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That’s a wrap: Highlights from The Pitch 2025
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Finalists of The Pitch 2025 took to the stage to impress the judges and a full house. The atmosphere was electric, with an array of top talent under one roof. Here are the highlights from the night…
Last night, nerves were high and expectations even higher – with 10 incredible business leaders set to take the stage at Dublin’s Mansion House and pitch their companies live to an esteemed judging panel and a full audience.
They each had seven minutes to wow the judges and make a lasting impact – all for a chance of winning a grand prize worth over €150,000, including a suite of Samsung technology to accelerate their business, a multimedia marketing campaign with IMAGE Media and expert mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs Bobby Kerr and Áine Kerr.
Here are our top highlights from the night…
Electric atmosphere
From the moment attendees walked through its doors, the surrounds of Dublin’s Mansion House were magnificent within themselves – this was where the 1st Dáil was held after all! The iconic Round Room was transformed into an impressive, modern space, where each finalist plugged in their powerpoints and delivered an exhilarating performance – it was the perfect setting for The Pitch.
Guests were greeted with delicious canapés and drinks, mingling in anticipation of the main event and enjoying the entertainment of talented DJ Mo Kelly. The effect? An electric atmosphere worthy of the night to unfold – all livestreamed across our social channels for the first time ever.
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Words of wisdom
When everyone took their seats, our MC, IMAGE contributing editor Melanie Morris, introduced the notable judging panel: Josephine Fairley, speaker, author and co-founder Green & Black’s; Gary Fox, entrepreneur and host of The Entrepreneure Experiment podcast; Annika Bizon, Mobile Experience (MX) VP of Product and Marketing, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland; Áine Kerr, entrepreneur, board chair and broadcaster; and Clodagh Edwards, CEO of IMAGE Media.
Each was asked to share what they’re looking for from the 10 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.
“I think we all have an inner dragon, so that was part of it,” said Jo on what sparked her interest to join The Pitch judging panel. “I love entrepreneurs; I love start-ups, I’ve been there… so I really take my hat off to these start-ups and can’t wait to hear what they have to say.”
When asked what they’re looking for this evening, Annika and Clodagh both emphasised the importance of “scalability”, while Gary said he’d be looking for “clarity and storytelling – clarity to be able to tell an important story and bring us on a journey with them tonight.”
Finally, Áine shared some words of wisdom for the finalists in the wings: “It’s such an act of courage – anyone who starts a business or organisation… [and the finalists] have already won by being here tonight. So go out and enjoy it. They’ve got all the momentum behind them, the goodwill of the audience online and the goodwill of everyone in this Round Room tonight.” She reminded them to tune out their inner critic, get rid of the imposter syndrome and focus on telling their story.
Showtime on stage
The pitches kicked off with formidable fashion designer Aoife McNamara and finished with founder of VACIOUS shapewear Sinead O’Brien, featuring 10 impressive businesses across a range of industries, including food and beverage, fashion, health and wellness, finance, and events.
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, but in the end, there could only be one winner.
Our finalists included:
- Aoife McNamara, Aoife McNamara, Founder
- Bound Apparel, Abbie Beggs & Ríain Gilna, Co-Founders
- Enthire, Suzanne Carroll, Founder & Managing Director
- Fierce Mild, Fergal Carroll and Cathal Byrne, Co-Founders
- Harry’s Nut Butter, Harry Colley, Founder
- MedScan3D, Jacqui O’Connor, Founder
- Oh!Moment, Jenny Keane, Founder and CEO
- Open Doors, Jeanne McDonagh, Founder
- This is Penny, Lesley Tully, Founder & CEO
- VACIOUS, Sinead O’Brien, Founder
Shining Moment
The crowd held their breath as judges Clodagh Edwards and Annika Bizon announced the winners – Fierce Mild, co-founded by Fergal Carroll and Cathal Byrne, an Irish non-alcoholic beer brand brewing unapologetically great-tasting beer with a difference.
“Each year, The Pitch elevates to new levels,” said Clodagh. “The standard of entries for 2025 was so high, I thought our biggest challenge was choosing just 10 finalists for our event this evening. I was wrong! Finding a winner in such a tightly contested contest was almost impossible. It involved a lot of deliberation, but we got there, and I’m thrilled to see Fergal Carroll and Cathal Byrne from Fierce Mild as our victors. I’d like to thank all our judges and mentors for their enormous enthusiasm and excellent input, and I know everyone at IMAGE looks forward to working with Fergal and Cathal in the year ahead.”
“Innovation is embedded in Samsung’s DNA,” added Annika, “which is why we’re proud to partner with The Pitch, bringing together some of Ireland’s most exciting entrepreneurial talent. Congratulations to Fierce Mild on a phenomenal pitch; we are so excited to support their growth and innovation with a suite of Samsung technology. We look forward to seeing what the future holds.”
On winning the grand prize, Fergal and Cathal said, “We are going to amplify everything about ourselves so much… This is beyond our expectations! As you’ve seen with our pitch, this [prize] is giving us a voice out there in a market that’s very busy and dominated. For us, the IMAGE side of the prize and the business mentorship will help us with the things we don’t know. We don’t know everything. We know our skill sets; we know what we can do, but having that is amazing. Then Samsung – oh my god – the value of that prize!”
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Congratulations to all of the finalists of The Pitch 2025. All 9 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. To see our social pictures from the night, browse the gallery below.
Visit The Pitch Hub to learn more.
Photography by Kieran Harnett.
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