It’s a big claim to make, but Wonga was highly commended by the judges of the International Business Awards this week - in the category of Best New Service or Product in Financial Services. So we’re certainly one of them according to them!

It’s another award to add to our growing Wonga wall of fame, but we never rest on our laurels or get any less of a buzz from such recognition. It’s always lovely to get some a pat on the back from time to time.

If you have never tried our short term loan service before, give it a try next time you need some urgent funds and be your own judge of whether we’re the best in the world.

Wonga has been short listed in several categories of the Europa Awards being run by TechCrunch Europe, the leading startup and tech blog. The awards will honour the best tech companies and startups across the web and mobile scene from across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Wonga is up for Best Web Application or Service, Best Design, Best Startup Founder and Best New Startup. The awards are now open for public voting, so if you’re a fan of our cash advance service, feel free to make your voice heard!

Wonga has been enjoying a particularly rich run of awards over the past couple of weeks! At the top of the list has to be last night’s Credit Today Awards, where we picked up the gong for Credit Risk Team of the Year from Irish funnyman Dara O’Brien.

We were also very proud to be a finalist for Responsible Lender of the Year at the same event.

Prior to our glittering date at the Grosvernor, we attended two other prestigious events in the last fortnight. We spoke at a First Tuesday event, after Wonga was named as one of the three Most Promising Internet Companies in the UK. And we joined other business boomers at the Media Momentum Awards, where Wonga was hailed as ‘One to Watch’ in the annual celebration of fast growth businesses.

Still not impressed? We can see you’re a hard act to please. OK, let’s not forget the judges of the National Business Awards, who highly commended us in the Orange Best Use of Technology category last week. Thanks guys.

We’re not ones for lengthy award speeches, but the entire Wonga team would like to say a big thank you to all our customers for your loyal support!

Wonga’s boss is certainly in demand these days. Fresh from the European Business Awards, he was recently in front of the cameras at Smarta, the website for business owners and entrepreneurs looking for advice and inspiration. It’s great to see Errol alongside the likes of Martha Lane Fox of Lastminute fame and we’re in no doubt that his business achievements will soon be held in the same esteem. Grab a can of Tizer and some Butterkist and enjoy the show.

Wonga is having somewhat of a purple patch for awards this week! As previously reported, our CEO just received a Ruban d’Honneur in the RSM International Entrepreneur of the Year category of the European Business Awards.

And to prove it’s not all about personal glory here at Wonga, the company has been getting in on the act too. We’re excited to learn we are a finalist in two key categories of the 2009 Credit Today Awards - Responsible Lender of the Year and Credit Risk Team of the Year.

It’s very cool that our consumer-friendly approach to instant cash loans, plus the underlying technology we’ve developed, has been recognised. We’ll find out if we can give some of the big boys a bloody nose in May, so watch this space.

Last but definitely not least… Our Wonga website has won the IMA Outstanding Achievement Award in the financial services category. A panel of experienced judges rated every aspect of our web interface and we scored highly in all areas, with a total of 476 points out of a possible 500. We’re working on the 24 dropped points now! The IMAs recognise the highest standards of excellence in website design and development.

As previously reported, the innovation, drive and business success of our founder & CEO has been recognised by the European Business Awards. He was in Rome yesterday to receive a prestigious medal known as the Ruban d’Honneur (ribbon of honour) in the category of International Entrepreneur of the Year.

Adrian Tripp, Chief Executive of the European Business Awards congratulates: “I am very excited about the skills, energy and ingenuity that our Ruban d’Honneur recipients have on display. They are a great showcase of all that is good in European business.”

Naturally everyone at Wonga is as proud as punch and, if he’ll let us get our hands on the medal, we’ll add it to our Wonga awards cabinet.

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.