Envestors wins top prize again

RNS Number : 9197O

Braveheart Investment Group plc

26 September 2011

 



26 September 2011

Braveheart Investment Group plc

("Braveheart" or the "Group")

Envestors wins top prize again at Investor Allstars Awards

Braveheart (AIM: BRH), the AIM-listed specialist in growth capital investments for business angels, high net worth individuals and family offices, is delighted to announce that its subsidiary Envestors, the private investor network focused on high-growth companies, has again won top prize in its category at the 'Oscars' of the venture capital community.  Envestors was named Private InvestorNetwork of the Year at the Investor Allstars Awards. 

Envestors, which helps established companies seeking growth capital, and start-up and early-stage companies seeking risk-capital funding, was chosen from a shortlist of six nominees and praised forits "high level of activity and excellent work in educating the angel community". 

The award caps a busy period for the fast-moving company, which arranged deals worth £6.7 million including £4.5 million raised from its own investors in the year to June 2011.  Successful fundraisings were completed for high-growth businesses such as Chargemaster, the provider of innovative products enabling the practical day-to-day use of electric vehicles, Olly, creator of the animated children's TV series Olly the Little White Van, and Real-Status, whose advanced software creates dynamic, real-time models of information and communication technology infrastructures.

The winners of the ninth annual Investor Allstars Awards, organised by technology investment bank GP Bullhound and Vitesse Media, publisher of GrowthBusiness, were announced on 22 September.  In a challenging year for the venture capital industry, achieving a good exit, or multiple successful exits, was the measure of success, organisers said.  Some 600 people from across the industry attended the ceremony at London's Natural History Museum.

Envestors won against a tough field. The judges "were impressed to see a high level of innovation in this category and new players entering the market", adding that Envestors "were worthy winners due to their high level of activity and excellent work in educating the angel community".

Oliver Woolley, Managing Director of Envestors, said: "We are proud to win this important award.  Against a very challenging economic background, our approach, and our formula for identifying the best high-growth companies, is achieving great results and attracting serious attention from both management teams and a wide range of quality funding sources."

Geoffrey Thomson, CEO of Envestors parent company Braveheart Investment Group, added: "This award emphasises both the importance of the SME sector and the effectiveness of the business angel community."

Envestors is a committed advocate of the SME community, educating both management teams on funding, and the wider community on the importance of the growth-company sector in creating jobs and wealth.

Envestors won the Private Investor Network of the Year at the Investor Allstars Awards in 2009. Braveheart Ventures, a subsidiary of Braveheart Investment Group, won the same award in 2003.

Further information:

Envestors Limited

Oliver Woolley, Managing Director [e-mail]

Tel: [phone]

Braveheart Investment Group plc

Geoffrey Thomson, Chief Executive [e-mail]

Tel: [phone]

Seymour Pierce Limited:

John Cowie / Freddy Crossley (Nominated Adviser) Paul Jewell, Marianne Woods, David Banks (Corporate Broking)

Tel: [phone]

Media enquiries:

Allerton Communications

Peter Curtain [e-mail]

Tel: [phone]

Notes to Editors

Braveheart Investment Group makes and manages investments in young, emerging British companies, specialising in building tax efficient portfolios for business angels, high net worth individuals and family offices. Braveheart was founded in 1997 by a small group of investors to encourage and syndicate investments in privately held companies that offered opportunities for significant growth. Fourteen years on, Braveheart is a public company with a demonstrable track record in technology investing, an established client base and various funds under management.  The Group has offices in Perth, London, Yorkshire and Jersey with franchise operations in Dubai and Manchester.

Investments are made in unlisted companies where there is potential for significant growth through successful commercialisation of IP. Through close relationships with leading universities and innovation centres, Braveheart has access to a wide variety of emerging commercial opportunities at early stages. There are currently some 45 companies in Braveheart's diverse portfolio (includes all companies where the Group has a financial interest) and it has completed more than 90 deals.

Envestors enables investors to source dynamic unquoted companies in need of growth capital.  Comprising more than 1,000 fee-subscribed private investors, 14 family offices and a range of funds and venture capital sources, our network has helped over 65 companies raise in excess of £25 million, the majority of opportunities attracting taxation benefits under the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS).

Services to companies include intensive preparation for fundraising, initial due diligence and screening, facilitating corporate fundraising through in-demand investor presentation events and face-to-face meetings with potential investors, and placing of non-executive talent.

Envestors' team of entrepreneurs remove the mystery from investing and corporate finance, providing a free suite of practical tools and tips, in addition to no-nonsense Guides to Raising Finance and Investing as a Business Angel.

Established in 2004 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, Envestors has offices in London, Manchester, Jersey and Dubai.

Envestors was awarded the "Private Investor Network of the Year" at Investor Allstars in 2009 and 2011 and is a subsidiary of Braveheart Investment Group plc.

For more information: www.envestors.co.uk

 

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