The cream of Bristol’s tech and digital cluster have just a week left to submit their nominations for The 2017 SPARKies, the awards showcasing the region’s best start-ups, founders, entrepreneurs and mentors.
West of England tech sector group TechSPARK, which stages the awards, has also revealed the line-up of expert judges and announced that comedian Comedian Laura Lexx will host the award ceremony in June.
Now in their fifth year, the SPARKies shine a light on the very best people, products and companies in the Bristol and Bath’s digital and tech sectors and highlight the best companies and innovations.
The 20 judges are all prominent figures in the South West tech scene. They will have the arduous task of selecting the people, products and companies who stand out the most across 15 award categories.
SPARKies director Abby Frear said: “I’m delighted with the judging panel we have lined up. Our 20 judges are experts in their fields, innovative investors, serial entrepreneurs and creative geniuses. They know their stuff.
“If previous years are anything to go by, we can expect a minimum of 200 nominations. The judges’ task will be a challenging one and they will want to be impressed.”
Among the judges is Constance Fleuriot, co-founder of the Women’s Tech Hub Bristol. She said: “I’m hoping to see something new and interesting, or well tried, tested and useful. I am quite open to being impressed by all sorts of tech activities.”
Joining her on the judging panel is Andrew Mulvenna, co-founder of Bristol-based retail management software firm Brightpearl.
He said: “I want to support engineers with ambition to build big global businesses. I’m looking for the entrepreneurs who can solve the hardest problems and serve fundamental human needs by harnessing the South West’s deep engineering heritage.”
A full list of judges and a few helpful hints for applicants are available on the SPARKies website.
The winners will be announced and celebrated at a ceremony on Thursday June 29 at the Komedia in Bath. Comedian Laura has been revealed as this year’s host.
Laura Lexx, who performed her solo show Tyrannosaurus Lexx at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2016, is also known for co-hosting The Jason Manford Show on Absolute Radio.
Nominations for the SPARKies close at midnight on Friday May 19. To nominate someone or for more information visit: http://thesparkies.com
