By Gokhan Ergocun
ISTANBUL (AA) - The World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) gave awards to brands, angel investors, crowd-funders, early-stage venture capital investors and policymakers who support early-stage equity and investment markets.
The 'Oscars' of capital markets were announced at the WBAF's World Congress 2020, through the forum's World Excellence Awards, in Istanbul on Monday.
According to a press release issued by the forum, the WBAF "seeks to promote and nurture startups, scale-ups, high-growth businesses, SMEs, angel investors, and a dynamic business community throughout the world."
It added: "From business angels to policymakers to academics, the Awards salute those who stand out in imagining, discussing, and shaping the future of an entrepreneurial world."
Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, the executive director of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), received 'The Grand Award: Lifelong Achievement'. Six more awards were announced.
The Best Impactful Country Office of 2019 was Croatia Country Office; the Best Governmental Agency Supporting Entrepreneurship in the Middle East was Tamkeen of Bahrain, the Most Startup-Friendly Country of Southeast Europe was Albania, the Most Vibrant Ecosystem for Investment in Asia was Malaysia, the 21st-Century Foundation Serving World Heritage by Promoting Dialogue, Peace and Tolerance was Three Cultures Foundation, and the Startup Nation of Western Africa was Mali.
The two-day congress which kicked off on Monday, hosts hundreds of participants from 92 countries and 132 international speakers on 24 panels, including angel investors, venture capitalists, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
The event, for which Anadolu Agency is the global communications partner, is expected to be attended by 1,500 delegates.