Brian Weakliam, the chief executive, of red-hot financial-tech company Bankhawk, did not have much time to enjoy the sunshine on his recent trip to Orlando.

His Dublin-based firm faced a harsh interrogation by expert judges as it beat off stiff competition from 1,900 entrants to be named most transformative start-up at the recent SAP Sapphire Now conference in Florida.

Weakliam, a former AIB corporate banker, got some one-on-one time as a result with SAP co-founder Hasso Platner, who is Germany's 10th richest man with a fortune of $9 billion-plus. "It was incredible to meet him," Weakliam told us, "He's larger than life, and a really nice guy who loves our business."

Bankhawk he explained shows companies how to make money out of their banking data, a fascinating topic for any company (or billionaire) with lots of bank dealings. The gong has not gone unnoticed, admits Weakliam. Bankhawk has been approached by VCs interested in investing in the company since it won. The hawk looks like it could soar further yet.