Visa Announces five female founders as the winners of its 2026 She’s Next Grant Programme

• Five female founders from across Ireland awarded a total of €90,000 in grants, mentoring and support from well-known Irish businesspeople to help to grow and scale their business
• Sinéad Burke, Tilting the Lens, announced as overall winner and recipient of €50,000 grant
• Winning businesses represent variety of sectors including food, fitness, skincare and advocacy

Dublin, September 8, 2026: Visa, a global leader in digital payments, today announced the winners of its 2026 She’s Next Grant Programme in Ireland at an awards event in Dublin.

Spanning sectors as diverse as food, advocacy, beauty and fitness, Visa’s 2026 She’s Next Grant Programme winners are:

•Hannah Joyce, founder of Flexera
•Niamh Tallon, co-founder of Her Sport
•Nicola Lyons and Elaine Crosse. co-founders of Bánór
•Sarah O’Sullivan, founder of SOS Cookies
•Sinéad Burke, founder of Tilting the Lens

Aimed at closing the entrepreneurship gap and supporting more women business owners in Ireland, the She’s Next, Empowered by Visa, grant programme awards winners with a total of €90,000 in business funding together with expert coaching, mentorship and additional resources to help their businesses thrive.

This year’s overall winner, Sinéad Burke, founder of Tilting the Lens, was awarded a €50,000 grant, having successfully pitched their business to an independent panel of judges in July. Each of the four other winners received a €10,000 business grant to help take their next business steps with confidence.

Speaking about this year’s winners, Ines Obtinalla, Head of Marketing, Ireland at Visa said: “At Visa, we are committed to supporting Irish SMEs, whether they are just starting out or are established and looking to grow. The She’s Next Programme is just one example of how we are helping entrepreneurs across Ireland access the funding, expertise and connections that can make a meaningful difference to their businesses.

“Over the past five years, we’ve seen the impact that the right support can have, helping female founders across Ireland turn ambition into action through funding, mentorship, business coaching and networking opportunities.

“This year’s five winners are a fantastic reflection of the breadth of female entrepreneurship in Ireland today. They are building ambitious businesses, and we are incredibly proud to support them as they take their next steps.”

Minister of State at the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, Emer Higgins TD, said: "Ireland has an incredibly strong community of women entrepreneurs who are bringing new ideas to market, creating jobs and making a real contribution to our economy and communities. Creating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to thrive at every stage of their business journey is essential, and initiatives such as Visa’s She’s Next programme play an important role in supporting that ambition.

“Access to funding is important, but so too are the mentoring, networks and expertise that can give entrepreneurs the confidence and support to take their next step. I want to congratulate this year’s five winners, who reflect the diversity, innovation and ambition of women in business across Ireland, and I wish them every success as they continue to grow.”

2026 Visa She’s Next - What Winners Receive

In addition to grants and as part of this year’s award package, one-to-one business mentoring was provided by three of Ireland’s most respected businesswomen, Aimee Connolly (founder and CEO, Sculpted by Aimee), Breege O’Donoghue (former board member, Primark) and Gráinne Mullins (founder, Grá Chocolates).

The award package also included individual and group pitch preparation sessions as well as access to ongoing supports available through Visa’s She’s Next alumni network.

Empowering Women

Since 2021, Visa’s She’s Next Grant Programme has awarded €305,000 in funding and coaching to 25 women entrepreneurs in Ireland to help them take their next business step.

2026 VISA SHE'S NEXT WINNERS’ CITATIONS & QUOTES:

Tilting the Lens, Co Meath: Founded by Sinéad Burke, Tilting the Lens is a strategic accessibility consultancy focused on driving systemic change so Disabled people can be successful. Tilting the Lens delivers research, audit, design and implementation services across the built environment, product and service design, and people and workplace culture. The company partners with global clients to implement and embed practices that are co-designed with Disabled customers and employees. Tilting the Lens is a certified B Corp and a Living Wage Employer, and over six years they've engaged over 140 clients in 13 countries.

Sinéad Burke, Tilting the Lens CEO and founder, said of the win: “I'm thrilled to be named one of this year’s Visa She’s Next grant winners. With the grant funding provided, we hope to expand and evolve our Research Hub, which is our platform of over 600 Disabled people globally, who we engage for paid research and design opportunities. This will allow us to automate key processes, but even more, it ensures that every client engagement is informed by the lived experiences and expertise of Disabled people."

SOS Cookies, Co Limerick:

Founded by Sarah O’Sullivan in 2020, SOS Cookies is an Irish bakery brand producing premium handmade cookies. SOS Cookies are available to order online, as well as being available in independent cafés and key retail locations across Ireland. The brand creates bespoke orders for corporate and personal customers and employs more than 40 people.

Sarah O’Sullivan, SOS Cookies founder, said of the win: “Being a winner of Visa’s She’s Next grant programme has been an incredibly rewarding experience, both personally and professionally. Having a company like Visa back you and your business is an amazing feeling. The funding from the programme will help us to scale our production through new equipment, supporting further retail growth. Additionally, the pitch preparation sessions have been invaluable, equipping me with the skills and confidence to pursue future funding opportunities with even greater success. I'm looking forward to joining this fantastic network of female founders, I find as the years go by you learn so much from your network so it's incredible to be involved.”

Flexera, Co Mayo:

Founded by Hannah Joyce, Flexera is a premium fitness brand bringing the popular reformer Pilates studio experience into the home. A space-conscious at-home reformer machine is paired with a digital platform featuring live and on-demand classes, personalised programmes, and progress tracking. A rental membership model further lowers entry costs.

Speaking about her win, Hannah Joyce, founder of Flexera: “Being named one of this year’s She’s Next Grant programme winners has been fantastic and feels like a further validation of the Flexera business model. Every aspect of this support programme has been invaluable, having the ability to connect with the amazing mentors and female founders who have been where we are going has been hugely insightful. Looking ahead, we have ambitious plans for Flexera, including scaling our rental membership and expanding our brand into new markets. This grant is a gamechanger in making those plans a reality.”

Bánór, Co Tipperary:

Founded by Nicola Lyons, a pharmacist, and Elaine Crosse, Bánór is an Irish skincare brand where farming meets pharmacy. The company transforms Irish sheep milk into premium, science-backed skincare designed for dry and sensitive skin.

Bánór is positioned as Europe’s first sheep milk skincare brand, combining pharmaceutical expertise, farming heritage and scientific research to create a genuinely unique ingredient-led proposition. Independent research has demonstrated antioxidant, anti-ageing and skin barrier benefits associated with Bánór’s formulations.

Launched in 2022, Bánór is now stocked in the likes of Dublin Airport, Avoca and Shaws and is building towards international markets, with FDA approval secured for the US. The brand’s mission is to turn an underappreciated agricultural ingredient into high-value skincare while creating new opportunities for Irish sheep farming.

Nicola Lyons, Bánór co-founder commented: “We have always been hugely ambitious for Bánór, and applying for the Visa She's Next programme was an important step in our quest for growth. Being a winner is incredibly special, the mentorship we received has been invaluable and joining a network of like-minded women is beyond beneficial for a small business like ours. With the funding, we plan to commission new research which backs up what our product can provide, as well as scale up our gifting stock ahead of the busy Christmas period."

Her Sport, Co. Dublin

Founded by Niamh Tallon, Her Sport is an Irish social enterprise tackling gender inequality in sport through media and education. When founded, just 4% of sports coverage was dedicated to women. Her Sport is tackling this issue by sharing daily women-focused sporting coverage, featuring over 900 different athletes in a 12-month period. Her Sport content reaches nearly half a million people annually, while its educational workshops have reached over 2,500 students across 50+ schools in the past year alone.

Niamh Tallon, founder of Her Sport said of the win: “As a social enterprise founder, being named one of this year’s She’s Next Grant winners serves as a powerful validation of the hard work we've put into Her Sport. The grant itself is a significant step forward in supporting our growth plans and will help us hire an education lead to help us reach more students and ultimately scale our education programme nationally.”

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