Lion's Den 2026
Building Futures: AI, Innovation & Inclusive Growth
Funding Access
Prize capital + investor introductions
Pitch Coaching
Workshops, financial modelling, storytelling
National Exposure
Media coverage, corporate partnerships, VC access
From Vision to Venture
Lion’s Den is a pitch competition and national entrepreneur platform designed to identify, fund, and accelerate high-potential Black/Afro-Irish founders and startups. It connects innovation with investment, ambition with access, and community with capital.
What do successful applicant get?
The Lion's Den Competition will award 3 high-potential startups with total of €20,000 cash grant and tailored non financial supports package to awardees to scale on areas such as strategy, product, technology and access to APNI Network.
You can apply to Lion's Den Competition via the online application form here from 1st April to 30th April 2026
See the eligibility criteria before applying !
Enable revenue growth and job creation in Ireland.
Drive Economic Impact
Connect with capital and scalable growth opportunities.
Build Investable Founders:
Position APNI as the bridge between diverse talent and investment.
National Innovation Connector
What’s in it for You? (Founder Benefits)
Ireland is home to extraordinary entrepreneurial talent — bold thinkers, resilient builders, and visionary founders shaping the future of business. Yet, access to capital, networks, and visibility remains uneven.
Capital Access
Direct access to prize money, VC introductions and corporate partnerships.
Investor Readiness
Structured bootcamps, pitch coaching, financial modelling training and AI capability enhancement.
Influence
Become part of Ireland's leading inclusive pipeline for Enterprise Ireland programs.
Growth
Post-event support including MVP launches, hiring plans and 12 month growth roadmaps.
Your Path to the Stage
Please join us for our application clinics to find out more and answer any questions that you have. Our one-hour application clinics will provide information on fund eligibility and the application process and offer an opportunity to answer any questions you have.
Thursday, 9th April at 1pm: Register here
Open Call (March-April 2026)
Submit your application.
Screening & Shortlisting (April-May 2026)
Top 10 selected for interviews
Pre-Pitch Workshops (May 2026)
Intensive training on pitch coaching, legal basics and storytelling.
Top 6 Selection (Late May)
Finalists announced and featured in Media
Grand Finale (June 2026)
Live pitches in Dublin. Q&A with judges, networking and awards.
Post - Event Growth (July-May2027)
Continued mentorship, non-financial support, growth and impact tracking.
Founder Eligibility - Applicant must
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Be building a business or startup (either part-time or full-time
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Be 18+ years old
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Be based in Ireland or/and one founder based in Republic of Ireland (Citizen or Resident)
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Be founder or co-founder of Black/African Descent
Business Eligibility - Startup must
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Be Registered/Incorporated in Ireland, operational can be worldwide (or proof of active registration in progress)
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Be early-stage to traction-stage startups, strong MVP with traction (nice to have)
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Not be business/startup or founder shortlisted as top 6 in past editions of Lion’s Den
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Have a scalable business model
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Be ethical & legal compliant
Sector Focus
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Technology & AI
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Education
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Health & Science
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Climate & Sustainability
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Consumer Goods
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Creative & Arts
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Professional Services
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Fashion
Documentation
The application form asks you for information about your business/startup and your growth plans. The application form is intentionally short, and we ask you to upload documents as part of your application as follows:
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Business Pitch Deck
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Growth Plan for 6 - 24 months
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All applicants must outline how they intend to use the cash grant if successful and upload a proposed budget. A spreadsheet template is provided here.
Frequently Asked Questions
For any questions you may have, please contact registerations@apni.ie
