Business Angels Europe (BAE) is proud to announce that the ceremony of the Golden Aurora Award, recognizing the European Female Business Angel of the Year, will take place on September 12th during the Annual Inbound Investors Conference in Belfast (Northern Ireland, the home country of the previous winner, Mary McKenna).
This prestigious award aims to highlight the critical role and added value of female investors in the startup ecosystem across Europe.
It will be a tough decision for the jury to select the best from the preselected 5 strong national nominees.
The nominees are:
Annegien Blokpoel Isabel Neves (The Netherlands) (Portugal)
Leen Limbourg Maria Rosa Trolese (Belgium) (Italia)
Mirna Marovic (Croatia)
The expert jury consisting of 4 members of the BAE board and last year's winner:
Reginald Vossen (Belgium - President BAE- CEO BAN Flanders)
Jenny Tooth (United Kingdom - VP Diversity BAE – Exec. Chair UK BAA)
Lurdes Gramaxo (Portugal - VP Sustainability BAE – President Investors Portugal)
Ute Guenther (Germany - VP Research BAE – Vorstand BAND)
Mary McKenna (Ireland - winner Golden Aurora 2023)
All the national nominees are evaluated based on the size and diversity of their portfolio, exits and returns, their added value beyond capital, and whether they invest solo or in syndication. Additionally, their involvement in BA networks, contributions to the local startup ecosystem, focus on impact investing, female entrepreneurship and international activity are key considerations.
“Through the Golden Aurora Award, BAE wants to highlight the importance and value of female investors,” says Reginald Vossen, President of BAE and chairman of the Golden Aurora Award jury. “Studies show that the number of women providing angel capital remains far too low, which impacts the ability of female entrepreneurs to secure funding. The reality is that often ‘women back women.’ On the other hand, female investors tend to guide their investees differently and more closely, leading to higher returns.”
The underrepresentation of female investors and its broader repercussions on entrepreneurship are challenges BAE is determined to address. By positioning itself as the leading advocate and facilitator of female investment in Europe, BAE is committed to driving change. This mission goes beyond this award – BAE is actively engaged in several EU projects aimed at empowering female business angels and entrepreneurs. Key initiatives include ESIL2, Empowomen, and WomenInvestEU, all of which have been recently awarded to BAE with the goal of creating tangible impact in fostering more female investment and entrepreneurship across Europe.
These programs represent a hands-on approach to increase the number of female business angels and entrepreneurs, providing the support to and extension of networks needed to accelerate their growth.
For more information about Business Angels Europe and the Golden Aurora Award, please visit:
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