FESE: ‘Meet The Winners Of The 3rd European Small And Mid-Cap Awards’

On the evening of 9th December, FESE and EuropeanIssuers co-hosted a prestigious awards ceremony to celebrate the winners of the 3rd European Small and Mid-cap Awards.

The ceremony was presided over by the European Commission: Lowri Evans, Director General of DG GROWTH.

The Awards aim to highlight the best European small and mid-sized companies who have gained access to capital markets via an Initial Public Offering (IPO). By offering a platform for such companies we hope to encourage more companies to follow suit by accessing finance through public capital markets.

The Awards, now in their third year, were founded by the European Commission, FESE and EuropeanIssuers in 2013 with the aim of highlighting what can be achieved by small and mid-cap companies who have raised money on public exchanges through IPOs.

Among the short-listed nominees, many have significantly increased both revenues and profits since floatation. These companies deserve recognition.

The four Award categories were introduced by Deirdre Somers, President of FESE and Chief Executive

Officer of the Irish Stock Exchange and Luc Vansteenkiste, Chairman of EuropeanIssuers.

The winners were announced as follows:

• Best new listed company:

Xeros  Technology,  a  British  company  that  develops  and  produces  patented  polymer  bead systems, listed on the London Stock Exchange;

• Most innovative newcomer:

ERYTECH Pharma, a French biopharmaceutical company that develops innovative therapies for

rare forms of cancer and orphan diseases, listed on Euronext Paris;

• Most internationally-minded newcomer:

Scatec Solar, a Norwegian independent solar power producer, listed on Oslo Børs; and

• Rising star:

Selvita,  a  Polish  drug  discovery  company  engaged  in  the  research  and  development  of breakthrough therapies, listed on GPW (Warsaw Stock Exchange).

European Issuers’ Chairman, Luc Vansteenkiste, said, “Since the awards were launched in 2013 with the support of the European Commission, we have promoted best practices and success stories of more than 60 dynamic growth companies accessing capital markets. This edition, we are delighted to highlight the best European small and mid-sized companies having gone through an Initial Public Offering. We believe that access to these markets are important not only for Small and Mid-Cap companies but also to generate sustainable economic growth.”

Deirdre Somers, FESE President, said, “The listed companies nominated for these Awards fully deserve to be recognised for their achievements and serve as an example to other companies of the positive benefits that can be gained from equity financing. European companies are the backbone of the European economy, they deliver the vast majority of jobs, intellectual capital and innovation capability that will hopefully sustain the next generation.