The 2026 Early-Stage Entrepreneur of the Year Awards

THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THOSE BUILDING IT.

The Investec Early-Stage Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, Brought to You by

The future does not just happen. Someone builds it. The ESEYs celebrate the founders doing exactly that. This is for the builders, believers, and people moving entire industries into the future.

Every future starts
with a founder.

This is for the builders, believers, and people moving entire industries into the future.

10 Category Winners

The ESEYs back the founders building what comes next — across ten categories, from finance to health to the planet.

$250,000 Prize Fund

$250,000 from Day Zero for one global winner.

Your Company in Davos

Every category winner joins the OPUS delegation to Davos.

More Than A Trophy

Winners receive a year of OPUS membership, access to its founder community, events, connections, and opportunities.

BACKING THE PEOPLE BUILDING THE FUTURE.

The Future is Female ESEY

For female founders building across any sector, business model or form of innovation.

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The Future of Services ESEY

For founders building consultancies, professional services, advisory or delivery businesses where human expertise drives the value.

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The Future of AI ESEY

For founders building genuine technology, technical IP or scientific innovation that could change how the world works.

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The Future of Finance ESEY

For founders building across fintech, payments, lending, wealth, insurance or financial infrastructure.

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The Future of Our Planet ESEY

For founders tackling climate, energy, food, water, circularity or the built environment through technology, physical products or operational innovation.

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The Future of Consumer ESEY

For founders building physical consumer goods across food, drink, beauty, lifestyle and everyday products.

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The Future of Enterprise ESEY

For founders building genuine B2B software and technical tools that transform how businesses operate.

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The Future of Creativity ESEY

For founders building technology that expands who gets to create, be seen, distribute work or earn from creativity.

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The Future of Health ESEY

For founders building genuine technology across health, longevity, mental health, femtech, medtech, diagnostics, fitness or wellness.

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The Future of Education & Work ESEY

For founders building technology across learning, skills, hiring, HR, flexible work and access to opportunity.

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Judges

Adam Moss

Co-Founder & CEO, HelpBnk

Cofounder and CEO of HelpBnk, who has scaled the founder support platform to more than 300,000 users after a decade growing companies in technology and music.

Al Brownlee OBE

Associate Partner, Redrice Ventures / Two-Time Olympic Triathlon Champion

Double Gold Olympian and elite athlete turned investor; brings discipline, leadership, and consumer brand insight from sport and venture.

Bruce Lowthers

CEO & Executive Director, Paysafe

A fintech veteran with more than three decades of experience transforming global payments.

Chris Tottman

Founder, Notion Capital

Early-stage tech investor and entrepreneur mentor. Backing founders who are building the next generation of transformative companies.

Cumesh Moodliar

CEO, Investec South Africa

CEO of Investec South Africa, committed to shaping South Africa’s future and building a resilient and inclusive economy.

Darri Atlason

Head of Growth, Harmonic

Helping scale the platform to serve thousands of the world’s leading venture investors.

Edwina Dunn OBE

Founder, The Female Lead

Data pioneer, cofounder of dunnhumby and founder of The Female Lead, a community of nine million women.

Elfried Samba

Co-Founder & CEO, Butterfly Effect

Cofounder and CEO of The Butterfly Effect, who grew Gymshark’s digital community from 1.5 million to 20 million.

Erin Platts

CEO, Octopus Ventures & Octopus Investments

A pan-European Venture Capital team investing in the people, ideas and industries that will change the world.

Gabbi Cahane

Partner, Stride.VC

A seasoned brand strategist and investor backing the next generation of technology founders.

Geordie Wainwright

Director, Boodles

Operations Director and sixth generation member of the family behind Boodles, helping lead the continued evolution of the British luxury jeweller.

Heidi Lindvall

Founder & General Partner, Pale blue dot

Founder and General Partner at Pale Blue Dot, backing technology founders tackling the world’s greatest climate challenges.

Ilona Logvinova

Chief AI Officer, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Championing founders shaping the frontier of what AI makes possible.

Imtiaz Patel

Former CEO, Multichoice Group

Built one of the world’s major media platforms. Here to spot founders rewriting regional narratives.

Jacquie Howard

Head of Private Client Philanthropy and Legal, Investec Wealth & Investment International

Combining legal expertise with a commitment to meaningful social impact.

Jeff Lynn

Co-Founder, Seedrs | Co-Founder, Day Zero

Builds platforms that democratise investing. Shapes policy that helps Britain innovate.

Katie Ramsey

Head of the Global Venture Capital Unit, Office for Investment

Head of the Global Venture Capital Unit in His Majesty’s Government’s Office for Investment, connecting global investors with high growth UK technology companies.

Kirsty Macdonald

Partner, JamJar Investments

Leading consumer VC backing mission-led brands; experienced operator bridging product, purpose, and early-stage growth

Kristen McLeod CBE

Chief Strategy Officer, British Business Bank

Shapes national policy on founder finance. Here to spotlight the entrepreneurs transforming access to capital.

Kristy Drutman

Founder of Brown Girl Green and Co-founder of Green Jobs Board

Climate entrepreneur connecting diverse talent with careers in the green economy.

Lestat McCree

Co-Founder & CEO, Healf

Cofounder and CEO of the wellbeing platform named the UK’s second fastest growing private company by The Sunday Times.

Litzie Maarek

Co-Founder, Educapital

Lyndsay Harris-Kyei

Vice President of Global Impact and Sustainability at ServiceNow

Vice President of Global Impact and Sustainability at ServiceNow, leading the company’s work across social impact, climate action and sustainable growth.

Marc Porat

Founder, General Magic

Silicon Valley visionary behind the first smartphone. Championing world-changing ideas before the world catches on.

Maya Raichoora

UK's leading mental fitness expert, author and Nike trainer

Mental fitness expert, author, Nike trainer and the brand’s first ever mental fitness trainer.

Nicole Alcock

Head of Investec Women of Wealth, Investec Wealth & Investment International

Head of Investec Women of Wealth and a wealth manager with a thirty year career at Investec.

Rene Wessels

Head Private Clients, Investec Wealth & Investment International

Tax specialist and attorney who founded Investec’s tax and fiduciary team and is now leading Private Client Strategy in Dubai.

Rowena Humby

Co-Founder & CEO, Starcount; Trustee, The Female Lead

Data-driven entrepreneur known for pioneering the use of customer insight and analytics to drive strategic growth. Brings depth across consumer behavior, retail and tech innovation.