BOI Sponsors Dragons Den
Bank of Ireland sponsors Dragons' Den: First episode on Thursday 19th February
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Bank of Ireland is delighted that our sponsorship of Dragons' Den went live with the first episode on Thursday 19th February on RTE 1 at 10.15pm.
The 8-part series, presented by Richard Curran, will see budding entrepreneurs enter the Den in a bid to secure investment in their fledging business. The five Irish Dragons have been chosen for their innovation, tenacity and expertise across a range of industries. They are: Gavin Duffy, Bobby Kerr, Sean Gallagher, Niall O'Farrell and Sarah Newman.
Over the course of filming the series, the Dragons were pitched with a huge array of ideas, from ice cream vendors to a fledgling crystal company to an idea for an alternative Olympics for Ireland. With such an eclectic mix of business ideas, it is clear to see that the creativity and passion for which Irish entrepreneurs are famed remains strong, despite the current climate.
Bank of Ireland's sponsorship of the Irish version of Dragons' Den reflects our long-standing commitment to facilitating and nurturing the country's start-up businesses. We are a bank that's genuinely open for your business, whether that's advice on your business' situation, accessing credit on more flexible terms or assistance to make your business strong and more secure.
We will be hosting a series of local business events over the course of the 2009 that will focus on delivering the best advice to Ireland's entrepreneurs across a range of issues relevant to business today. The Irish Dragons will be speaking at these events, alongside other experts in business and local business people, all of whom will offer their experience and expertise to your business.
At the launch this week of the Dragons' Den sponsorship Gabriel Bannigan, Director of Retail Strategy and Marketing at Bank of Ireland said:
"Bank of Ireland is the leading bank for business start-ups in Ireland and provides the essential funding and financial expertise underpinning many of today's Irish business success stories. Small businesses remain pivotal to our economy, particularly in these tough economic times. Innovation will be one of the key differentiating factors for new businesses entering the market. This sponsorship of Dragons' Den aligns directly with our ambition to be the leading supporter of new and growing business start-ups in Ireland".