Octopus

Team of the Year award for Octopus Ventures

21 July 2010

Octopus was named ‘Early Stage Team of the Year' by the British Business Angel Association (BBAA) at their sixth annual awards dinner on 13 July. The event was held at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester and attended by representatives from across the venture capital industry.

The awards highlight the importance of early stage investment to the growth of SMEs in the UK. They celebrate the achievements of angel investors, venture capitalists and businesses that have made a significant contribution to the development of the early stage investment market and SME growth in the past year. The Octopus Ventures team was the recipient of one of only six awards that are made by the BBAA at this event.

The award was accepted by Alliott Cole of Octopus Ventures. The entire Octopus Ventures team consists of 20 industry professionals and the current early stage portfolio includes 29 companies, including internet businesses Graze.com, Zoopla! and GetOptics.

The award-winning team manages the Octopus Titan VCTs 1, 2 and 3, which invest in early stage UK smaller companies. The team works with its dedicated Venture Partners, a unique group of entrepreneurs and investors, and screens over 3000 opportunities each year to select a handful of great investments.

Commenting on the award, Alex Macpherson, MD, Octopus Ventures said, "It is very rewarding to have received this industry recognition. Octopus Ventures is an exceedingly busy and committed team, having completed fourteen deals already in 2010. We are passionate about supporting the growth of UK-based business and seek to back exceptional entrepreneurial teams. As we emerge from recession, small growing companies need VC support more than ever. With funds to invest, we look forward to making further investments."

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Team of the Year award for Octopus Ventures