Oqulus.
Oqulus.
2026 SERIES
The Only Home for Diverse EM Excellence.
OQULUS: The first global recognition series exclusively dedicated to outstanding investment leadership, innovation, and professional partners in emerging markets.
Featuring a diverse range of listings and awards throughout the year, OQULUS programs spotlight the extraordinary execution, commitment, and collaboration fueling expansion and evolution across EM and Frontier markets.
Delivered with the passion, quality, and reach that our community deserves. OQULUS is the elite choice in emerging markets. We are delighted to have you join us.
Open 2026 Programs
Our Vision for OQULUS
At EMERGING, we've long believed that emerging markets, as an asset class and investment talent community, are under recognized. Changing that is in our DNA , and importantly, it begins by wrapping greater influence and storytelling around EM excellence, regardless of region, in one single place.
That is why we created OQULUS: a first-of-its-kind space where we showcase the best of this community, across the wide spectrum of industries and perspectives that scale capital and underpin growth for the world's majority.
I invite you to explore the full calendar of our programs, and our team looks forward to building this critical picture of emerging markets with you, lending it much-deserving depth, clarity and celebration.
Bourgaize Murray,
Managing Editor
OQULUS is fueled by
Oqulus.
Exclusivity.
No one else highlights the best of EM leadership like we do. Selection to our programs positions leaders to stand out and advance in a space that is in rapid ascendancy, and increasingly competitive.
General Series FAQs
Entry & Cost
We prioritize simplicity in our entry procedures. All nominating assets and payment may be submitted on individual programs' web forms. We review and acknowledge nominations by email within 24 hours, and share a further calendar for selection decisions and publication at that time.
Entry costs cover adjudication and production costs only. The fee for all programs is $349 per entry.
We do not limit the number of entries per firm per program, though our committee recommends a thoughtful approach.
Eligibility
Series programs will describe eligibility criteria in detail; here are some broad guidelines:
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Geography: We consider touch points in all global markets outside North America, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Firms, capital and leaders may be located in developed markets, and likewise we include entrants from EMs who invest in DMs.
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Firm Size: We believe EM investment benefits from both local expertise and global scale. We encourage nominations from the full spectrum from specialists to the world's largest institutions, both public and private.
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Seniority: For senior leadership programs we generally expect 4 of more years of experience in EM. For team or corporate awards we look for a 3 year track record. Certain dedicated programs and categories provide exceptions to these criteria.
Crafting Your Entry
We ask submissions to prioritize clarity by limiting entries to 1000 words (excluding supporting materials). While each program takes a tailored approach, our selection committee eyes three fundamental questions:
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Outperformance, e.g. results demonstrated quantitatively or in industry uniqueness. Why is this so good that we can't ignore it?
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Innovation and creativity, e.g. in new projects or product manufacture, deals and (re)financing, new and influential research, novel collaborations or execution. How does the nominee drive their industry forward?
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Impact and dedication to emerging/frontier markets, e.g. how their efforts convert to difference today, and lay foundation for the future.
Most successful entries will lead their application with data and storytelling. We recognize and incorporate longevity in our criteria, though the past twelve months' developments are most important. Note: rudimentary web or AI-scraped submissions will be less successful.
Editor's Use: We strive to include new and dexterous insight in our OQULUS winners' profiles. Unless explicitly noted, all information submitted to us is considered publishable and therefore we recommend all entries be approved or complied before submission, as appropriate.
Celebrating Selection
Emerald winners deserve an exceptional product showcasing their value and commitment, and which both nuances and strengthens the visibility of our industry in whole. We don't do our programs cheap, fast, or sloppy.
We deliver a fulsome dedicated profile for every winner, branded and shared widely through our newsletter and social channels, and featured as an individual page on EMJ. We additionally create and share branded social and logo assets with winners, free of cost, and are pleased to produce an elegant layout for print/PDF distribution for a small additional reprint fee.
As always, we are happy to engage with winners for further customized requirements and to ensure maximize visibility for their inclusion.
Adjudication
The OQULUS selection committee combines our editorial team and advisory board, drawing diverse expertise across financial services, technology, management consultancy, professional services, and public affairs. We strive to also represent every emerging markets region in our coverage.
Selection decisions are final; however we value transparency and are pleased to address any questions regarding outcomes in further detail.
How It Fits
OQULUS is a critical component in EMJ's wider purpose to advance emerging markets investment forward.
EM is filled with amazing leaders, teams, platforms and ideas. We believe bringing visibility to the unique breadth and depth of excellence in this space is paramount for attracting assets, seeding innovation, and ultimately driving the impact world markets deserve.