Lion's Den 2026 | An Evening to Remember
- APNI Team
- 24 hours ago
- 5 min read
On the evening of 18 June 2026, something extraordinary happened at Google Gordon House in Dublin. Six founders walked into a room, stood in front of a world class panel of judges and live audience, and pitched the businesses they had been building
This was Lion's Den 2026. And it was our biggest, most impactful edition yet.
A Journey of Growth
Lion's Den has come a long way since its early editions. Just one year ago, we hosted a Lion's Den that received a little over 35 applications, showcased 12 shortlisted businesses through a public voting round, and brought six founders to pitch live, all alongside a vibrant Business Bazaar featuring seven Black-owned enterprises.
That edition was a celebration of community, culture, and entrepreneurship.
But 2026 was a statement.
Over 40 applications. A rigorous selection process. Six extraordinary finalists. A sold-out Grand Finale at Google Gordon House one of Ireland's most prestigious tech venues. A €20,000 prize fund. A keynote from the Head of Google Ireland. And a room full of people who understood exactly why this platform exists.
This is what growth looks like. And we are just getting started.
The Evening
Doors opened at 5:00pm and the room filled quickly. Food was served, conversations started before anyone had found their seat, and the energy built steadily from the moment people walked in.
This year being APNI's 10th anniversary year, we had biggest prize fund in Lion's Den history. And everyone in the room understood the weight and the significance of what they were about to be part of.
The night was held together by two incredible women, Mimi El Badawi, Regional Product Lead at YouTube EMEA, and Daniella Atidigah, Membership Director at APNI , whose warmth and energy kept the room engaged from start to finish.
Before the pitches began, Vanessa Hartley, Vice President of EMEA Large Customer Solutions and Head of Google Ireland, took to the stage for the keynote address. What followed was the kind of honest, inspiring address that sets the room alight ,the perfect opening to what was to come.
The Finalists
Over 40 applications came in from founders across Ireland. Six made it through.
Each one had a story. A problem they had identified, an idea they had refused to let go of, and months, in some cases years, of work behind them. You could see it in the way they carried themselves that evening. The nerves were there, yes. But so was something else, a quiet confidence, a sense of affirmation that simply making it to this stage had already given them.
AudacityXX
A culturally grounded leadership and empowerment ecosystem equipping Black and minority women and girls in Ireland and Nigeria with mentorship, confidence, and career pathways.
Binocula Security
Autonomous AI agents that run continuous, verified penetration tests, helping fast-moving tech companies stay secure at a fraction of the cost of traditional pentesting.
CallCrewAI
An AI-powered admin platform built for trades and field service businesses, automating calls, scheduling, and follow-ups so tradespeople never miss a job or a customer again.
Elyx by Preplink
An AI phone agent and CRM ensuring service SMEs never lose revenue to a missed call, answering, booking, and following up around the clock.
GRC Pro Lab©
An AI-powered platform offering hands-on, simulated GRC training labs that bridge the gap between certifications and real-world governance, risk, and compliance experience.
A culture-powered platform connecting the African diaspora to verified healthcare funding for patients across Nigeria, turning community and creativity into trusted impact.
The Pitches
One by one, they stepped up.
The room went quiet in a way that only happens when people are genuinely paying attention. Everything they had built, distilled into a pitch that had to land, clearly, convincingly, compellingly.
And it did.
Founder after founder showed exactly why they had earned their place on the stage. The clarity of their thinking. The confidence in their delivery. The depth of the problems they were solving. It was not just impressive, it was moving.
The audience felt it too. When the floor opened for questions, the room came alive in a different way. Sharp, engaged, thoughtful questions that pushed the founders and showed just how seriously everyone had been paying attention. There was even laughter, warm, genuine, communal, the kind that only happens when a room is truly together.
And then something a little different. The audience got a vote. Just 10% of the overall score. but it mattered. It meant that everyone in that room was not just a spectator. They were part of the process.
The Judges
The panel, Pendo O'Donohoe, Tamara Leigh, Tavengwa Tavengwa, Nubi Kay, and Michael O'Dea, brought decades of experience across technology, finance, innovation, and entrepreneurship to the table.
Their questions were sharp. Their feedback was generous. And when it came time to deliberate, they were honest about how hard the decision had been. The quality of the businesses had made their job genuinely difficult, and that in itself said everything about the standard of Lion's Den 2026.
The Speaker
Before the results, Stephanie Esambe — Founder of Pillaxia and APNI Lion's Den Alumni, took to the stage.
A full circle moment. A past participant, now back as a speaker, sharing what Lion's Den had meant for her journey and what she had gone on to build since. It was exactly the kind of moment that reminds you why platforms like this matter.
The Results
When the results were finally announced, the room erupted.
🏆 First Place — CallCrewAI | €10,000
🥈 Second Place — Elyx by Preplink | €6,000
🥉 Third Place — GRC Pro Lab© | €4,000
But if you were in that room, you will know that the celebration was not just for the three who placed. Every founder who had stood on that stage walked away with visibility, connections, validation, and the knowledge that what they were building has been seen and taken seriously.
Closing Remarks
The programme ended. The room did not.
People found each other. Founders connected with judges. Audience members sought out the businesses they had just voted for. Conversations flowed in the way they only do when a room full of people realise they are exactly where they are supposed to be.
The closing note was delivered by APNI Vice President Helen Zidon-Chapweteka and Bunmi Morgan, Co-Lead of BGN Ireland, a fitting end to an evening that had brought so many communities and voices together.
In the days that followed, the night lived and still lives on across social media, posts, reposts, stories, and reflections from everyone who had been there.
Lion's Den 2026 was ten years in the making.
And it was worth every single one of them. 🦁
📸 View the full Lion's Den 2026 photo gallery here: View photos
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LionsDen2026 | Entrepreneurship | BlackFounders | AfricanProfessionals | APNI | BuildingFutures | Google | Innovation | IrishStartups
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