That’s a wrap: Highlights from the The Pitch 2024

Finalists of The Pitch 2024 took to the stage to impress the judges and a jam-packed audience. The atmosphere was electric, with an array of top talent under one roof. Here are the highlights from the night….

Yesterday evening, as the sun set over Dublin’s busy streets, excited finalists and their guests were welcomed to the bright and brilliant surroundings of Dublin City Hall.

The nerves were high but so was the excitement as everyone settled in their seats for the show, waiting for 12 finalists to take to the stage and give their seven-minute live pitches to our renowned judging panel of industry leaders (and audience of family and friends) – all for a chance of winning a grand prize worth over €100,000.

Here are our top highlights from the night…

Buzzing atmosphere

From the moment attendees walked through its doors, the surrounds of Dublin City Hall were magnificent within themselves – with its awe-inducing Georgian architecture, marble floors and ornate dome, it was the perfect setting for The Pitch 2024.

Guests were greeted with delicious canapés and prosecco, mingling in anticipation of the main event and enjoying the entertainment of talented violinist Nicole Lonergan. The effect? A buzzing atmosphere worthy of the night to unfold.

Words of wisdom

When everyone took their seats, our MC, IMAGE contributing editor Melanie Morris, introduced the notable judging panel: Jamie Heaslip, Strategic Growth Lead at Stripe Ireland, investor and former Ireland rugby player; Caroline Hirons, Founder of Skin Rocks, author and podcaster; Annika Bizon, Samsung Director of Marketing, Omnichannel and Head of Ireland, MX Division; Áine Kerr, entrepreneur, board chair and broadcaster; and Clodagh Edwards, CEO of IMAGE Media.

Each was asked to share one piece of advice for the 12 finalists who were prepping to step on stage for their spotlight moment, encouraging them to remain composed and confident, and let their passion shine through.

In a backstage interview, Áine Kerr shared that she would be looking for someone who was clear about their problem statement, able to communicate “the problem they have fallen in love with”, and link the “why’s”. “Why this solution and why now – these are important questions to answer.”

Innovative businesses

The live pitches kicked off with Chimac’s Sofie Rooney and finished with Whole Supp’s Darren O’Reilly, featuring 12 impressive businesses across a range of industries, including food and beverage, sustainable beauty, health and wellness, tech and luxury.

Each speaker fervently pitched their purpose, highlighting their brand, their current stats and their plans for growth in the coming years. With innovative solutions and exceptional products, the judges had a tough decision to make during their following deliberations, even insisting on extra time to make their final choice.

Our finalists included:

Sofie Rooney, CEO, Chimac
Tony Foote & Alice Carroll, Co-Founders, Foxes Bow Irish Whiskey
Bee Byrnes & Jennifer Zamparelli, Co-Founders, HairPeople
David Hartigan, CEO & Founder, Hemp Heros
David McSharry, Owner, Hot Chip
Tracy Gunn and Michelle O’Keeffe, Co-Founders, Platform 55
Aoife Matthews, Jennifer O’Connell & Louise O’Riordan, Co-Founders, Sisterly
Sarah O’Sullivan, Founder, SOS Cookies
Matthew Coffey & Katie Farrell, Co-Founders, Squid Loyalty
Conor Duggan, Co-Founder, TaxZap
Ashley McDonnell, Founder, Tech Powered Luxury
Darren O’Reilly, Co-Founder & CEO, Whole Supp

Shining moment

The crowd held their breath as judges Clodagh Edwards and Annika Bizon announced the winners – Tracy Gunn and Michelle O’Keeffe, co-founders of Platform 55, an HR platform transforming how organisations support today’s family at work.

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.”

“Winning this competition is transformational for us, and is going to have a huge impact on our business. We’ve worked so hard in the last three years and it hasn’t been easy. We’ve had to dig deep, find grit and resilience we never knew we had, and to keep each other going through the tough times… to be up against such inspiring finalists and to hear the judges recognise our ‘passion, purpose and potential’ – we can’t tell you what that means.”

Forging connections

In interviews early in the evening, all 12 finalists expressed their pride in being amongst such a high calibre of businesses and their enthusiasm to be able to network with them across the evening. The connections that were forged could be seen after the winners were announced, with all finalists warmly congratulating them. “We will all be watching out for each other now, supporting each other. Yes, there is competition in the business world, but really we just all want to support each other and see each other succeed. That’s the power of community,” shared co-founders of Sisterly, Aoife Matthews and Louise O’Riordan.

On the night each entrepreneur impressed the judges with their success to date and vision for the future, shining a light on their small to medium-sized Irish business, forging important connections for the road ahead and, maybe, even securing new investor interest.

We can’t wait to see what they do next!

Photography by Kieran Harnett

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