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Winners of the 2017 Wales Start-Up Awards Announced

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The winners of the second annual Wales Start-Up Awards were announced on Friday evening at a ceremony hosted by BBC Wales presenter, Sian Lloyd.

The Awards are unique in that they are the only ones in Wales that recognise those fledgling companies and individuals who have made a significant impact on the Welsh economy over the last three years.

With over 200 entries received, the Wales Start-Up Awards saw submissions from businesses throughout the whole of Wales across 16 categories, with each company also entered into one of four regional awards.

Anglesey-based Felin Honeybees scooped three awards, including Green Start-Up of the Year, North Wales Start-Up of the Year and the overall Wales Start-Up of the Year Award.

Liz Brookes of Grapevine Events and co-founder of the Wales Start-Up Awards, said:

“The Awards have shown us yet again the importance of the start-up sector to the Welsh economy.

“We received entries from start-ups across the length and breadth of Wales, and each one of this year’s Winners serves as a case study that other aspiring entrepreneurs can seek to emulate.”

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans, chairman of the judging panel, said:

“Last year’s Awards set a precedent that even the most optimistic of us on this year’s Judging Panel thought couldn’t be exceeded. But it was.

“The standard of entries received and the successes enjoyed by each one of this year’s Winners and Finalists is testament to the extraordinary achievements of Welsh entrepreneurs – entrepreneurship really is flourishing across all sectors of the economy and all regions of the country.”

“Having only started trading in June 2016, Felin Honeybees are deserving winners of the Wales Start-Up of the Year Award. In just over a year, the company is the embodiment of how one person’s passion can drive and influence change.

“Founder Katie Haywood has successfully brought the concept of beekeeping into the mainstream through a series of initiatives aimed at educating and informing the general public and the wider farming community about the important role bees play within the ecosystem. Her efforts have garnered national media attention, with appearances on BBC Breakfast TV and Radio 5 Live.”

With overall sponsorship by Natwest and Entrepreneurial Spark powered by Natwest – the world’s largest free business accelerator for early stage and growing ventures – there were a total of 22 awards in contention on the night.

The winners of the Wales Start-Up Awards are:

Construction Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Grapevine Event Management)

  • Turvec Solutions

Creative Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Bad Wolf)

  • Brand Content – Joint Winners
  • Tramshed Tech – Joint Winners

Digital Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Circle IT)

  • One Team Logic

Financial and Professional Services Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Hugh James IFA)

  • Pedalcover Insurance

Food and Drink Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Brighter Foods)

  • Ginhaus Deli

Global Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Hydro Industries)

  • Freight Logistics Solutions

Green Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Clearly PR)

  • Felin Honeybees

Innovative Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Welsh Government)

  • Phytoponics

Life Sciences (sponsored by Arthurian Life Sciences)

  • Pontus Research

Manufacturing and Engineering (sponsored by Darwin Gray)

  • Clydach Farm Group

Retail Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Bluegg)

  • Elite Vehicle Sourcing

Services Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Eversheds Sutherland – E/S Disrupt)

  • One Team Logic

Social Enterprise Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Wales Council for Voluntary Action)

  • The Food Shed CIC

Technology Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by IQE)

  • Amplyfi

Tourism and Leisure Start-Up of the Year (Nominet – the registry which manages the .cymru and .wales domain names)

  • Infinity Trampoline Park Cardiff

Young Entrepreneur Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Kukd)

  • Jack Jenkins
  • Daniel Jefferys
  • Christian Samuel

Each company was also been automatically entered into one of the following awards based on their region:

Cardiff Capital Region Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by University of South Wales)

·         Freight Logistics Solutions

North Wales Start-Up of the Year (sponsored by Stockomendation)

·         Felin Honeybees

Swansea Bay City Region Start-up Of The Year (sponsored by Cleartech Live)

·         Fabric

Rural Start-up Of The Year (sponsored by Welsh ICE)

·         Ginhaus Deli

Highly Commended (sponsored by NatWest)

·         Rate Switch

·         The Bridge Lodge

·         Thermal Compaction Group

·         Youth Development Agency

Abel[+]Imray sponsored the drinks reception at the awards evening and leading design agency Bluegg were the programme sponsors. Horizon Print sponsored the printed collateral.

Rachel Jones