Nominations for the 2020 Business Angel of the Year Award are now open!

There are 350 thousand business angels in Europe. In Poland - only several hundred active ones. Although angel investors are a key element in the development of young companies (startups), there is a continuous shortage of them in the Polish market.

AS COBIN Angels, we are dedicated to changing this situation which is why since 2018 we have been presenting the Business Angel of the Year (BAY) award for the most notable private investors. The special Award Committee selects the laureates out of the nominations and recommendations submitted by other business angels, entrepreneurs, and startup founders.

Now, we are once again asking the investment and startup community to name the leading angel investors of this year.

To nominate a business angel for the award, please fill in the form HERE. The deadline for recommending candidates is January 17th, 2021.

The perfect candidate for the award should be:

• a serial private investor dedicated to expanding their portfolio with diverse enterprises
• a supporter and mentor committed to the development and growth of startups under their wing
• an experienced entrepreneur or manager willing to share their know-how and contacts
• an ambassador of angel investment in Poland focused on propagating early-stage private funding

The BAY Award is presented in three categories:

• Business Angel of the Year - for the most prominent angel investor in 2020
• Debutant of the Year - for the best first-time investor
• Ecosystem Award - presented by the startup community for the most supportive business angels

In the previous years, out of the numerous nominations we received, the Award Committee selected candidates that distinguished themselves with business acumen, courage in taking risks, and dedication to working alongside startup founders as equal partners. They were:

2019 - Wojciech Kostrzewa, CEO of Billon

Wojciech Kostrzewa is the CEO of Billon, a fintech company specializing in blockchain technology. Before, Wojciech spent 28 years building large banking and media companies. He worked as the CEO of the media conglomerate ITI Group and banks Polski Bank Rozwoju and BRE Bank (today mBank). He also managed the activities of Commerzbank in Central and Eastern Europe. Currently, he serves as the chairman of the Polish Business Roundtable, the deputy chairman of the supervisory board of ERGO Hestia, and the member of the board of directors of Stadler Rail and the supervisory board of Canal+ Polska.

2018 - Dawid Urban, Co-founder of CHIC Group

Dawid Urban is a business angel, entrepreneur, a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. He co-created the CHIC Group and its e-Smoking World brand, currently a part of the British American Tobacco group. Dawid is also an owner and co-owner of several companies, including well-known clothing brands (e.g. Local Heroes, Sugarfree). Initiator and co-founder of Take & GO autonomous chain stores.

The 2020 Business Angel of the Year award will be presented during a ceremony in mid-February. Depending on the pandemic conditions, the event will be held either virtually or in a hybrid format at the CIC Warsaw campus in the newly opened Varso Place complex.

Partners: CIC Warsaw, PFR Ventures, Dolnośląski Fundusz Rozwoju, DFR Inwestycyjny, Greenberg Traurig Poland, Kogito Ventures, Pomerangels, WSB University in Warsaw, Younick Mint

Patronages: Polish Confederation Lewiatan, Polish Business Roundtable

Media Partners: ICAN Management Review, ISBnews, ITwiz, My Company Polska, Twilit.eu

The nomination form is also available below. To see the BAY 2020 Regulations, click here.

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