KPMG’s Global Tech Innovator 2026 opens for entries

 KPMG in Ireland has opened entries for the 2026 Global Tech Innovator (GTI) competition. Now in its sixth year, KPMG is inviting ambitious Irish technology and tech enabled companies to compete for the chance to represent Ireland at the global final in Lisbon this November.

Commenting on the 2026 launch, Anna Scally, Global Head of Technology, Media, and Telecommunications at KPMG said: “Dublin healthtech company Akara’s achievement in Lisbon was one of the competition’s strongest years for Ireland. Akara finished as first runner up at the 2025 global final and it showed the world that Ireland punches well above its weight in technology. We now want to find the next Akara, an ambitious Irish tech founder ready to compete on the world stage.”

Global Tech Innovator 2026 opens

Reflecting on last year’s journey, Niamh Donnelly, co-founder and CTO of Akara, said:

“Winning the Irish competition validated years of hard work and confirmed that what we’re building at Akara genuinely matters. But representing Ireland on the global stage and finishing as first runner up out of 21 of the world’s most promising tech startups has opened doors we couldn’t have imagined. For Akara, this competition wasn’t just an award, it was a launchpad.”

Who can enter?

The competition is open to pure technology or tech enabled, tech driven, or tech led businesses which have operated for seven years or less, have generated revenue of between USD $1–15m, or have raised at least $500,000 in equity, and are registered and based in Ireland or Northern Ireland.

Shortlisted entrants will pitch their innovations and present their growth ambitions to a panel of judges – including successful entrepreneurs and investors – for the chance to be crowned Ireland’s winner and to compete at the global final.

Applications must be submitted by 22nd of May 2026 and you must be available to appear in-person for the Ireland final, which will be held in Dublin on the 30th of June 2026.

Benefits for the Irish winner include:

• National and global exposure: Showcasing your innovation to industry experts, investors, partners, and customers; boosting local profile via media and social coverage. The Irish winner advances to compete globally in Lisbon in November.
• Networking opportunities: Connecting with fellow tech innovators, join local and global peer networks, collaborating, and gaining insights from seasoned professionals.
• Mentorship and growth: Accessing KPMG mentors and advisors for guidance on scaling; receiving ongoing feedback from judges and peers to refining your innovation and presentation skills.

Previous Irish finalists

Ireland’s track record Irish finalists and winners to date reflect the breadth of the country’s innovation, from Niamh Donnelly of Akara (2025 Irish winner) and Emma Meehan’s Precision Sports Technology (2024 Irish winner) to Conor Sheridan’s AI powered hospitality platform Nory, Barry Lunn’s accident prevention firm Provizio, and Terry Canning’s Belfast based CattleEye, the world’s first hardware independent autonomous livestock monitoring platform.

To enter, find out more about the competition and watch all the previous Irish finalists’ pitches, visit www.kpmg.ie/GTI

About the KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator competition

The inaugural KPMG Private Enterprise Global Tech Innovator Competition was introduced in 2021, to build upon KPMG in the UK’s Best British Tech Pioneer competition. In 2026, the competition grew to include x countries and jurisdictions from both mature and emerging markets.

Companies from the start-up to growth stages were invited to pitch their innovations and present their growth ambitions to panels of local and global industry experts for the opportunity to be recognised as a leading technology innovator in their country and ultimately on the global stage.

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