Proud Moment for TU Dublin as Student Entrepreneur Ryan Ormonde Wins Pitch Perfect 2026
More than 300 entrepreneurs, students and business leaders gathered at the Technological University Dublin Concert Hall at Grangegorman for Pitch Perfect 2026: Battle of the Startups, a flagship event of Local Enterprise Week celebrating Dublin’s most promising early-stage founders.
Following a highly competitive process that attracted over 100 applications from across the Dublin region, six finalists pitched their businesses live to an expert judging panel for a prize package valued at over €10,000, including a €5,000 cash prize and one year of office space at a TU Dublin business incubator.
The overall winner was Ryan Ormonde, founder of Saor Water. Ryan impressed judges with his innovative vision and entrepreneurial drive, securing the €5,000 prize and a year’s incubation space within TU Dublin’s Business Incubation network to support the growth of his company.
Ryan is already making a name for himself in Ireland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. In 2025 he won the National Enterprise Ireland Student Enterprise Competition, and he continues to build momentum while balancing his venture alongside his studies as a full-time Bachelor of Business & Management student in the TU Dublin School of Management, People and Organisation.
The competition also showcased a strong group of founders:
- Lauren Price – Little Mellos
- Sophie O'Neill – TREX
- Myles Garland – Kefircoffee™
- Gavin Doyle – Examinaite
- Susie Kilcoyne – LOCKET
Each runner-up received €250 and three months of office space at a TU Dublin Business Incubator. The People’s Choice Award, voted for by the audience, went to Gavin Doyle of Examinaite, who received an additional €250 prize.
Opening the event, TU Dublin President Dr Deirdre Lillis highlighted the University’s commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation.
“Today’s event captures something very special: our ambition, our creativity, and above all, our belief that ideas, when supported by the right community, can change lives, industries, and society itself.”
She also emphasised the University’s entrepreneurial culture:
“Enterprise is not something we simply talk about at TU Dublin, it is something we do… enterprise is in the DNA of this University.”
Pitch Perfect was independently adjudicated, with the final judged live by Susan Spence, Gary Fox and Gillian McColgan.
The event was delivered by the TU Dublin Enterprise Engagement team with the support of ecosystem partners including Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, Fingal, Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, South Dublin, and Enterprise Ireland’s New Frontiers Programme.
Pitch Perfect continues to grow as a standout event of Local Enterprise Week, providing a platform for emerging founders to share ideas, connect with mentors and accelerate their ventures, with TU Dublin playing a central role in nurturing the next generation of entrepreneurial talent.
Pictured: L to R: Elizabeth Dunne (South Dublin LEO), Richard Alymer (Enterprise Ireland), Warren Cray (Dublin City LEO), Niall Shanley (TU Dublin Enterprise Engagement), Ryan Ormonde (Saor Water), Oisín Geoghegan (Fingal LEO), Claire MacNamee (TU Dublin Enterprise Engagement), Noel Davidson (Entrepreneurs Academy), Caroline Custy (Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown LEO)