Skype backers walk away with awards

UK Technology Innovation and Growth Awards handed out...

Index Ventures, the venture capital company that backed voice over IP phenomenon Skype and saw it sold to eBay in a deal worth up to $4.1bn last year, walked away with the VC of the Year and the Deal of the Year gongs at last night's Investment and Growth Awards in London.

The awards recognise those judged to be leading the way in the areas where early-stage tech companies, investors, advisors, user organisations and others come together.

The CIO Innovator awards were won by the London Borough of Hillingdon's Steve Palmer (in the public sector category) - judges liked his "commitment to innovation in the use and deployment of technology at a strategic level across the council's internal and external services" - and Amtrak Express Parcels' Phil Young, a frequent contributor to silicon.com's CIO Jury.

Other notable winners were Chris Stone of Northgate Information Solutions, for Technology CEO of the Year (Small and Medium Cap Firm), and Terry Burt of 2e2 Group, for Technology CEO of the Year (Private Firm).

A number of the categories were fiercely contested and in the Technology CEO of the Year (Private Firm) category the judges also highly commended Chris Brassington, CEO of Totem Communications.

Bango CEO Ray Anderson was named Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, while the teaming up of Vodafone and Fujitsu Services saw them win in the Partnering for Innovation Award.

The other categories and winners on the night were:

Private Equity Firm of the Year
Advent International

Early Stage Investor of the Year
Atlas Venture

Technology Law Firm of the Year
Osborne Clarke

Hottest Overseas Technology Prospect of the Year
NetSuite Inc

Hottest UK Technology Prospect of the Year
Icera

The UK Technology I&G Awards are run by the European Technology Forum, which is owned by the publisher of silicon.com, CNET Networks UK.