A new global award launches today to recognise the world’s most promising early-stage entrepreneurs, giving founders leading companies that are under four years old and pre-Series A a platform to celebrate their critical work.
The Investec Early-Stage Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (“The Investec Easies”), powered by OPUS, are the first awards designed specifically to spotlight founders at the very beginning of their journey.
At a time when over 305 million businesses are formed each year—but few break through—The Investec Easies aim to uncover the boldest ideas before scale or exit. In partnership with Investec Wealth & Investment International and Endava, the publicly listed technology services giant, The Investec Easies launch with the backing of institutions that shape both capital and innovation on a global scale.
Winners of The Investec Easies will be selected through a combination of public votes and input from an international panel of judges spanning capital, culture, and entrepreneurship. Judges include Maxine Gray (Head of Strategy and Implementation, Investec Wealth & Investment International), Lyndon Subroyen (Group Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Investec), Alastair Lukies CBE (Chief Engagement Officer at Endava), Kristen McLeod CBE (Chief Strategy Officer, British Business Bank), Imtiaz Patel (former CEO, MultiChoice Group), Erin Platts (CEO, Octopus Ventures), and iconic innovator Marc Porat (Founder, General Magic).
For the first time, winners will also join the OPUS Delegation to Davos, breaking open the gates of a forum where decisions about the future of technology, climate, and society are made.
Prizes include a £10,000 cash award, access to The World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos—a stage typically reserved for corporates, unicorn founders, and world leaders—and bespoke growth support from OPUS and its partners. This unique combination of capital, access, and visibility gives early-stage founders tools that are rarely available at this stage, positioning them to scale their impact globally.
Sam Tidswell-Norrish, Founder & Chair of OPUS, said: “Founders at this stage often work in the shadows. Across an uneven playing field, it is conviction—without the spotlight—that drives them. The Investec Easies reward the audacity to begin, not just the ability to scale. Everyone talks about unicorns and billion-dollar rounds, but every story starts with a leap of courage: the idea scribbled on a napkin, the risky quit from a stable job, the first late-night coding session. Those leaps are rarely recognised, yet they are the beating heart of entrepreneurship. With The Investec Easies, we want to celebrate those sparks of possibility—because they are where the future is born.”
Joubert Hay, Chief Executive Officer of Investec Wealth & Investment International, said: “Investec is rooted in entrepreneurship—it’s how we think, how we operate, and it defines our commitment to our clients, many of whom are established entrepreneurs. We believe in being deeply invested in the next generation of entrepreneurs, who are the lifeblood of economic vitality. By sponsoring these awards, we align our international growth strategy with the prosperity of future clients. Supporting early-stage entrepreneurship is an investment in sustainable economic growth across the geographies in which we operate.”
Winners will be selected across four categories celebrating founder bravery:
Impact ESEY – for change that outlasts the founder; Consumer ESEY – for brands people believe in, not just buy; Technology ESEY – for tech the world doesn’t yet know it needs and Female Founder ESEY – for women building on their own terms.
Kristen McLeod CBE, Chief Strategy Officer of the British Business Bank, said: “Backing early founders is about far more than capital. We need to build networks where talent and ideas can thrive. Too often, brilliant entrepreneurs are overlooked simply because they don’t yet have scale or don’t fit the ‘typical’ founder mold. That’s a loss for all of us. What excites me about The Investec Easies is that they surface those voices early, connect them to the right partners, and give them a platform. That access has a ripple effect—it creates stronger communities, inspires the next generation, and unlocks growth that is more inclusive and resilient. That’s why we’re proud to be part of this.”
Alastair Lukies CBE, Chief Engagement Officer at Endava, said: “The Easies are the first awards of their kind—shining a light on founders at the very start, when courage matters most. At Endava, we’ve always believed technology should unlock possibility and empower the bold to build what’s next. That’s why supporting the Easies feels like serendipity: their mission and ours are perfectly aligned. Together, we’re backing the visionaries whose ideas will shape the future.”
Applications are now open to founder-led companies that are under four years old and pre-Series A. The deadline to apply is 5 November 2025. A shortlist will be published later that month, with winners announced in December. The final cohort will join the OPUS Delegation to Davos in January 2026.
