Business Council Recognized as a Startup Ecosystem Rising Star

Paris, France – The Wyoming Business Council (WBC) was recently recognized for its venture capital and startup ecosystem development efforts through Wyoming Venture Capital (WYVC) with a Startup Ecosystem Rising Star award.

The awards were presented in a ceremony in Paris, France, last week and are organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mind the Bridge in collaboration with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission, with support from Microsoft.

The SES annually recognizes government-related organizations that can boost inbound and outbound innovation and represent cities, regions, or countries. The 2024 SES Awards crowned 64 organizations, 35 as Startup Ecosystem Stars and 29 as Rising Stars, representing 36 countries worldwide.

Rylan O’Bryan, WBC Investments Portfolio Manager, represented the WYVC team and accepted the award last week.

“It was an honor to represent the WBC and Wyoming’s burgeoning startup ecosystem at the SES Awards,” O’Bryan said. “Being surrounded by like-minded people across the globe gave me many insights into the variations in ecosystems. Wyoming’s landscape is still young; however, the initiatives in-state are being recognized as extremely impactful to startups and creating growth opportunities.”

These awards highlight the efforts of government-related organizations or programs that boost the development of startup ecosystems, focusing on areas like investment, talent nurturing, and industry support.

“Entrepreneurship and innovation are key drivers to Wyoming’s economic resilience,” shared Bert Adam, WBC Investments Director. “To be recognized internationally is an honor. However, the value is to have time to build relationships and collaborate with others on a global scale providing ideas and insights that we can bring back to Wyoming to test in our growing startup ecosystem.”

For more information about WYVC, visit wbc.pub/WYVC.