{"id":550600,"date":"2025-11-05T11:52:25","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T11:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/550600\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T11:52:25","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T11:52:25","slug":"this-dublin-founder-just-won-up-to-e1m-at-saastock-europe-heres-the-pitch-deck-that-did-it-tfn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/550600\/","title":{"rendered":"This Dublin founder\u00a0 just won up to \u20ac1M at SaaStock Europe \u2013 Here\u2019s the pitch deck that did it! \u2014 TFN"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dublin-born David Walsh<\/a> applied to the SaaStock Europe Global Pitch competition<\/a> after, he says, a \u2018few too many\u2019 beers. Weeks later, he found himself winning \u20ac1 million for his startup, Limelight, on SaaStock\u2019s Dublin stage. Now, he\u2019s sharing what sets Limelight apart, and his winning pitchdeck, with TFN.<\/p>\n

For the uninitiated, SaaStock Europe\u2019s Global Pitch Competition is where the next category-defining AI and SaaS founders compete for an investment package of up to \u20ac1 million and the kind of visibility money can\u2019t buy.<\/p>\n

Held in October in Dublin, the event gathered more than 4,500 attendees, 2,500 companies, 600 investors, and 90+ global speakers with VCs from leading funds, including Octopus Ventures, Antler, and Frontline Ventures in attendance.<\/p>\n

A founder with a bold idea<\/strong><\/p>\n

Walsh is a three-time founder. Now living in LA, his first startup, diversity hiring platform Mathison, raised $30 million, and more recently he exited Chase West, a boutique watch brand.<\/p>\n

His third venture, Limelight<\/a>, has started small and lean, with just four people. However, it may also have brought the best moment of his career, he has described winning SaaStock in his hometown in Dublin as \u2018the cherry on top\u2019 of his other successes.<\/p>\n

Limelight is a B2B influencer marketplace. It aims to help brands raise awareness by pairing them with relevant business-focused influencers. Limelight focuses on quality rather than quantity.<\/p>\n

Limelight starts with creators with 10,000 or more LinkedIn followers, helping to emphasise relevance over reach. \u201cIn B2B, you\u2019re influencing the purchase of a product that could be $50,000 which means 10,000 is usually a good starting point,\u201d Walsh told us. \u201cCompanies want to work with niche content creators.\u201d<\/p>\n

Using trusted experts brings significant benefits for B2B brands, with their content \u2014 whether on LinkedIn, in newsletters, or podcasts \u2014 generating more impact than traditional ads. \u201cWe\u2019re twenty times cheaper than an agency, and we don\u2019t charge transaction fees.\u201d Walsh told us. Free for creators, plans for brands start at just $500 a month.<\/p>\n

Quality over quantity, the Limelight difference<\/strong><\/p>\n

Limelight\u2019s service addresses a problem that all brands face: traditional advertising is becoming less and less effective. \u201cMarketing leaders are struggling to get a good return on their paid ad spend,\u201d Walsh explained. \u201cIt\u2019s becoming more saturated.\u201d<\/p>\n

It has meant that the return-on-investment for advertising has shrunk, sometimes to the point that advertising simply isn\u2019t cost-effective for marketing teams.<\/p>\n

Rather than trying to create better advertising, Limelight offers a new channel \u2014 leveraging the trust placed in influencers. \u201cThey\u2019re not starting on your website. They\u2019re discovering products in their feeds, in communities, from voices they trust,\u201d says Walsh.<\/p>\n

Three rounds, one stage, a million reasons to celebrate<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although Limelight ticked all the boxes to enter SaaStock, Walsh\u2019s entry wasn\u2019t planned. He saw the competition late one night and simply decided to enter, making a last-minute submission when he saw it. Not expecting to win, he didn\u2019t even tell anyone he\u2019d entered.<\/p>\n

Indeed, part of the attraction when he was long-listed was the opportunity to return home to Dublin for the finals. Walsh, however, was glad that he did. \u201cWe did three rounds of presentations,\u201d he explained. \u201cThe vibe was great, there was a lot of energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the application may have been spur-of-the-moment, Walsh says his success came from how well-practiced his pitch was. \u201cI\u2019d gone through my deck a hundred times already during fundraising, by the time I got on stage, it came naturally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He delivered his pitchdeck a few more times during the competition. Starting as part of the top 50 at Amazon\u2019s Dublin office on day one, Limelight progressed to the top 20 on the Founders Stage on day two, then to be one of the final five on the SaaStock main stage on day three.<\/p>\n

Walking away with the grand prize of up to \u20ac1 million as the result of a whim has caused Walsh to reflect. \u201cThe biggest moments in your life rarely come from a master plan,\u201d he said. \u201cThey come from small acts of courage.\u201d<\/p>\n

A lean success, built on solid preparation<\/strong><\/p>\n

The win has set up Limelight to accelerate its growth. With brands including ZoomInfo, HubSpot, and Webflow already using Limelight, they have secured a further \u20ac2 million in funding from Silicon Valley Angels.<\/p>\n

Although he is hiring new roles, including engineers and a head of growth, he\u2019s planning to remain lean. \u201cWe want to expand a little bit,\u201d Walsh told us, \u201cbut we\u2019ll stay focused and disciplined \u2014 this funding just lets us move faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Walsh is confident that Limelight\u2019s model, which includes rich data allowing brands to measure effectiveness, will be successful. Above all, it will move influencer marketing from being about awareness, to being a vehicle for measurable growth.<\/p>\n

Limelight\u2019s SaaStock story \u2014 of a spur of a moment application winning a million \u2014 is appealing, but the real story is perhaps Walsh\u2019s preparation. As his pitchdeck reveals, Limelight offers an effective model that solves a problem for businesses. His application may have been on a whim, but the work and preparation that preceded it made the win possible.<\/p>\n

Just like Limelight\u2019s product is about authentic influence, his pitch was taking opportunities with an authentic product. \u201cSometimes, the biggest risk isn\u2019t failing,\u201d Walsh reflects, \u201cit\u2019s not putting yourself out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take a look at the winning pitch deck below.<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

\"DeckImage credits: Limelight<\/p>\n

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