NVCA Adds New Award Categories for 2017

The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) has added three new award categories to the lineup of awards that will be presented at the 2017 NVCA Leadership Gala to be held at the Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, CA the evening of March 8, 2017.

The new award categories include the Rising Star Award, Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award and the Venture Firm of the Year Award. These three new award categories join the current roster of awards that includes the Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital Award, the Outstanding Service Award and the American Spirit Award. Nominations for all six awards is now open until January 29, 2017.

“After much discussion with our board, our members and other constituencies in the ecosystem, we concluded it was appropriate to add these important new categories to our lineup of awards that will be presented at the Leadership Gala,” said Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of NVCA. “Now in its third year, the Leadership Gala has quickly emerged as the premier annual event to convene leaders of the venture industry, and it made sense to expand our award categories so that we could appropriately recognize the great work of our industry.”

Nominations can be made here: http://nvca.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_07EtgD4ZLV4S6bj

NVCA Award Categories:

Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital Award

The Lifetime Achievement in Venture Capital Award was created to recognize venture professionals who have dedicated their professional lives to creating and building successful and highly competitive venture firms as well as portfolio companies that have made a significant contribution to the growth and success of the U.S. economy. Recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award were instrumental in the formation and growth of the venture capital industry and have consistently set high performance standards for the entire industry.

Outstanding Service Award

The Outstanding Service Award was created to recognize the exceptional service of an NVCA Director or NVCA member who has committed an extraordinary amount of time, resources and dedication to Association efforts that in turn benefits the entire venture industry. The dedication has raised the visibility of the industry to key legislators and regulators and helped to educate them regarding the pivotal role of venture capital to this economy.

American Spirit Award

The American Spirit Award was created to recognize NVCA members who have shown philanthropic leadership by applying business skills, knowledge, expertise and resources to make an outstanding contribution to society.

Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award was created to recognize the next generation of venture capital professionals who are rising through ranks and establishing themselves as future standard bearers of the industry. Recipients of the award have demonstrated a mastery of venture capital investing gleaned through a relatively short amount of time in the industry and are widely recognized by their peers and others as emerging leaders of the venture capital industry.

Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award

For over three decades, venture capital has been at the forefront of some of the greatest advancements in medicine, pushing the boundaries of medical innovation and spurring the creation of the biotechnology and medical device industries. The Excellence in Healthcare Innovation Award was created to recognize those who have demonstrated a clear commitment to the advancement of healthcare innovation through their investment in and support of groundbreaking medical companies that are working on treatments and cures for the most deadly and costly diseases.

Entrepreneur of the Year Award

If it were not for the vision and drive of the startup founders, there would be no venture capital industry or entrepreneurial ecosystem to fund. Recognizing that it all starts with the founder, the Entrepreneur of the Year Award was created to recognize a venture-backed founder who embodies the spirt of entrepreneurship that underpins the ecosystem.

Venture Firm of the Year Award

The Venture Firm of the Year Award was created to recognize venture capital firms for their significant contributions to advance the entrepreneurial ecosystem and generate returns for their investors. Firms receiving the award are recognized for strong fund performance and high exit multiples for recent exits.

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