Grand slam for Swedish Payment company Klarna
11th May 2012, Berlin: Investment bank GP Bullhound last night announced the winners of its 2012 Media Momentum Awards, with Flip4New, an online company that trades your old consumer electronics for money, recognised as the fastest growing European company, based on revenue and market expansion. The German based company reached the number one spot above the 50 contenders shortlisted for the title including Wonga, Deezer, and UK based company Quidco. The big winner of the evening was Swedish based company Klarna, which took a record five out of the eight awards.
Now in its ninth year, the GP Bullhound Summit and Media Momentum Awards involve some of the most prominent decision makers in Europe’s digital media industry. The exclusive day-long event saw over 170 pioneers and leading commentators within the sector participate in a series of insightful sessions to discuss some of the most hotly debated issues affecting Europe’s digital landscape.
Catapulting the thriving city of Berlin into the spotlight, guests discussed how it is fast becoming a natural hub for budding entrepreneurs striving to make their mark on the digital scene. Lively debates examining a variety of hot topics including the opportunities raised by digital content, and its subsequent impact on publishers, pirates and payment providers also governed the agenda for the day, along with an analysis of some of the key criteria aiding some of the most successful and established European companies and how they can move forward to conquer the global market.
The Summit proceeded an evening celebrating the industry’s successes at the GP Bullhound’s Media Momentum Awards which recognised some of the biggest accomplishments this year. New to the 2012 shortlist and chosen by an esteemed panel of 27 judges from Europe’s booming digital media industry, Flip4New was recognised for its astonishing compound growth over the past year. The company’s success at the ceremony is a testament to other innovative companies in the European digital media sector, eager to be recognised alongside more high-profile companies that have previously made the top list.
Manish Madhvani, Managing Partner at GP Bullhound, commented: “The Media Momentum Awards continue to showcase the stars of the European Internet sector. The Top 50 companies have grown their revenues from c€400m to well over €2bn in 3 years I would like to personally congratulate all the winners and nominees for their achievements. In a dire economic environment this is an admirable feat and these entrepreneurs will be crucial for Europe returning to strong growth. We are fortunate to have worked with many in the list and look forward to seeing the next €1bn company emerging from the list.”
Online payments company, Klarna walked away with five of the eight coveted awards, including leadership, best global potential, innovation, and the overall judge’s award. The company has been valued at $1 billion following funding from investors and as such further consolidates the recognition gained at last night’s ceremony.
The complete list for the 2012 Media Momentum Awards winners is:
Overall Fastest Growing Company Award: Flip4New
Best Global Potential Award: Klarna
Most Innovative Company Award: Klarna
Judges Award: Klarna
Fastest Growing Larger Company Award: Wonga
Media Momentum Woman of the Year: Annelies van den Belt, CEO of SUP Media
Media Momentum Man of the Year: Niklas Adalberth, COO of Klarna
Unique Leadership Award: Klarna
The GP Bullhound 2012 Summit and Media Momentum Awards took place at the Nhow Hotel in Berlin on 10th May, and was sponsored by Kemp Little, Acton Capital Partners, TA Associates, Northzone, Index Ventures, Fidelity Growth Partners Europe. For more information about the event and the GP Bullhound Summit: Berlin 2012, please visit:
http://www.gpbullhoundsummit.com/.
