FoodCloud to pitch to Richard Branson for slice of €1.2m prize fund

After an extensive nationwide search, 3,000 entries, half a million votes and one Guinness World Record title, FoodCloud has made it through to the finale of the Virgin Media Business ‘VOOM 2016’ competition.

FoodCloud is a not-for-profit social enterprise that has developed a unique solution to this problem through connecting businesses with surplus food with charities in their local communities that need it through a technology platform. Co -Founders Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien launched FoodCloud in October 2013 with one Tesco store in Dublin and the business grew from that moment, redistributing 2.9 million meals equivalent to charities across Ireland and the UK to date.

Iseult Ward, co-founder of FoodCloud will be pitching to Richard Branson and a panel of business heavyweights including Tyra Banks, Sara Blakely Marcus Butler and Virgin Media Business Managing Director, Peter Kelly, at the live finale on the 28th of June. FoodCloud will go head to head with two other businesses in the Grow category for a slice of the €1.2 million prize fund.

Iseult Ward said: “We are delighted to have made it this far in the competition and can’t wait to pitch FoodCloud to Richard Branson. We’ve worked extremely hard to get here and it’s been such an incredible experience so far, we’re excited for the finale and the future opportunities this will bring.”

Richard Branson, Virgin Founder said: “Congratulations to FoodCloud for making it through to the finale of the Virgin Media Business ‘VOOM’ competition. They’ve shown they’ve got the determination and innovative flair we’re looking for in a winner and I can’t wait to meet them at the final on the 28th.”

Gavan Smyth, Vice President of Virgin Business said: “This is an unbelievable result for Ireland. Not only was it Ireland’s first time to be invited into the pitching competition, an Irish company made it to the final six. I am so thrilled for Iseult and everyone at FoodCloud and wish her every success on June 28th.”

‘VOOM 2016’ – run by the ultrafast business broadband company – is hunting for the Ireland and the UK’s most exciting and innovative businesses. A winner will be chosen from each of the two categories, ‘Start-up’ and ‘Grow’.