Trost spends her time with the people at the top of Europe's scaling tech companies. She advises CEOs of post-Series B businesses as they grow revenue from 10 million to 200 million.

She also runs PERA, a boutique CEO network in London that supports founders on the road to an exit. Its members run tech companies with revenues of between 10 million and 300 million, across every sector. Several of this year's Allstars nominees are among them.

The whole ecosystem in one room

For Trost, the Allstars is the standout date of the year. "It's the Oscars of the tech world," she says. "The entire ecosystem is in the room: the VCs, the founders and the people running the most exciting companies."

The hardest call for the judges

The quality shows on judging day. Every pitch she hears, she says, comes from companies that rank among the most exciting not only in the UK but across Europe.

"You really never miss a good company. All of them are incredible, and as judges we have the hardest time choosing the best ones."

That quality is by design. Companies reach the Allstars stage through nominations and a judging process led by more than 20 investors and operators from across European tech, including partners from Francisco Partners, Hg, Octopus Ventures, Partech, SoftBank and TCV. Judging days bring founders face to face with that panel, which is why so many treat a shortlisting as a milestone in itself.

Partnership for the long term

Trost has known GP Bullhound Co-Founder and Managing Partner Manish Madhvani for almost five years. In that time she has seen how the firm treats its relationships.

"GP Bullhound invests in its partnerships and relationships for the long term," she says. "Everybody is happy to be here and to be part of this. As a partner, it feels really special. I feel honoured to collaborate with the team."

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Why partnership matters to the Allstars

The Allstars has never been a one-night event. Partners like PERA, alongside the judges and sponsors, are part of a year-round network that connects founders with the people who can help them scale, raise and exit. Trost's network and the Allstars share an audience: the CEOs taking European tech companies from tens of millions in revenue to hundreds.

That reflects how GP Bullhound works. The firm builds relationships over years, well beyond any single deal, because the founders it meets at the Allstars are often the ones it advises at the moments that define their companies.

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About the GP Bullhound Allstars Awards

Now in its 24th year, the GP Bullhound Allstars Awards recognise the founders, entrepreneurs, operators and investors building Europe's technology companies. The 2026 awards ran across 15 categories, from Deep Tech and Sports Tech to Exit of the Year and Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and brought the ecosystem together in London on 15 October.

GP Bullhound hosts the Allstars for the same reason it advises founders every day: it is bullish on European tech and the people building what comes next. The awards give that work a stage, and put the people behind it in a room with the investors, operators and peers who can help it go further.

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Stay connected

• Find out more about PERA at pera-network.com
• Find out more about GP Bullhound at gpbullhound.com
• Stay updated on all things Allstars on our LinkedIn page

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