Athlone start-ups are encouraged to enter their business for the 2016 AIB Start-up Academy, a competition which offers a prize package valued at €250,000, including a €20,000 cash investment for the overall winner.
Now in its second year, the AIB Start-up Academy, developed in association with The Irish Times, aims to build and support a nationwide community of entrepreneurs from all sectors and with all levels of experience.
Just 10 entries will be selected to take part in an intensive training and mentoring programme, helping to develop crucial skills in areas such as business modelling and social media strategy. Following the completion of the course, the 10 entries will deliver a final pitch with the winner being decided by a panel of judges.
The AIB Start-up Academy visited the Sheraton Athlone Hotel in September for a business information night which was well attended by the local start-up community. This event was one of 11 held across Ireland between May and November.
Speaking about the competition, Eddie Buckley, AIB Midlands regional manager, said: “We saw from the recent start-up night that Athlone is full of great business ideas which are backed by determined and talented entrepreneurs. The AIB Start-up Academy is one of the ways we support these people and I would encourage anyone interested in entering the competition not to miss out.”
The 2015 AIB Start-up Academy was won by Fabien Peyaud and his agri-app Herdwatch. Fabian said, “The AIB Start-up Academy provided a great platform for Herdwatch to grow. It’s a terrific competition for start-ups and provides invaluable business advice and networking opportunities.”
Applying for the competition is free and any entrepreneurs interested in registering their business should log on to https://aibstartupacademy.secure-platform.com before the closing date on January 4, 2016.
