British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) Management Team Awards 2018 | British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) | 8 June 2018 |

The BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in association with Grant Thornton UK LLP, is our annual celebration of UK businesses backed by private equity and venture capital.
Right across the country we have extraordinary companies doing amazing things supported by outstanding investors. As the trade association for private equity and venture capital funds, we give these fantastic business leaders the recognition they deserve.

In 2018, these awards will be in their 10th year and we are proud to have such a deep pool of companies that truly represent how private equity and venture capital works. A list of our past winners can be found below and we have our Case Studies section here to illustrate just what makes these companies such a success.

Large Company Management Team
• Defined as a company with an approximate enterprise value in excess of £100m during 2017, as evidenced either at time of investment or in the opinion of the judges.

Mid-Market Management Team
• Defined as a company with an approximate enterprise value of £20-100m, as above.

Growth Management Team
• Defined as a company with an enterprise value of less than £20m, as above.

Venture-backed Management Team
• Defined as a company backed by a venture capital firm, not an MBO or MBI, where the investment was substantially to develop an innovative technology product or service.

Business Transformation Management Team
• Defined as a Company where fundamental change and/or investment was undertaken to put the business onto a growth path.

Social Responsibility Management Team
• A company which engages in best-in class commercial activity with regards to environment, social or governance (ESG) issues. This award will now be a national award only, presented as part of our Responsible Investment Awards at the BVCA Summit. MTA nominees will be automatically considered for this award and contacted if shortlisted.

2017 Winners:

NATIONAL WINNERS:

LARGE COMPANY MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Skyscanner
Backed by Scottish Equity Partners
View Case Study

MID MARKET MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Utiligroup
Backed by NorthEdge Capital
View Case Study

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Captify
Backed by Panoramic Growth Equity, Smedvig Capital
View Case Study

VENTURE-BACKED MANAGEMENT TEAM:
• Blis
Backed by Beringea, Endeit Capital, Unilever Ventures
View Case Study

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM:
• Gardner Aerospace
Backed by Better Capital
View Case Study

REGIONAL WINNERS:
NORTH WEST
LARGE COMPANY TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Travel Counsellors
Backed by Equistone Partners Europe

MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Utiligroup
Backed by NorthEdge Capital

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• The Alchemist Bars and Restaurants
Backed by Palatine Private Equity

VENTURE-BACKED MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Elucigene Diagnostics
Backed by Percipient Capital

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Excelsior Technologies
Backed by Enact (Endless LLP)

SCOTLAND
LARGE COMPANY TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Skyscanner
Backed by Scottish Equity Partners

(JOINT) MID-MAKRET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Crawford Scientific
Backed by Maven Capital Partners

(JOINT) MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• RAMCO
Backed by LDC

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Keenan Recycling
Backed by Business Growth Fund

VEMTURE-BACKED MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Vert Rotors
Backed by Par Equity

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• McGavigan Ltd
Backed by Maven Capital Partners

MIDLANDS
LARGE COMPANY TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• NEC Group
Backed by LDC

MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• UK Power Reserve
Backed by Inflexion and Equistone

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Horizon Care & Education
Backed by Stage Capital

VENTURE-BACKED MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Allinea Software
Backed by Mercia Fund Management and Midven

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Gardner Aerospace
Backed by Better Capital

SOUTH WEST:
LARGE COMPANY TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Independent Vetcare
Backed by Summit Partners until November 2016, now EQT

MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Black & White Hospitality
Backed by Downing

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Red Paddle Co Ltd (Tushingham)
Backed by Moebus Equity Partners

VENTURE-BACKED MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Symetrica
Backed by Technology Venture Partners, Parkwalk, Albion

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Stirling Dynamics
Backed by Enact

WALES
Large Company Team of the Year
NoteMachine
Backed by Corsair Capital

MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Vista Retail Support
Backed by WestBridge Capital

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Simulity Labs
Backed by Foresight VCT

VENTURE MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Cellnovo
Backed by Nesta

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Target Group
Backed by Pollen Street Capital

NORTHERN IRELAND
MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• RiverRidge
Backed by Business Growth Fund

YORKSHIRE & NORTH EAST:
LARGE COMPANY TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Zenith Vehicle Contracts
Backed by Bridgepoint

MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Sumo Digital
Backed by NorthEdge Capital, and now Perwyn

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Team17
Backed by LDC

VENTURE -BACKED MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
Zerolight
Backed by Northstar Ventures

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• icelolly.com
Backed by Palatine

SOUTH EAST
LARGE COMPANY TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Hollywood Bowl
Backed by Epiris

MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Clifford Thames
Backed by LDC

GROWTH MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Captify
Backed by Smedvig Capital and Panoramic Growth Equity

VENTURE-BACKED MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Blis
Backed by Beringea, Endeit Capital and Unilever Ventures

BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION MANAGEMENT TEAM OF THE YEAR:
• Pizza Hut Restaurants
Backed by Rutland Partners