If you’re an ambitious founder with a business idea you believe in, this weekend is your last chance to put yourself forward for Propelor’s flagship pitch competition – now open to entrepreneurs right across Ireland.
If you’re an ambitious founder with a business idea you believe in, this weekend is your last chance to put yourself forward for Propelor’s flagship pitch competition – now open to entrepreneurs right across Ireland.
A mentor in your corner
Every Big Pitch finalist is matched one-to-one with an experienced business leader, who works with them in the weeks before the Final to shape their pitch, sharpen their story and get them final-ready.
This year’s mentors are:
- John O’Connor – entrepreneur, investor and chairman with 15 years building, scaling and exiting businesses, including taking his own startup public on the Nasdaq. He chairs or co-founded Kollect, Cleaning Doctor, AutismCare.ie, ADHD Now and Fettle, and sits on the board of Aiséirí.
- Susan O’Neill – CEO and co-founder of Paygentic, a full-stack monetisation platform for AI products. A Chartered Certified Accountant, she spent a decade in enterprise finance before founding Paygentic, and sits on the Fintech Ireland Advisory Council.
- Alan Quinlan – serial co-founder across fintech, medtech and consultancy, having raised in excess of €20m across his businesses. Now Head of AI & Digital Innovation at Irish Life, with a particular interest in the 0-to-1 startup journey.
New for 2026: The Board You Can’t Afford
This year we’re introducing a brand-new benefit for finalists. On Tuesday 21st October. In advance of the final, the three finalists will pitch to, and then sit down with, three hand-picked boards of experienced operators, investors and sector specialists – the kind of board most early-stage founders simply can’t get access to.
The Little Pitch returns
Alongside the main competition, The Little Pitch is back. Four early-stage founders will deliver lightning pitches on the day of the Final, with the audience voting live to crown The One to Watch.
Key dates
Applications close: 5pm, Monday 28th September 2026
The Big Pitch 2026 Final: Thursday 12th November, House of Waterford, Waterford City
Prize Money: €7,500
Don’t miss the deadline.
A mentor, a board, a stage and €7,500 in prize money – all waiting for three founders. Applications close on Monday 28th September, so if you’ve been meaning to apply, now’s the time.
The Big Pitch is supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices, whose continued support makes the competition possible year after year.
