(28 September 2017, London) Articheck, an “electronic passport” for works of art, was the winner of the award for Digital Innovation in Art, at tonight’s 15th annual Investors Allstar Awards ceremony for achievements in the European industry of venture capital investment, known as the “Oscars of the European venture capital industry”

Ivan Krylov with a case of exclusive Art Russe Grand Cru Chateau La Grace Dieu Prieurs for the winner

The award in the category of Digital Innovation in Art, presented for the second time, was established by the .ART founder, venture investor Ulvi Kasimov. In addition, the award recognises companies or individuals in the art industry that use digital technology to innovate in this field.

Ulvi Kasimov said, “First, the online art market has great investment potential and continues to experience growth despite the overall decline in the global art market. Today we see technology companies contributing to the development of the art industry and its online ecosystem. Furthermore, I am convinced that by supporting innovative IT projects in art, we are creating a strong technological base for further digital advancements across all sectors of the art market.”

CEO Annika Erikson was the winner of the award, Articheck, is a platform for art, built in 2013. In fact, Articheck creates an “electronic passport” for works of art, which is accessible anytime to interested individuals from anywhere in the world, regardless of where the artwork itself is located.

“Articheck is already on its way to becoming an industry standard” said Ben Crawford, one of the judges. “Articheck is constantly working on expanding its functionalities. Moreover, it is a complete technical solution, equally implementing a new standardised notation system, providing the market demand from shippers and insurers to museums, galleries and auction houses. Also, articheck brings transparency to an unregulated market.”

Manish Madhvani, Managing Partner of GP Bullhound, the host of the Awards, commented, “The successes featured in this year’s shortlist are testament to the strength and depth of tech talent across the continent. However, from world-leading investors to pioneering entrepreneurs, these leaders are at the forefront of the growth of Europe’s digital economy and continue to deliver exceptional returns and impact.”

 

The finalists for Digital Innovation in Art Award in 2017 included:

AuctionAftersale – the first and only online platform fully dedicated to unsold lots at auctions, with authenticated art pieces from over 2,000 auction houses.

Jonas Lund – a Swedish artist that creates paintings, sculpture, photography, websites and performances that critically reflects on contemporary networked systems and technological innovations.

The Artists Web LTD – a leading website builder and platform for Artists, now hosts close to 37 thousand artists’ websites and lists over 300 thousand works of Art.

Valuemystuff – the valuation service, success due to making the art appraisal and valuation process very accessible and easy, over half a million customers

 

Also, the winner of the .Art Award for Digital Innovation in Art was selected by a distinguished panel on the forefront of art market technologies. It includes Ben Crawford, news site, artinfo.com, founding CMO of the aggregation site MutualArt.com, and currently CEO of an AIM-listed technology innovator. Additionally, Adriano Picinati di Torcello, a Director at Deloitte Luxembourg specialised in art consulting; and Anders Petterson, Managing Director of ArtTactic, provider of art market research, analysis and advice for art collectors, art professionals, art institutions and art funds.

 

Meanwhile, other award categories 2017 included: Exit of the Year, Growth & Buyout Fund of the Year, Corporate Development Team of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Investor of the Year, Europe’s Allstar Company, as well as new Tech4Good Award (award recognizes a philanthropic tech firm that has that has achieved great social and environmental impact in 2017).

Notes to editors:

.Art (www.art.art)

.Art – is a new top-level domain created for the international art and culture community. .ART was launched in December 2016 by Ulvi Kasimov. He is a venture investor whose company UKCI (UK Creative Ideas Limited) became an operator of .ART under an exclusive agreement with ICANN, the Internet regulating body.

Investors Allstar Awards ceremony

Investors Allstar Awards ceremony for achievements in the European industry of venture capital investment, took place on 27 September at the Westminster Bridge Park Plaza, London. Moreover, the event was organized by GP Bullhound. Its the European technology investment bank, and GrowthBusiness.co.uk, a Vitesse Media publication, with support of the law group Orrick.

GP Bullhound (www.gpbullhound.com)

GP Bullhound is a leading technology merchant bank. It provides transaction advice and capital to the best entrepreneurs and founders in Europe and beyond. Founded in 1999, the firm today has offices in London, San Francisco, Stockholm, Berlin, Manchester, Paris and Hong Kong.

Growthbusiness.co.uk (www.growthbusiness.co.uk)

GrowthBusiness is a business essential for today’s entrepreneur. It features profile interviews with business leaders and serial entrepreneurs. Also, presents how-to guides from Europe’s top venture capitalists, lawyers, accountants, bankers and alternative finance providers, as well as industry-leading reports on the biggest developments in the start-up world. Additionally, the site features in-depth interviews, news and analysis of hot-button topics. As a result, it affects the world of business today, from trends in fundraising and financial management, to leadership, productivity and workplace culture and inclusion.