungarian Business Angels Network (HunBAN). 

Antal Karolyi, HunBAN President, accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President, John Phelan, HBAN National director, and Sarah Cagney, HBAN Communications and Relationship Manager

Furthermore, EBAN was delighted to acknowledge the immense contribution of the following individuals and organizations to advancing early stage investment and entrepreneurship with Special Recognition Awards:

Nikolay Mavromatis, Co-Founder and President of Bulgarian Association of Business Angels;

Nikolay Mavromatis accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

Charles Sidman, Managing Partner of ECS Capital Partners;

Charles Sidman accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President and Baybars Altuntas, EBAN Vice President

The European Investment Project Portal, accepted by Filipa Ramalho, Policy Officer at the European Commission, Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (not pictured);

Florence Korhonen,  Founder and Chair at Nordic Female Business Angel Network (NFBAN).

Florence Korhonen accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

For the first time ever, EBAN’s outgoing president Candace Johnson gave out President’s Awards to the following distinguished individuals:

Anthony Clarke, EBAN President Emeritus; 

Anthony Clarke accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

Peter Jungen, EBAN President Emeritus;

Peter Jungen accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

Brigitte Baumann, EBAN President Emeritus;

Brigitte Baumann accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

Paulo Andrez, EBAN President Emeritus (not pictured);

Tomi Davies, African Business Angel Network (ABAN) President;

Tomi Davies accepting the award from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

Riku Asikainen, EBAN Vice President;

Baybars Altuntas, EBAN Vice President;

Jesper Jarlbaek, EBAN Treasurer; 

Baybars Altuntas, Riku Asikainen and Jesper Jarlbaek accepting their awards from Candace Johnson, EBAN President

Jacopo Losso, EBAN Director of Secretariat.

Jacopo Losso accepting his award

To show their gratitude and appreciation for her spectacular achievements, EBAN’s Board of Directors and Team presented President Candace Johnson with a special Lifetime Achievement Award.

Candace Johnson accepting the award from the EBAN Board of Directors and EBAN Team

This year, EBAN also added a special new category to its awards. In collaboration with X23, Lead Partner of the Lean In EU WBAs project, awards were given out to women who had a positive impact on the Early Stage Investment ecosystem, contributing to the push for female empowerment.

The winners of the EU Woman Business Angel of the Year Award were:

Best Woman Business Angel of the Year: Fausta Pavesio;

Fausta Pavesio accepting the award from Marika Mazzi Boém, Co-founder & Senior Innovation Strategist at X23, Project Manager for Lean in EU Women Business Angels

Best Newcomer Woman Business Angel of the Year: Marian Spier;

Marian Spier accepting the award from Marika Mazzi Boém, Co-founder & Senior Innovation Strategist at X23, Project Manager for Lean in EU Women Business Angels

Lean In EU Women Business Angels Lifetime Achievement Award: Candace Johnson.

Candace Johnson accepting the award from Marika Mazzi Boém, Co-founder & Senior Innovation Strategist at X23, Project Manager for Lean in EU Women Business Angels, pictured with EBAN Board of Directors

EBAN would like to congratulate all winners and thank them for their tireless efforts and commitment to developing the early stage ecosystem throughout the world.

For more information, please contact the EBAN Secretariat:

EBAN

Rue de la Science 14b
1040 Brussels
Belgium

info@eban.org
+32 (0)2 626 2060

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EBAN – The European Trade Association for Business Angels, Seed Funds and Early Stage Market Players – is the pan-European representative for the early stage investor community, gathering 184 member organisations in 59 countries around the world. Established in 1999 by a group of pioneer angel networks in Europe with the collaboration of the European Commission and EURADA, EBAN represents a sector estimated to invest 11,4 billion Euros a year and playing a vital role in Europe’s future, notably in the funding of SMEs. EBAN fuels Europe’s growth through the creation of wealth and jobs.