WestBIC client Nibbed takes home the ‘Best Pitch’ Award at the Prep4Seed Investor Pitch Event

WestBIC is an Enterprise Ireland partner providing hands-on startup support, funding readiness and investment preparation for early-stage founders in the west of Ireland.

15th May 2025

The first 12-week Prep4Seed programme of 2025 culminated at the Investor Pitch Day where seven start-ups pitched to an audience of Angel Investors & VCs.

The programme, delivered by the four Irish Business Innovation Centres (BICs), in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland, prepares start-up clients for seed investment bringing participants through the investor readiness process quickly and effectively. The Irish BICs are AxisBIC, Furthr, Propelor & WestBIC.

The Irish based early-stage companies pitching for investment were from a variety of industry sectors including: Climate Tech, Life Sciences, FinTech, Digital Tech, Food and Sustainability.

The pitching Companies were: Nibbed, Shoden, Solas Sodas, Somatech, Tao Climate, The Focus Collective and Xtricate Medical.

Mary Ryan, Deputy CEO of WestBIC said: “The Prep4Seed programme is designed to equip founders with the tools and confidence to engage with investors, and it’s rewarding to see that preparation lead to real success.
Nibbed’s award and recognition reflects the high calibre of innovation and dedication emerging from Ireland’s start-up ecosystem. We are delighted to have the support of Enterprise Ireland and the strong collaboration with our fellow BICs, which underscores the importance of partnerships in fostering innovation and growth across Ireland.”

Carol Gibbons, Head of Entrepreneurship, Regions & Local, Enterprise Ireland said: “One week on from the success of celebrating over 150 innovative emerging start-ups at the Enterprise Ireland Start-up Day 2025, it is encouraging to see this new cohort of early stage companies coming through the Prep4Seed programme. The calibre of talent and innovation demonstrated by the 7 start-ups spread across a range of sectors that are pitching today is testament to the vibrancy of the start-up eco-system across Ireland. Enterprise Ireland is delighted to support and partner with the Irish BICs to support these start-ups to thrive and influence the future of global business.”

Somatech, awarded the One to Watch Award, are specialising in fungal solid-state fermentation, leveraging low-cost technology to transform locally sourced, plant-based feedstocks into high-value, 100% natural ingredients.

Nibbed, who took home the Best Pitch Award, are redefining the hot drinks space with pure hot cacao — a nourishing, energising coffee alternative.

Lisa Kleiner from Nibbed commented: “We’re so thrilled to have won Best Pitch at the Prep4Seed Investor day. The Prep4Seed programme has been a huge support in helping us sharpen our investor readiness and clarify our growth strategy as we expand into the UK market. We’re incredibly grateful to WestBIC and Enterprise Ireland for their guidance and belief in what we’re building with Nibbed.”

Participants of the programme attended five Masterclasses run by the Irish BICs and tailored one-to-one meetings with experienced BIC consultants which covered a broad range of areas including Market Validation, Financial Modelling, Sales & Marketing, Pitching & Investment and Company Foundation. Participants were also brought through intensive investor pitch preparation sessions and trial pitches preparing them for the Investor Day.

To date 76 start-ups have participated in the 12-week Prep4Seed investor-ready programme delivered nationally by the Irish BICs: AxisBIC, Furthr, Propelor and WestBIC in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland.