Braidwater and DisplayNote celebrated at Northern Ireland business awards

Northern Ireland’s investment and business community met in Belfast last night to discover the winners of the annual BVCA Management Team Awards.
These awards, produced in association with Grant Thornton, are all about highlighting outstanding businesses across the UK that are backed by private equity and venture capital. Throughout the course of the year we tour the country and last night we arrived at The Merchant Hotel in Belfast to announce the champions in the Northern Ireland category.
The winners include a wireless collaboration tool for companies and schools, and a family-owned building firm, both of them outstanding performers in their fields and both backed by the UK’s leading business investors.
Judges' comments
Venture Capital Management Team
DisplayNote
Backed by Kernel Capital
Since its inception in 2012, Belfast-based DisplayNote has grown into a successful software solutions business with a good turnover and further growth anticipated. Paul Brown and his team have successfully expanded DisplayNote’s products, ensuring strong potential future growth. It is a truly innovative business that has distinguished itself in the market.
Growth Capital Management Team
Braidwater
Backed by BGF
Braidwater is a successful, family-owned construction business that has grown to become one of Northern Ireland’s leading housebuilders. From their head office in Londonderry, Patrick McGinnis and his team implemented a successful strategy that helped the business expand and navigate the challenges of the financial crisis, fuelling strong growth and EBITDA.
DisplayNote and Braidwater will now be entered into the national final alongside companies from across the rest of the UK. The national winners will be announced and presented at the BVCA Gala Dinner in London on 28 November.
For further information, please contact
Tom Allchorne, Director, Communications, BVCA
+44 (0)20 7492 0407
[email protected] or [email protected]
Notes to editor
- The BVCA Management Team Awards, produced in association with Grant Thornton UK LLP, are the only awards to celebrate the achievements of private equity and venture capital-backed management teams. There are eight regions in total, each with their own judging panel, and all winners are automatically forwarded to the national final, the results of which will be presented at the BVCA Annual Gala Dinner at the end of the year in London. Please click here for more information.
- The Northern Ireland judging panel consists of: Peter Garvey, The Carlyle Group (chair of the panel); Graham Clarke, BGF; Charlie Kerlin, Grant Thornton; Allen Martin, Kernel Capital; William McCulla, Invest Northern Ireland; James Morris, LDC; Drew O’Sullivan, InterTradeIreland.
- The British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) is the industry body for the UK private equity and venture capital industry. The BVCA has over 770 member firms, representing the vast majority of UK-based private equity and venture capital firms and their advisers.
- Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms. These firms help dynamic organisations unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, forward-thinking advice. Proactive teams, led by approachable partners in these firms, use insights, experience and instinct to understand complex issues for privately owned, publicly listed and public sector clients and help them to find solutions. More than 35,000 Grant Thornton people, across over 100 countries, are focused on making a difference to clients, colleagues and the communities in which we live and work. The UK Grant Thornton member firm provides services to over 40,000 privately held businesses, public interest entities and individuals. It is led by more than 185 partners and employs more than 4,200 of the profession's brightest minds. Find out more at www.grantthornton.co.uk.