More than 400 start-ups applied to enter the AIB Start-up Academy, with 60 of those making it to the longlist. Using a pitch deck submitted by the longlisted applicants, the judges from AIB and The Irish Times identified the 22 strongest business pitches to go forward to the pitching day in The Irish Times building on Tara Street in Dublin.
It is a diverse group, including two spirits companies, Blackwater Distillery and the Chapel Gate Irish Whiskey Co, technology advocates Fuseami and WOD Technologies, sports nutrition leaders PowCow and Sports Fuel.
Queezybags, the sick bag solution, stands out in its very particular niche while Boxing News and Views and Moontour, the Irish language adventure group, are carving out their own distinct markets.
The next step is for each of these companies to pitch its ideas in front of a judging panel made up of AIB and Irish Times representatives, business leaders and marketing experts.
Ten of these 22 will win a place on an intensive eight-week academy programme, with one company being the eventual winner of the prize, worth €250,000.
This prize includes a cash injection, advertising and marketing spend, and a range of other financial and expertise support. This year there will also be a second-place winner.
