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Today, Tech Tour announces its 2017 Tech Tour Growth 50 to shine a light on the next generation of Europe’s fastest growth equity backed tech businesses.

Tech Tour, a platform that facilitates high-tech growth companies to develop strategic relations with investors, together with Silverpeak Investment Bank and in conjunction with a selection committee of international investors have researched and evaluated over 275 European private tech companies at a sub-one billion US dollar valuation.

The selection committee (see notes to editors), chaired by Jean-Michel Deligny, Silverpeak, was composed of 18 international venture capital firms, advisers and experts who judged the companies based on their achievement, impact and momentum.

The CEOs of the companies will gather at the annual Tech Tour Growth Forum in partnership with Pictet & Cie and Bryan, Garnier & Co in Geneva from March 30th – 31st where two companies will be announced as the 2017 Tech Tour Growth Award and Tech Tour Innovation Award winner.

The Tech Tour Growth 50 2017 (companies shaded in blue enter the TTG50 for the first time in 2017)

William Stevens, Managing Director, Tech Tour, commented “The billion dollar “unicorn” successes that grab our attention are just the tip of the iceberg. The Tech Tour Growth 50 puts the next layer of Europe’s high-tech, high-growth businesses in the limelight. These are Europe’s future potential unicorns – the companies with the most promise to have a global impact. The Tech Tour Growth 50 Companies have created over 9, 000 high-tech jobs, raised over $3.7 billion of investment from 309 investors and have an estimated average valuation of $338 million. This is a clear demonstration of Europe’s strength and competitiveness in scaling-up tech businesses.”

The composition of the list has changed significantly from the first edition in 2015 where almost 50% of the companies were defined as ‘B2C eCommerce’. This year that broad category only applies to just over 30% of the companies, with only 15% in what we can now view as traditional online retail.

Major success stories emerging in B2B software and services, particularly in Fintech, Security and the Internet of Things. These are the companies that are driving the move from the era of the consumer internet to the industrial internet. An area where Europe has a clear competitive advantage. These companies, which include Sigfox, Actility, Drayson Technologies, Algomi, Telensa, Darktrace, Feedzai    and Calastone are enabling profound changes in industries as diverse as Energy, Insurance, Fixed Income trading, Agriculture and Asset Management. 

European tech dynasties are now emerging where the capital and expertise created by realised unicorn successes such as Skype, Zoopla and Autonomy is supporting many of the future unicorns we see in this year’s Tech Tour Growth 50. This, together with a host of European serial entreprenuers turned super angel investors backing TTG50 companies such as Charles Dunstone (Carphone Warehouse), William Reeve (LoveFilm) and Jacques Antoine Granjon (Vente Prive), gives compelling evidence of just how deep, broad and globally competitive the European tech scene has become in recent years.

Commenting on the selection process Jean-Michel Deligny, Managing Partner, Silverpeak Investment Banking explained “We combine the quantitative rigour of using multiple data sources for valuation, sales growth and financing with the qualitative insight of a selection committee of leading investors and advisers in order to come up with the list of great European tech companies beyond unicorns, in fact we specifically excluded unicorns. Given the quality of the selection committee and the rigour of the process The Tech Tour Growth 50 is now cemented as the reference tool for all those interested in up and coming European tech companies. Each year our work is becoming more difficult as there is a growing number of great European companies. It is of course a very nice problem to have and explains the growing appeal of the Tech Tour Growth Forum as the place to meet great late-stage European tech companies. ”