We are excited to announce the five-judge panel that finalists will have to impress when they pitch their business live on September 22.
On Monday, September 22, in Dublin’s Mansion House, the nationwide hunt for Ireland’s bravest, strongest and most intrepid business founders begins with The Pitch 2025.
A fast-paced, adrenaline rush of a live event, The Pitch is hosted by IMAGE Media and powered by Samsung. It’s a process that culminates on stage, where you’ll get seven minutes to pitch to our judges in a battle to win a game-changing suite of prizes.
This is our fourth year hunting for Ireland’s most dynamic business talent with game-changer innovations, products, services or systems. With a track record of spotting some of Ireland’s standout brands, we’re now looking for a suitable candidate to join Jennifer Rock AKA The Skin Nerd, the founders of Gym+Coffee and the founders of Platform 55 on our winners list.
This year, we’ve elevated The Pitch prize to be worth up to a whopping €150,000 value, including:
- A Samsung technology package to benefit your business
- A multi-channel media campaign with IMAGE
- A mentoring package with Bobby Kerr and Áine Kerr, two of Ireland’s leading business minds
Let’s introduce the esteemed judging panel…
Josephine Fairley
After leaving school at 16 with just six ‘O’ Levels, Jo Fairley became the UK’s youngest-ever magazine editor, at the age of 23 (editing first Look Now and then Honey), before embarking on a successful career in journalism and authorship. She has written features and columns for The Times, The Daily Telegraph, Red and Harper’s Bazaar.
Jo co-founded Green & Black’s in 1991 with her husband, Craig Sams, and remains a chocolate ambassador for the brand. As an inspirational speaker, she shares the story with a wide range of audiences. Her serial ventures include an organic bakery, Judges Bakery, and The Wellington Centre, a boutique wellbeing centre.
Gary Fox
Gary Fox is an entrepreneur, content creator and investor. His podcast, The Entrepreneur Experiment, is Ireland’s number one independent business podcast. The award-winning podcast has interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs to uncover their founder formula for success in their business, body and brain. In the past 12 months, he has interviewed people such as Steven Bartlett and Gary Neville. Gary lectures on entrepreneurship at Trinity College Dublin and invests in early-stage companies.
Annika Bizon
Annika Bizon is Mobile Experience (MX) VP of Product and Marketing, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland. She has brought a wealth of over 20 years of experience in business and leadership to Samsung since she joined the organisation in 2021. She previously held senior positions at Three UK and at 20th Century Fox for almost 15 years. During Annika’s tenure in the telecoms and entertainment industries, she has demonstrated impressive acumen in transitioning brands to a digital-first approach while maintaining commercial success.
Áine Kerr
Taking the role of both judge and mentor this year, Áine Kerr is an award-winning entrepreneur, broadcaster, and chair of the board at Rethink Ireland. She was co-founder and COO of Kinzen, which was acquired by Spotify in October 2022, and is now a director at Spotify, heading up its Content Safety Analysis team. She was also managing editor of Storyful, acquired by News Corporation, is a two-time graduate of Dublin City University, and a Fellow of the Sulzberger Leadership Program at Columbia University, NYC.
Clodagh Edwards
Clodagh Edwards’ passion for media, innovation and disruption means she was always destined for a career in publishing. As the chief executive officer of IMAGE Publications since 2015, Clodagh has reinvented an iconic brand, developing it from one entirely founded in print into a modern, relevant media business that boasts leading digital, video, social and experiential channels. Under Clodagh’s dynamic leadership, IMAGE is Ireland’s leading female-first multi-platform publisher and a renowned innovator in the events and digital space. With her finger on the pulse of Irish business, Clodagh is adept at spotting the brands that are ready to accelerate their business to the next level.
About The Pitch
Apply to The Pitch 2025 today for your chance to win an incredible €150,000 prize fund for your business.
If you are leading a start-up, scale-up or high-potential SME, you do not want to miss this opportunity to make it to the final and pitch your business to the judges and audience.
The ultimate winner walks away with:
- A tailored suite of cutting-edge Samsung technology
- A powerful media and promotional campaign with IMAGE Media
- Bespoke mentoring with Bobby Kerr and Áine Kerr, two of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs
Download everything you need to know here.
Applications close August 18, 2025.
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