Drumroll, please: Unfolding the winner of The Pitch 2024

This was the final scene of The Pitch 2024, when 12 incredible companies made their seven-minute live pitches to our esteemed judging panel and captivated audience – it was a full house!

The night was hosted by IMAGE Contributing Editor Melanie Morris, who introduced the finalists as well as the five judges, all renowned industry leaders: Jamie Heaslip, Strategic Growth Lead at Stripe Ireland; Clodagh Edwards, CEO of IMAGE Media; Caroline Hirons, Founder of Skin Rocks, author and podcaster; Annika Bizon, Samsung Director of Marketing, Omnichannel and Head of Ireland, MX Division; and Áine Kerr, entrepreneur, board chair and broadcaster.

Gathered in the grand surroundings of Dublin City Hall, each finalist took to the stage, settled their nerves and began, enthralling the audience with compelling storytelling, motivating back stories and big bold vision statements. They were grilled on their facts, stats and financials by the judges and demonstrated unwavering confidence.

They were all incredibly impressive and it was a tough judging decision to choose the ultimate winner of the prize worth over €100,000, designed to bring their business to the next level. 

And the winner is…

We are delighted to announce the winners as Tracy Gunn and Michelle O’Keeffe, co-founders of Platform 55.

Platform55 is an HR platform transforming how organisations support today’s family at work, supporting individuals to balance their career with family life, whilst addressing strategic issues around gender equality, sustainability and the ‘S’ of ESG. On the stage, they articulated their problem-statement and purpose clearly with palpable passion, and this really helped them stand out among the impressive finalists.

We cannot wait to see how they accelerate and grow in the coming year. Their business will be boosted with a tailored suite of Samsung technology worth a staggering €50,000 for use across their operations alongside a bespoke media and marketing campaign with IMAGE Media of equal value, ensuring they will hit the right audience with the right messaging; and invaluable mentoring from the one-and-only entrepreneur Bobby Kerr.

Clodagh Edwards, CEO of IMAGE Media, and judge of the competition across all three years of The Pitch says it gets more and more competitive every year. “Our finalists put more work into their presentations and their business achievements are world-class. Judging was tough, but also a hugely rewarding process and I’m delighted with our unanimously selected winners of Platform 55. We look forward to supporting them across IMAGE’s vibrant platforms as 2025 unfolds.”

Annika Bizon, Samsung Director of Marketing, Omnichannel & Head of Ireland – MX Division, says: “The Pitch 2024 has been an incredible showcase of the passion, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit driving Ireland’s next generation of innovators. The winners this year, Tracy Gunn and Michelle O’Keeffe of Platform 55, exemplify the power of bold ideas and determination, and we are thrilled to support them as they continue to shape the future of business.

“At Samsung, innovation is at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to empowering entrepreneurs to foster their budding innovation. We are proud to deliver an event like The Pitch that champions entrepreneurs and encourages the same drive for success. Congratulations to the winners and all of the incredible finalists — your journey is just beginning, and we look forward to seeing all the amazing things you’ll achieve.”

On winning the grand prize, Tracy and Michelle said: “We’re overwhelmed, speechless, shocked, surprised, just flipping delighted… We are going to get the kit, distribute it to our team and start collaborating at a higher level. As a remote-first team with collaboration at our core, technology is particularly important.”

We can’t wait to see how they use this prize to accelerate their business (watch this space!).

Congratulations to all of the finalists of The Pitch 2024. All 11 runners-up made it through rigorous judging before earning their place on the stage. We know this experience will have brought them confidence, insights and motivation for the future.

Stay tuned to IMAGE.ie to read an in-depth interview with the winning business, as well as our favourite highlights of the night.

Don’t just dream it, pitch it!

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