The founder of the Northern Tech Awards, Manoj Ranaweera writes on his website of the ‘emotionally fired up’ sale of the annual awards to boutique investment bank GP Bullhound.
He said the awards itself was not a business but a key asset that had emerged from Techcelerate.
“It was setup as the highlight of the year, when I used to run over 20 events a year, and our strong community of 2,300 tech entrepreneurs, senior managers of tech companies, investors, deal makers and service providers demanded of a key annual event.
“Running a tech startup is damn hard. I have scars to prove it. Northern Tech Awards was the annual event, where the community as a whole recognised those startups which stood above the rest of us. It was a night to dress well, be recognised and celebrate in style.
“My tiny team and I ran Northern Tech Awards for three years with no budget, and it was getting bigger in terms of expectations for us to manage effectively. And out of the blue, Hugh Campbell of GP Bullhound came with an offer I could not resist.”
