AXISBIC ENTREPRENEUR EXPERIENCE ATTRACTS GROWING NUMBER OF WOMEN FOUNDERS
Applications now open for mentoring event at Ballymaloe, Co. Cork
What if 24 hours could change the future of your business? Applications are now open for the 2026 AxisBIC Entrepreneur Experience™, one of Ireland’s most respected entrepreneurship programmes. Now in its 15th year, the programme has supported 355 emerging entrepreneurs whose businesses have gone on to raise more than €500 million in investment. For founders ready to gain honest feedback, challenge their assumptions and accelerate growth, this could be the most valuable 24 hours they spend all year.
Over the past five years, an average of 48% of the emerging businesses that participated in the programme were founded or co-founded by women.
The Entrepreneur Experience brings 24 emerging entrepreneurs together with 30 business leaders who offer advice and mentoring over 24 hours. Applications are now open for the event which is taking place in Ballymaloe House & Grain Store, Co. Cork on October 16th and 17th.
Recently named, Emerging businesswoman of the year by Network Ireland, Emma. Duffy, Founder and CEO, My Forever Tooth Fairy, 2025 participant said “As founders, we spend so much time in the weeds, juggling countless moving parts and balancing business with reality. The Entrepreneur Experience gave me the opportunity to step away from that and spend time with people who understand the ambition, challenges and highs and lows of building something from scratch.
I left with clarity, greater confidence in myself and my business and practical takeaways. In our final session with Entrepreneur Peaches Kemp we were asked what actions we’d take and without thinking I said I’m going to sit in my chair and truly believe that I belong there. Because somewhere over those two days, that belief clicked into place – not as emotion but as conviction.”
AxisBIC has been driving innovation and fostering the growth of start-ups in the South and South-West of Ireland for more than 35-years. AxisBIC provides support and essential business expertise to entrepreneurs to help them grow and succeed.
Larry O’Donoghue, CEO of AxisBIC said: “Key to the success of the Entrepreneur Experience is creating trust from the outset and that is down to the openness and generosity of the participating seasoned entrepreneurs. Their contribution enables the honest conversations and sharing of information between the Emerging and Seasoned Entrepreneurs who are paired together for the mentoring and group sessions.”
“The Entrepreneur Experience weekend was of significant benefit to all of us at Sibly. From the mentor partnership, to the dinner on the Friday evening – it was a crash course in all aspects of business strategy, communication & sustainable growth. I would strongly encourage every business to apply, you are in a room where someone has an answer to every challenge you may be encountering & it truly has been formative in our growth so far in 2026” – Matthew Collins, Founder Sibly Foods Ltd
Partners for the Entrepreneur Experience include Cork City Council, Cork County Council, Broadlake, Quintas Capital and Media Partner, The Currency.
Some of the companies who have participated have gone on to raise significant investment and create many jobs. These include Poppulo (formerly Newsweaver); st Solutions (now Catalyx); Roamr; Velo Coffee; Xtremedy Medical; All Real Nutrition; MyGUG,
Green Rebel; Ascend Cloud Solutions; Ground Wellbeing; Hibernia Line; JUSTTIP, BeyondBMI and many more. Applications for the AxisBIC Entrepreneur Experience 2026 can be made here.
