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Startup CEO Award, 3 Mar 2027

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The benchmark of excellence

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The Startup CEO Award celebrate the people, businesses and organisations doing exceptional work. Explore the categories and help recognise someone shaping the future through their achievement, leadership and impact.

Startup CEO Awards

Individual Excellence AwardsStandard

Innovative CEO of the Year Award

For a chief executive who brought a genuinely new product or service to market

RecognisesInnovationCreativity
RecognitionIndividualInnovation

About this category

The Innovative CEO of the Year Award recognises a chief executive who brought a genuinely new product or service to market.

The judges look at originality of the product or service, the problem it solves, market response and results so far.

Eligibility

Open to chief executives, managing directors and founders leading their business as CEO in any sector, of organisations based in or serving the region. Self-nominations and nominations made by others are both welcome.

Judging criteria

  • Entries are judged on originality of the product or service
  • The problem it solves
  • Market response and results so far

Qualitative criteria

  • What they set out to achieve as chief executive
  • The decisions that made the difference
  • How their people and stakeholders describe their leadership

Metrics

  • Results in figures for the last one to three years
  • People, customers or communities affected
  • Recognition already received

Additional criteria

  • Include a short account of the achievement
  • The results in figures and a word from a board member
  • Colleague or client

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