Irish businesses get chance to pitch to Richard Branson

Virgin founder will judge Voom business competition

Richard Branson will be part of a judging panel for the Voom16 pitch competition. Photograph: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

A new pitch competition will give Irish businesses the chance to pitch to Virgin Group founder Richard Branson for a share in a €1.2 million prize fund.

The Voom 2016 competition, run by Virgin Media Business, will be open to entrepreneurs and SMEs in Ireland and the UK.

The prize fund includes a €63,000 cash prize for the overall winners in the two “startup” and “grow” , mentoring from Virgin StartUp and through LinkedIn, marketing support and a Virgin Media broadband package. The two runners-up from each category will each get €25,000 in cash along with support services.

Entries can be submitted until May 10th, with public voting taking place between April 5th and May 23rd. A shortlist will then be compiled and the winners will be chosen at a live final on June 28th.

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added: “Voom is now open to promising Irish businesses to enter and compete for the funds and support which the winners will receive.

"This is an entirely merit based programme so the most innovative, disruptive and original business concepts are the ones that could make it to the top and ultimately present their case to Richard Branson in person," said Gavan Smyth, vice president of Virgin Media Business Ireland.

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist