On April 19, 2024, LatBAN and Latvian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (LVCA) organized the annual ceremony "Gada Investors 2023"
 

LatBAN and LVCA have been organizing the Investor of the Year awards since 2015. The event focuses on the growth trends in the private equity and business angel industry, highlighting and honoring key market players, consultants and supporters, and promoting the exchange of experience and knowledge. 

Here are the Laureates:

✅ Angel of the Year - Eduards Zolotuhins

✅ Best Syndicate Investment - ASP Asset Management AIFP syndicate investment in Monetizr

✅ Exit of the Year - BaltCap, FlyCap and ZGI Capital exit from HansaMatrix

✅ Annual Sustainability Award - Merito Partners & Saules Energy for the solar power plants development

✅ Investment of the Year - Livonia Partners for the investment in Digital Mind

✅ Financial Advisor of the Year - Superia

✅ Legal Consultant of the Year - Cobalt

✅ Industry Supporter of the Year - James Janis Berdigans for Startup House Riga

✅ Signet Bank Special Award - Anatolijs Prohorovs for Lifetime investment

"Start-ups are one of the cornerstones of the innovation ecosystem - it is an accelerator for the creation of innovative business ideas and a faster increase in the productivity of companies. At the same time, ecosystem development is unthinkable without the presence of strong ecosystem players and their unified vision for further development. We have created a strong support network from the private and public sector, and have also attracted the attention of foreign investors, in the last 10 years Latvian start-ups have attracted 620 million euros in investments. With the help of a unified start-up support strategy - and such a strategy has been defined for Latvia by setting common goals and tasks! - together we can create an investment-friendly environment that is open to new market challenges and technological progress and innovation. I am sure that by continuing this successful cooperation, all the prerequisites for the growth and competitiveness of the Latvian economy have been created," emphasizes the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Latvia, Viktors Valainis.

"The formation and development of start-ups is an important driving force of Latvian economic growth, which is impossible without investments. The capital market plays an important role in creating the investment environment, which has developed significantly in Latvia in recent years and offers ample opportunities for investment attraction, thanks to more active interest of investors and ambitious local companies. "Signet Bank" is happy to support "Investor of the Year 2023", which is an excellent platform to honor investors and companies that have made a significant contribution to the development of the financial industry and Latvian investment environment. We are confident that we can continue to promote an environment favorable to investment growth by strengthening the digital competence of the financial sector, promoting innovation and jointly advancing economic development, including the business growth potential of local companies", says Roberts Idelsons, Chairman of the Board of Signet Bank.

"Start-ups and sustainable entrepreneurship are the driving force of Riga's business development. This is the right way to strengthen Riga as a modern and competitive Northern European metropolis. The green course we follow already plays a vital role in the city's growth strategy. At the same time, by cooperating with the start-up industry and creating support programs, we help develop knowledge and resource capital, thus, the start-ups here can become their own field for international players," emphasizes Fredis Bikovs, Director of the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency.

Reinis Bērziņš, chairman of the board of "Development financial institutions ALTUM", states that the venture capital sector is one of ALTUM's priorities. So far, the venture capital funds co-financed by ALTUM have already invested more than 110 million euros in companies. In the next period of funding from EU funds, the total available funding for the venture capital sector will be around 90 million euros, which is an important amount for the development of companies in the future. "Investments in this sector are not only an opportunity to stimulate the emergence of start-ups and promote the development of competitive companies and projects, but it already makes a very practical contribution to the national economy as a whole. The turnover of the supported companies already exceeds 270 million euros, these companies have already paid more than 65 million euros in taxes, more than 560 new jobs have been created," explains R. Bērziņš.

Thank you to our event supports who made the event possible

Signet Bank - Latvian Leading Investment Bank!

Business Riga

ALTUM

Ekonomikas ministrija/ Ministry of Economics