2024 Irish Investor Awards winners

We were thrilled to welcome so many guests to our inaugural Irish Investor Awards held on Friday, 17 May 2024, at the historic Round Room in the Mansion House, Dublin 2.

The packed event, hosted by Irish radio and television presenter Anton Savage, was a fitting testament to the thriving entrepreneurial spirit in Ireland and the dedication, resilience and vision of the individuals and organisations within the Irish Private Equity and Venture Capital Industry.

At Mazars, we recognise the important role played by the Irish investor community in driving the sustainable growth of indigenous small- and medium-sized enterprises and fostering innovation within the Irish economy.

Mazars Managing Partner Tom O’Brien welcomed all guests and we were delighted to have the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe officially open the awards. Both spoke highly of the trailblazing winners on the night and commented on how the Irish Investor Awards are set to become a regular fixture in the investment calendar, thanks to the number of submissions received in the first year.

The evening was also an opportunity to celebrate the network of professionals dedicated to providing essential support and expertise to the investor sector. From legal advisors, corporate advisors and consultants to tax specialists and auditors, the professional services community plays a vital role in facilitating transactions, managing risk, and ensuring compliance.

John Bowe, Corporate Finance Partner, said: “At Mazars, we feel this awards night is long overdue for the Irish private equity and venture capital investor market. Recognising the sector's role in supporting and growing Irish businesses is crucial. The Irish Investor Awards is a celebration of all stakeholders who contribute to make deals happen in Ireland.”

Awards submissions were judged by a panel of industry experts, executives and professionals from a diverse range of fields, all with a wealth of experience and knowledge in their respective areas. The judges reviewed and scored the entries based on predefined criteria to select the most deserving winners. Mazars did not enter any awards.

At the end of the evening, Mazars presented the Lifetime Achievement award to Michael Murphy, who held the role of Managing Director at Investec for over two decades and is currently a Non-Executive Adviser at the company.

Congratulations to all the winners. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for an even bigger celebration in 2025!

The awards covered a broad range of investors and professional services, and the winners were:

• Debt Funding Deal of the Year under €10m: AIB Business Banking for Boann Distillery.
• Debt Funding Deal of the Year over €10m: DunPort Capital Management for funding of Schivo Medical.
• International PE Investment in Irish Company Deal of the Year: Phoenix Equity Partners for investment in Nostra.
• Corporate Law Firm Team of the Year: The Maples Group.
• Corporate Finance Advisory Firm of the Year (Sponsored by Dunport): IBI Corporate Finance Ltd.
• Environmental, Social and Governance Deal of the Year (Sponsored by Development Capital): Beach Point Capital Ireland for Investment in My Solar.
• Deal of the Year (Sub €2.5m): Foresight Group for investment in Hospital Services Ltd.
• Deal of the Year (€2.5m - €10m): Development Capital for investment in Wogan Build Centre.
• Deal of the Year over €10m category: Inflexion for investment in Village Vets.
• Due Diligence Team of The Year category: EY.
• Portfolio Deal of the Year: Renatus for the exit of Boojum.
• Rising Star Under 30: Aoife McAdam from BGF Ireland.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Murphy.
•  Irish VC House of the Year: Act Venture Capital.
• Irish Private Equity House of the Year: Erisbeg.