KPMG has named the judging panel for the Irish round of its Global Tech Innovator competition, which is open to start-ups in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The Irish winner will go on to compete in a global final against entrants from more than 20 countries. Applications are open to technology businesses that meet revenue, funding and ownership criteria and have been operating for seven years or less in their current form.
Jess Kelly, the technology journalist and broadcaster who presents Tech Talk on Newstalk, will return as host of the Irish competition. The judging panel includes Cyril McGuire, Chief Executive Officer of Infinity Capital; Colin Goulding, Director at Google; Caroline Gaynor, Partner at Lightstone Ventures and Chair of the Irish Venture Capital Association; Conor Stanley, Founder of Tribal.vc; and Anna Scally, Global Head of Technology, Media & Telecommunications at KPMG.
Applicants must be registered in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. They must also have generated revenue of between USD $1 million and USD $15 million, or raised at least USD $500,000 in equity, and must not be majority-owned by a large corporate.
The competition is aimed at founders moving beyond the start-up stage and seeking to expand their businesses. Eligible entrants can be pure technology companies or businesses that are tech-enabled, tech-driven or tech-led.
Irish track record
The latest edition follows a strong result for Ireland in the previous competition, when Irish finalist Akara finished as first runner-up in the global final.
Highlighting that result as this year's search opened, Scally said: "Following last year's success, when Ireland's finalist, Akara, finished as first runner-up at the global final, we are looking for our next ambitious Irish tech founder ready to compete on the world stage. We are delighted to welcome an exceptional panel of judges to this year's competition. With their diverse backgrounds in investment, leadership and advisory, we're confident we can pinpoint Ireland's next top tech innovator."
Entry criteria
The entry threshold suggests the competition is focused on businesses that have already shown commercial progress rather than very early-stage ventures. Revenue of at least USD $1 million or equity funding of USD $500,000 sets a minimum scale for applicants, while the upper revenue limit of USD $15 million keeps the field focused on younger growth companies.
The requirement for entrants to attend the Irish final in person in Dublin means shortlisted businesses must be prepared to present directly to judges. The panel brings together investors, a senior executive from a global technology group, and advisers with experience in the sector.
Including Northern Ireland alongside the Republic gives the competition an all-island reach. That widens the pool of eligible companies at a time when Irish technology founders continue to look abroad for customers, funding and industry partnerships as they seek to grow.
KPMG has positioned the contest as a route for founders to gain exposure beyond their home market. Alongside the chance to represent Ireland internationally, additional prizes include mentorship from KPMG professionals and access to networking events.
The judging line-up also reflects the different routes available to scaling technology businesses, from venture capital backing to strategic advice and access to large platform companies. For founders, that mix can be as important as the competition result itself, particularly for businesses trying to raise fresh capital or open doors in export markets.
Ireland's technology sector has produced a steady flow of young companies in areas ranging from software and digital services to health technology and climate-related products. Competitions of this kind have become one way for those firms to gain visibility with investors and corporate buyers while also testing their pitch against peers from other markets.
For KPMG, the Irish leg is part of a wider international programme designed to identify emerging technology businesses with evidence of customer traction and room for expansion. The global contest brings together country winners from Europe, North America and Asia.
The Irish judging panel includes founders, venture investors and corporate leaders with experience in backing and assessing early-growth businesses. Caroline Gaynor currently chairs the Irish Venture Capital Association, while Conor Stanley's Tribal.vc has been active in the Irish start-up investment market.
McGuire, through Infinity Capital, and Goulding, from Google, add further investor and industry perspectives. Scally completes the panel in her role overseeing KPMG's technology, media and telecommunications practice at global level.
The competition is restricted to businesses that are not majority-owned by large corporates, a rule that keeps the focus on independent companies. That condition is likely to exclude spinouts or subsidiaries that already sit within bigger groups and have access to wider financial support.
By setting clear limits on age, ownership and financial progress, the competition targets a distinct segment of the market: companies that have moved beyond the concept stage but still face the challenges of scaling. Those businesses often need to prove they can turn early traction into repeatable growth, especially if they want to expand overseas.
Last year's result for Akara underlined that Irish entrants can compete strongly in an international field, with the company finishing as first runner-up in the global final.