Africa Day 2025: Celebrating Commerce & Innovation at the Lions’ Den Pitch Competition

To mark Africa Day 2025, we hosted our annual Lions’ Den Pitch Competition, a flagship event celebrating innovation, entrepreneurship, and cultural pride within our community. This year’s event grew with the exciting addition of a Business Bazaar, where seven Black-owned enterprises showcased their products and services to an engaged and supportive audience.

The event served as a powerful platform for business visibility, connection, and inspiration—highlighting the talent, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit of our community.

The Competition Journey

This year, APNI received over 35 applications from across Ireland. Following a rigorous evaluation by an independent selection committee, 12 outstanding businesses were shortlisted. These finalists then participated in a public voting round, with six businesses advancing to pitch live at the Lions’ Den event.

Each finalist delivered a compelling pitch before a panel of expert judges. After careful deliberation, three winners were selected:

• First Place: Gontrel

• Second Place: Joyof

• Third Place: Agewell Care Link

In addition to our top three winners, we would also like to recognise the three other incredible businesses who pitched on the day:

• Spotchase 

• Ceriga co

• UMUTI:MA

We extend our warmest congratulations to the winners and applaud all participating entrepreneurs for their hard work, vision, and courage.

Reflections from the Winners

After the event, we spoke with the top three winners about what this recognition meant to them.

Gontrel (First Place):

“This win is an incredible milestone for us. I actually applied last year and didn’t make it through, so to come back and win this year is especially meaningful. The startup journey is filled with challenges—you take losses almost daily. That’s why having a moment like this to celebrate with my friends, family, and co-founder is so powerful. The exposure this opportunity brings to our work is significant, and I’m truly grateful for it.”

Joyof (Second Place):

“This award is deeply meaningful. It affirms that people believe in my vision and the effort behind the brand. Professionally, it enables us to invest in key resources to scale the business—not only within Dublin, but across other regions and retail outlets as well.”

Agewell Care Link (Third Place):

“This recognition is more than an award; it is a powerful validation of my vision. As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to doubt whether others will connect with our ideas. Placing third reassures me that I am on the right path, and that the work I’m doing is valued and seen.”

A big thank you to the seven businesses ( E3closet, The Soy Joy Candle Company, DiDio Jewels, SheNice, The Mikazzi Brand, Sooray’s Hibiscus Drink and Uncultured and Young)  who took part in our Business Bazaar. Their presence brought the marketplace to life and gave attendees a chance to connect directly with Black-owned brands.

Thank You to Our Community

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all applicants, finalists, judges, volunteers, and our exhibiting businesses. Your contributions made this year’s Lions’ Den an inspiring and impactful success.

As we continue to spotlight and support Black-owned businesses in Ireland, we invite you to explore and support the many talented entrepreneurs featured in our Black Business Directory—a growing resource showcasing businesses in our community.