2020 Award Categories

  • Business to Business Services Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up in Wales delivering services to other businesses

    The judges are looking for new businesses that are able to show growth through the provision of excellent services to other businesses.

  • Cardiff Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up which is based in Cardiff.

    The judges are looking for businesses that have made a significant impact through innovation and enterprise in the city of Cardiff.

  • Construction Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start up operating in the construction and building services industry in Wales.

    The judges are looking for a new business that has made an immediate and significant impact in the construction sector and has a clear vision for its future success.

  • Consumer Services Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start up operating in the consumer services industry in Wales

    The judges are looking for new businesses that are able to show growth through the provision of excellent services to consumers.

  • Creative Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award recognises those start-ups that are operating in the creative sector in Wales

    The judges are looking for new creative businesses that use innovation, skills and talent to create original content.

  • Cyber Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award recognises the best new cyber security company in Wales

    Judges will be looking for evidence of impact on clients through the the provision and delivery of innovative high quality cyber products or services.

  • Digital Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award recognises those start-ups that are operating in the digital sector.

    The judges are looking for new digital businesses that are achieving growth through the right mix of innovation and exceptional customer experience.

  • Equity-funded Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award recognises the success of those new businesses that have attracted external investment to grow and develop. The judges are looking for new businesses that are disrupting their sector through a clear commitment to continued innovation.

    To enter this award, new businesses must have been awarded equity funding from the Development Bank of Wales

  • Financial and Professional Services Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up operating in the financial and professional services sector.

    The judges are looking for new businesses that are changing the financial and professional services industry through new and innovative products or solutions.

  • Fintech Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to all startups who are applying new technologies to products and services in the financial services industry.

    The judges are looking for new businesses that are disrupting the Fintech sector through a clear commitment to continued innovation.

  • Food and Drink Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is for those start-ups who are developing new food products and drinks in Wales.

    The judges are looking for new businesses that have great potential to make a real impact in the food and drink industry in Wales over the next few years.

  • Global Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is for those ‘born global‘ start-ups who have been trading internationally since the business was established.

    The judges are looking for those start-ups that are internationally focused and are growing their businesses through increased overseas trading.

  • Graduate Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up in Wales which has been founded by an individual (or individuals) who have graduated from a Welsh university in the last three years i.e. since July 1st 2017.

    The judges are looking for those graduates that have demonstrated entrepreneurial flair to develop a new business since leaving university.

  • Green Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award recognises those start-ups developing those products, processes or services that are resulting in significant environmental improvements.

    The judges are looking for new ventures that are fully committed to green business and are making a real difference to future sustainable development.

  • Innovative Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any innovation-driven start-up in Wales.

    The judges are looking for a new business that focuses on global and regional markets, is based on a clear business model, is scalable in the long term and has a an ownership base that includes external capital.

  • Manufacturing Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up based in the manufacturing and engineering sector in Wales.

    The judges are looking for new businesses that are using cutting edge manufacturing techniques to create new high quality products.

  • Medtech Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to those start-ups who are developing new products, services or solutions that are then used to save and improve people’s lives.


    The judges are looking for new businesses that are disrupting the Medtech sector through a clear commitment to continued innovation.

  • Mobile and Emerging Technologies Start-up
    of the Year

    This award is open to all start-ups in Wales involved in the development of virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things and iOS, Android or cross-platform apps.

    Judges will be looking for leading edge technologies being developed by new businesses to create innovative products and services that will shape the future.

  • North Wales Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up which is based in North Wales

    The judges are looking for businesses that have made a significant impact through innovation and enterprise in the Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Wrexham

  • Retail Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up based in the retail sector in Wales, including both those with a shop front and trading online.

    The judges are looking for new businesses that demonstrate retail excellence and have achieved growth through exceptional customer experience.

  • Rural Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up in Wales which is rurally-based i.e. located outside towns with more than 10,000 resident population.

    The judges are looking for businesses that have made a significant impact through innovation and enterprise in rural Wales.

  • Social Enterprise Start-Up
    of the Year

    A social enterprise is defined as one with an asset lock in its constitution, volunteer involvement at board level and restrictions on private distribution of dividends. The award is open to any social enterprise in Wales that has been operating for less than three years.

    The judges are looking for new businesses that have taken on social investment to break new ground either in delivering a new service, creating new models of delivery or breaking into new markets.

  • Tourism and Leisure Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up based in the tourism and leisure sector in Wales.

    Judges are looking for those new businesses that focus on excellence in delivering customer service and demonstrate innovation in tourism and leisure products and services.

  • Valleys Start-Up
    of the Year

    This award is open to any start-up in Wales which is based in the South Wales Valleys (which includes Neath and the Neath Valleys, North Bridgend and the counties of Rhondda Cynon Taff, Caerphilly, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent).

    The judges are looking for businesses that have made a significant impact through innovation and enterprise in the South Wales Valleys

  • Young Entrepreneur
    of the Year

    This award is made to individuals under the age of 30 on June 1st 2020 who have established their own start-up in the previous three years.

    The judges are looking for individuals who demonstrate ambition, energy, skill and vision, as well as tangible business success, in creating and developing an exceptional start-up during the last three years.

  • Rising Stars award

    This award is given to those new companies that are less than one year old i.e. the business should have started to trade on or after June 1st 2019.

    The judges will be looking for businesses that are developing innovative products or services with significant potential for the future.

2020 Award Shortlist

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