University College Cork student innovator Ruby Middleton from Wexford Town, creator of PICKALOOK, a platform to make sustainable shopping accessible to all, has been selected to represent Ireland at the Red Bull Basement Global Final in Silicon Valley this June. The global winner will receive $100,000 in equity-free funding, along with mentorship from Red Bull Ventures to help bring their business idea to life.
Middleton secured her spot following her presentation at the Irish National Final of Red Bull Basement which took place at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin. The event brought together some of the country’s most ambitious student innovators, who each showcased technology-
Finalists in attendance were selected from among 2,000 online applications before pitching live to a panel of judges at the National Final, including Bryan Madden, Global Head of AI Software and Embedded Marketing at AMD; Clodagh Henderson, Founder of Nua Digital; Rory McGinn, Business Reporter with the Irish Independent; and Seán Leddin, Founder of Fíor Jewellery. Throughout the evening, seven students presented their ideas through interactive showcases and live pitches, with judging focused on originality, potential impact, founder mindset and feasibility.
Middleton, who studied Commerce at UCC, impressed judges with PICKALOOK, an AI-powered platform making fashion faster from pin to purchase by helping users quickly discover where to purchase saved Pinterest looks through more accessible and sustainable shopping options.
Red Bull Basement is a global innovation platform supporting the next generation of student founders, creators and entrepreneurs as they develop forward-thinking ideas with real-world impact. The programme connects students with mentors, industry experts and startup ecosystems to help bring concepts to life.
“I feel amazing and slightly overwhelmed”, said Middleton. “This is going to be my first time in America and to get the opportunity to go to the Red Bull Basement final in Silicon Valley is so exciting. I can’t wait for the mentorship that will hopefully bring PICKALOOK even further.”
Middleton will travel to Silicon Valley next month as one of more than 40 national teams taking part in the Red Bull Basement Global Final. The overall winning team will receive $100,000 USD in equity-free funding, as well as mentorship from Red Bull Ventures to help bring their business idea to life.
Ireland has already made its mark on the global stage through Red Bull Basement. In 2024, Irish winners Oisín Burke and Oisín McGrath secured a Top 10 finish at the Global Final in Tokyo, Japan, with their graduate mentoring platform ‘Step Ahead’.
For more information, visit redbull.ie/basement.