Brown Thomas Arnotts have announced the five finalists for their Pitch’21 competition.

The competition offers startups and new brands the opportunity to retail their product in the group’s department stores and online.

In addition, the finalists have the chance to win a €10,000 business development grant to grow their business.

The five finalists are drawn from a range of sectors including fashion, lifestyle and technology. They will now engage in a series of mentoring and development workshops with the judging panel and will have the opportunity to retail their products in store and online from October to December.

The shortlisted firms are:

In Association with

• Orca Board, a manufacturer of inflatable paddle boards that supports a whale and dolphin rehabilitation charity.

• Thomas’s Trendy Socks, a venture founded by Thomas Barry that sells fun and colourful socks in aid of the St. John of God’s foundation (see video below).

• Nancy D’s, a maker of artisanal baby products such as shoes, socks and soother clips.

• Pure Clothing, a sustainable clothing range consisting of t-shirts, hoodies and joggers made from 100% organic cotton.

• Jim Jams, a sustainable women’s pyjamas brand which also runs a social empowerment programme in India.

Audrey Owens of Brown Thomas Arnotts commented: “Irish businesses have shown such strong resilience during the pandemic and this initiative is a great opportunity for these five finalists to showcase their work.”