Loughguile entrepreneur one step from £50,000 prize in Ulster Bank pitch final

Aaron Carey, Preservoir; Peter Gilleece, Vikela; Gabi Burnside; Entrepreneur Acceleration Manager, Ulster Bank; Sarah McKegney, Percy & Pop and Cormac Venney, HIP Psychology.

A Loughguile entrepreneur is within touching distance of a £50,000 investment after securing a place in the final of the Ulster Bank Accelerator Pitch 2026.

Aaron Carey, founder of fintech cash-management platform Preservoir, impressed judges at a highly competitive semi-final this week, earning a coveted spot among the final four entrepreneurs who will pitch for the top prize later this month.

The decisive final will take place at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards on March 25, where one founder will walk away with the £50,000 investment.

From 140 applicants to the final four

Carey earned his place after pitching alongside 11 other founders at the semi-final event, where a panel of business leaders selected the finalists.

The judging panel included Eddie McKeever, managing director of the McKeever Hotel Group; Caroline O’Neill, podcast host and founder of Digg; Jenda McSwiggan, head of growth operations at NatWest Cushon; and Gareth McDonald, co-founder of Farmdrive and winner of last year’s competition.

This year’s competition attracted strong interest from across Northern Ireland, with more than 140 entrepreneurs initially submitting pitch videos before a shortlist of 12 was selected to present live.

Eddie McKeever, Managing Director, McKeever Hotel Group, Caroline O’Neill, Founder, Digg; Gareth McDonald, Co-Founder, Farm Drive and Jenda McSwiggan, Head of Growth Operations, NatWest Cushon.

Judges praised Carey’s confident delivery, clear investment proposal, enthusiasm for his venture and deep understanding of the fintech sector.

Finalists preparing for Belfast Telegraph Business Awards

Carey will now join three other entrepreneurs in the grand final.

They include Peter Gilleece, founder of Vikela, and Sarah McKegney, who established children’s shampoo company Percy & Pop.

Cormac Venny, founder of HIP Psychology, also secured a place after topping the public vote on the Belfast Telegraph website.

All four finalists will present their businesses in front of a live audience at the awards ceremony, where the overall winner will be crowned.

A decade of supporting entrepreneurs

The Ulster Bank Accelerator Pitch competition forms part of celebrations marking ten years of the bank’s accelerator community in Northern Ireland.

Since opening in 2016, the programme has supported more than 1,000 entrepreneurs to develop and scale their businesses.

Gabi Burnside, Accelerator Journey Manager, said the standard of pitches at the semi-final made selecting finalists a difficult decision.

“We were incredibly impressed by the standard of pitches delivered at the semi-final. Each of the 12 entrepreneurs delivered outstanding pitches and it was a very challenging decision for the judging panel to select the finalists.

“These four founders have shown exceptional potential, and we are excited to see them take to the stage at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards as they compete for this year’s £50,000 prize.”

The winner of the Ulster Bank Accelerator Pitch 2026 will be announced live during the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards ceremony on March 25.

At a glance

• Loughguile entrepreneur Aaron Carey has reached the final of the Ulster Bank Accelerator Pitch 2026.

• Carey is founder of Preservoir, a fintech cash-management platform.

• He was one of 12 founders pitching at the semi-final event.

• More than 140 entrepreneurs initially applied to the competition.

• Four finalists will compete for a £50,000 investment.

• The final takes place at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards on March 25.

• Judges praised Carey’s confident delivery and strong industry knowledge.

• The competition marks ten years of Ulster Bank’s accelerator community in Northern Ireland.

• The accelerator programme has supported more than 1,000 entrepreneurs since 2016.