Winning in The Dealmakers Awards 2023, Steven has brought greater investment and innovation to Milton Keynes and is championing its thriving tech sector
6th December 2023 – Steven Frost, the CEO and founder of the employee engagement company, WorkBuzz, has been named the Central and East of England’s Entrepreneur of the Year at the Insider Dealmakers Awards 2023. The award is in recognition of Steven’s contribution to the success of both WorkBuzz and the local region, including his successful negotiation of £4.3m investment by YFM Equity Partners (YFM).
WorkBuzz has seen more than 104 per cent growth in the past 18 months, and its employee engagement platform which allows organisations to better engage with their deskless workforces, is now used by over 400 companies worldwide. The significant investment into WorkBuzz by YFM is enabling expansion opportunities as well as product development, boosting the local economy and further securing Milton Keynes’ position as a leading tech and innovation hub.
Steven Frost comments, “I’m delighted to receive this recognition, on behalf of our whole team – I’m proud of the difference we’re making and the special company we’re building together. Milton Keynes has a thriving and collaborative tech sector, and I’m thrilled that WorkBuzz is continuing to grow year-on-year so that we can support the region’s success and invest in the local area with the backing of YFM.”
Adam Hart, Investment Director from YFM says, “Steven fully deserves this recognition by the Dealmakers Awards. He’s taken WorkBuzz from a small start-up to a leading engagement solution provider that’s now expanding to overseas markets. His impacts to the tech space and to the local area have been significant and we’re excited to see how WorkBuzz continues to grow and innovate.”
The Annual Insider Dealmakers Awards (Central and East of England) took place on 9 November 2023 at Doubletree by Hilton, Milton Keynes, and celebrate the best deals and the firms, banks and individuals who have made them happen. They comprise 13 categories, including Entrepreneur of the Year, and recognise the many investment achievements over the past year.
About WorkBuzz
WorkBuzz offers flexible, simple and actionable listening surveys, helping organisations to reach and engage all their employees – wherever they are, and whatever they do.
Get real-time feedback from your people, track employee engagement and experience, and make more informed, data-driven people decisions. Create a culture where every voice matters, and every person can reach their full potential.
About YFM Equity Partners
YFM invests £2m to £10m into businesses with strong growth potential located across the UK through a regional network of offices in London, Leeds, Manchester, Reading and Birmingham.
YFM Equity Partners are specialist, independently owned, private equity investors. Having recently celebrated 40 years of investing experience, our portfolio may have changed over the years, but our ethos has remained the same – to support small businesses across the UK in their next phase of growth. We seek to unlock value and growth potential by providing up to £10 million of equity to fuel the development of established business throughout the UK regions. We do this by helping our portfolio companies launch new initiatives, make transformative acquisitions, and upgrade technologies and systems. We are dedicated to working alongside management teams to create long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and make a positive economic impact for the communities in which we work. We manage funds in excess of £420 million which include venture capital trusts and private equity funds.
YFM Equity Partners conducts its investment business through its subsidiary YFM Private Equity Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN:122120).
For more information, please visit yfmep.com