Drumroll, please.... here are the finalists of The Pitch 2025!
The wait is over. After a nationwide search for Ireland’s boldest, brightest and most ambitious entrepreneurs, the finalists for The Pitch 2025 have been chosen.
Now in its fourth year, The Pitch – hosted by IMAGE Media and powered by Samsung – has become the ultimate stage for high-potential Irish start-ups and SMEs ready to take their business to the next level. This year’s prize fund is our biggest yet: a game-changing package worth up to €150,000, including cutting-edge Samsung technology, a powerful IMAGE multi-channel media campaign, and invaluable mentoring with renowned business leaders Bobby Kerr and Áine Kerr.
From hundreds of applications, these visionary founders have stood out for their drive, ingenuity and fearless ambition. On September 22 at Dublin’s Mansion House, they’ll step into the spotlight with just seven minutes to convince our judges they have what it takes to join the alumni of The Pitch, including Jennifer Rock (The Skin Nerd), Gym+Coffee, and last year’s winners, Platform55.
The stage is set. The competition is fierce. And the next game-changing Irish business is about to be crowned.
Now, it’s time to meet the innovators, disruptors and risk-takers who made it through to the final round. These are the entrepreneurs with the ideas, resilience and vision to impress our judges and inspire the audience. They represent the very best of Ireland’s start-up and SME scene, and one of them is about to change the trajectory of their business forever.
Meet your finalists for The Pitch 2025…
Aoife McNamara, Aoife McNamara, Founder
Aoife McNamara is the founder of the award-winning Irish fashion brand ‘Aoife McNamara’ that’s redefining sustainability through creativity and storytelling. Inspired by nature and Irish heritage, her collections are distinctive, conscious and designed to challenge the norms of fast fashion while celebrating cultural authenticity. With a combined following of over 97,000 across the brand and her personal Instagram account, Aoife has built a powerful community that champions design with purpose and style with impact.
Bound Apparel, Abbie Beggs & Ríain Gilna, Co-Founders
Bound Apparel is a fast-growing Irish athleisure brand founded by Abbie Beggs and Ríain Gilna. Built on a commitment to quality, style and community, the brand has quickly gained a loyal following for its standout products and strong identity. With 42,000 followers on Instagram and 18,000 on TikTok, Bound Apparel continues to grow its community of fans who share a passion for fashion, fitness and lifestyle.
Enthire, Suzanne Carroll, Founder & Managing Director
Suzanne Carroll is the founder and Managing Director of Enthire, a premium furniture rental and space curation company based in Ireland. Enthire offers design-led collections that champion sustainability, neuro-inclusion, and wellbeing, helping event professionals, brands and agencies transform spaces into experiences that leave a lasting impression. With a focus on stylish, personality-driven pieces, Suzanne and her team are redefining how events can both look and feel.
Fierce Mild, Fergal Carroll and Cathal Byrne, Co-Founders & Catrióna Campbell, Executive Director
Fierce Mild is an Irish non-alcoholic beer brand brewing unapologetically great-tasting beer with a difference. Using a specialised yeast that naturally limits fermentation, the team creates full-flavour beer without the need to strip out alcohol or taste afterwards. Made with just five premium ingredients, no additives and only 49 calories, Fierce Mild is rewriting the rules of alcohol-free brewing with its bold #BrewThingsDifferently ethos.
Harry’s Nut Butter, Harry Colley, Founder
Harry Colley is the founder of Harry’s Nut Butter, a fast-growing premium food brand known for its innovative, clean-label nut butters packed with bold flavours. With strong positioning across retail, food service, and e-commerce, the brand is primed for scale in both domestic and international markets. Harry’s Nut Butter is on a mission to shake up the category with products that are as exciting as they are wholesome.
MedScan3D, Jacqui O’Connor, Founder
Jacqui O’Connor is the founder of MedScan3D, a pioneering company delivering innovative anatomical solutions through advanced technologies. Serving both the healthcare and medical device sectors, MedScan3D provides versatile, design-led products that meet the precise needs of medical professionals and engineers. With a focus on innovation and impact, the company is driving progress across the STEM and healthcare industries.
Oh!Moment, Jenny Keane, Founder and CEO
Jenny Keane is the founder and CEO of Oh!Moment, Ireland’s first education-led sexual wellness brand. Combining workshops, retail and digital tools, Oh!Moment transforms how adults approach sex, turning stigma into empowerment and making pleasure mainstream. With a strong social media presence – 127K followers on Instagram and 6K on TikTok – Jenny is building a vibrant community around open, positive conversations about sexual wellness.
Open Doors, Jeanne McDonagh, Founder
The Open Doors initiative creates pathways to employment, training, education and entrepreneurship for some of Ireland’s most marginalised communities. Working with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, people with disabilities, disadvantaged youth, Travellers and Roma communities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, and those with a criminal past, the initiative addresses the systemic barriers that prevent equal access to meaningful work. Guided by a vision of an inclusive Ireland, it empowers individuals and partners with businesses to adopt innovative, equitable practices that ensure diversity thrives and opportunity is accessible to all.
This is Penny, Lesley Tully, Founder & CEO
Lesley Tully is the founder and CEO of This is Penny, a pioneering company empowering women to take control of their financial futures. Through digital pensions, education and user-friendly tools, This is Penny provides women with the knowledge and confidence to plan, invest and secure long-term financial wellbeing. Following a recent investment round, This is Penny is ready to scale its impact, expanding its reach and continuing to break down barriers in women’s financial empowerment.
VACIOUS, Sinead O’Brien, Founder
Sinead O’Brien is the founder of VACIOUS, an Irish shapewear and outerwear brand celebrated for its thoughtfully engineered designs and community-first approach. Combining high-quality wardrobe staples with inclusive messaging, VACIOUS has become a go-to brand for women across Ireland and beyond. With a strong social media presence, Sinead continues to grow a loyal community that champions confidence, style, and body positivity.
Also Read
