Well there are only a few hours left of 2008 and we’re heading into 2009 on a high. The lovely folks at Red Herring have just informed us that Wonga has made it into their prestigious Global 200 roll of honour. We already appeared in their top 100 tech companies across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, so now we’ve been shortlisted for the top 100 in the whole wide world!

The accolade is deserved recognition for everyone in the team and caps a fantastic year for Wonga. We’ve been working hard to keep improving the UK’s only 24/7, super-fast cash advance service and have helped thousands of happy customers during our first full year of operation.

Have a great night if you’re celebrating later and a happy new year to all our customers! We look forward to being of service in 2009.

Our CEO has received major recognition from the European Business Awards this week. He’s a recipient of a Ruban D’Honneaur (loosely translated as a ribbon of honour) and has been shortlisted for the RSM International Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

He’ll have to present to a multi-national panel of judges in January and will hear their decision at an impressive sounding ceremony in Rome next spring. As their site explains:

Entrepreneurship, particularly for the European economy, is a key source of jobs, business dynamism and innovation. The people in this category show incredible verve, flair, tenacity and aplomb in business. They come from a variety of industries, backgrounds and countries. Whether they are running a technology company, a recruitment firm or a marketing enterprise – one thing makes them stand out from the crowd – the will to succeed.

Hey, we’re far too modest to claim that ourselves, but we’ve just been shortlisted in that prestigious category in this year’s Startups Awards! We’re also in the running for the Best Use of Technology gong. A double whammy.

The final judging day will take place in September and all category winners will be announced at the rather grand-sounding ‘awards luncheon’ on 30 October.

The judges told us: “we have received exceptionally high quality entries for the Startups Awards. Short listing was particularly tough, so you have done tremendously well to get this far.”

We can’t argue with that and the whole team’s chuffed to be nominated twice. Fingers crossed…

Our founder and CEO was in the spotlight again last night. Nope, Thursdays are his disco class - this was at the South East finals of the National Business Awards.

We were shortlisted in a couple of categories: The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award, plus the highly prestigious title of Credit Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year.

Sadly we just missed out on the technology gong (a little birdie told us it was a very close call), but our esteemed leader was named Entrepreneur of the Year! High praise indeed. To paraphrase the judges, the award only goes to the most outstanding individuals who can best demonstrate exceptional vision and leadership in the establishment and development of an owner-led business.

A good night was had by all and we’d like to thank the organisers for putting on a professional and entertaining do.

Our technical wizards have been saluted by the experts at CNET Networks - we’ve been shortlisted for Financial Services Technology Project of the Year in their annual celebration of innovation. Needless to say we’re as proud as punch and have our fingers crossed for the finalists’ ceremony in September.

The CNET Networks UK Business Technology Awards celebrate the greatest achievements of the UK’s business technology innovators, leaders and doers, and create new opportunities for them to grow by showcasing their successes and connecting them with the industry elite.

Woohoo! Our plans for a new take on short-term lending have been commended by business experts once more. The entrepreneurial gurus at Startups.co.uk have placed Wonga in their Startups 100 list for 2008… In the top 20 actually! At this rate our highly buffed trophy cabinet will be groaning with silverware before we’ve even decided where to hang it. Many thanks guys - we’re thrilled to be acknowledged as one of the most exciting new business in Blighty right now.

Here’s a brief extract from their press release, which explains more: Startups 100 lists the most exciting and innovative emerging small companies predicted to become the big businesses of tomorrow. Companies were assessed on originality of concept; strength of business model; turnover; evidence of future revenues; proposition to investors; quality of management; and potential to disrupt existing markets.

“Web 2.0 start-ups bidding to become the next big internet super-brand featured prominently, while green and social enterprises also occupied a strong hold in a diverse line-up of businesses.”

Wow, we’ve done it! We’ve been named amongst the top 100 most exciting new tech companies in Europe by Red Herring! It’s our first ever award – the first of many we hope – and testament to all the hard work and new thinking that’s gone into creating the slickest short-term lender on the block.

Although we’re yet to fully launch our service at Wonga.com, our existing innovation and whizzy technology is already attracting admirers in the business world. Everyone likes to receive the odd pat on the back but, if you’ll forgive a little crowing, our backs are positively tingling right now.

First of all we’ve been whooping and dancing since being short-listed for inclusion in this year’s Red Herring Europe 100 list. It’s basically a who’s who of the most exciting new tech businesses across Europe, Middle East and Africa - and we could be one of them.

Next we heard that we’d been named a finalist in the European Excellence in Payments Innovation Awards (catchy eh?). We’ll be up against two other companies for the title of Most Innovative Payment Processing Solution.

Shortly after that we received good tidings from the lovely people at the National Business Awards, completing a hatrick of finalist places! We’ve made the regional sort-list in two categories – The Orange Best Use of Technology in Business Award and The Credit Suisse Entrepreneur of the Year Award (a prestigious individual gong that we hope could go to our illustrious CEO).

OK, so we’ve not actually, definitely, 100% won any of these awards yet, but it’s an honour just to be in the running. We’d love some recognition for all the hard work everyone’s put in so far and we should find out if we’ve achieved that soon, so watch this space.