Founders Awards - Founders Alliance

The Growth Rings

What all founders have in common is that they themselves are a seed that grows into a successful company. Just like trees in a forest, founders are the most important organism in the ecosystem that creates growth in the world. The symbol that pays tribute to these successful founders we call The Growth Rings.

“It starts as a seed in the founder’s mind. For it to grow strong, patience is required and real perseverance. During a company's development, strong years with good conditions alternate with meagre and tough years without development. The Founders Awards annual growth rings symbolize this story”

Founders Awards is a number of awards such as Young Founder of the Year, Founder of the Year and Founder of the Year Honorary Award, presented annually by Founders Alliance in Sweden to recognize achievement amongst founders. The awards were first presented in 2001, and winners receive a gold-plated and silver-plated statuette commonly called The Growth Rings.

The purpose is to inspire the sustainable creation of companies by rewarding and spotlighting particularly successful ones. To encourage long-term, sustainable and equal ownership, Founders Alliance pays attention to women and men in every step of the entrepreneurial journey and honor winners in five categories: from the young founder, through all phases of a company’s growth cycle to the founder who through a lifetime achievement has developed one or more companies, and who embodies a true role model for other founders.

Young Founder of the Year is awarded to young founders who have the potential to build a successful company, be a good leader and develop into a role model for other young entrepreneurs. The purpose of the award is to encourage further success, acting as a catalyst to growth for the young founders. The award is part of the Founders Awards.

Founder of the Year is Founders Alliance main award and aims to draw attention to and highlight global large scale founders who own and operate sustainable companies and thus stimulate more medium-sized and large internationally expanding companies.

The founders and their companies have been ranked based on the Founders Alliance (FA) Index, which takes into account past performances, future potential and societal benefits.

The finalists in each category introduce themselves and their companies to a jury of qualified founders who select the winners, two women and two men, who receive their honorary award, Founder of the Year 2022 during the Gala at Stockholm City Hall in Sweden September 22. The award is part of the Founders Awards.

Founder of the Year Honorary Award is Founders Alliance most prestigious accolade and is presented annually at the Founders Gala. By rewarding particularly successful founders who have made a lifetimes contribution, Founders Alliance wishes to inspire sustainable company building and inspire other founders to act as similarly great role models.