New invention challenge to launch at Fieldays
Fieldays visitors will be able to watch as inventors pitch their ingenious ideas to business leaders and investors at the new Dragon’s Den style event.
It will not quite have the glamour and prizes of television’s Dragon’s Den – but a new event at this year’s Fieldays is bound to be every bit as nail-biting.
The launch of the Innovation Den at Fieldays will give selected inventors the opportunity to pitch their idea to potential investors.
The event will add a new dimension to the inventors section of the Fieldays.
Hamilton-based business growth centre SODA has signed a partnership agreement with Fieldays to co-create the new event.
SODA will select up to 10 commercially viable inventions from the Fieldays Innovation Centre and will support inventors to get their invention pitch-ready before the big challenge.
SODA communications manager Rachel Wark said: “We will make sure they are going to be ready to put on a good show at the Innovation Den in front of the esteemed panel.”
The event will follow a similar format to the Dragon’s Den programme where participants pitch their inventions to a panel of investors and business leaders in the hope of securing advice and investment.
The panel will feature business leaders and investors including SODA chief executive Cheryl Reynolds, NZ Angel Association chair Ray Thompson, and Neil Richardson, an experienced company director and investor.
“SODA is excited about joining forces with Fieldays to create this new Innovation Den. It is a great opportunity to help New Zealand investors spot some great inventions worthy of investment,” Reynolds said.
Fieldays chief executive Jon Calder said the partnership with SODA builds on Fieldays success and “enables us to help foster entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity in new ways, creating a programme which gives aspiring innovators a path to market”.
Inventors will have five minutes to pitch their invention to invited guests at the Fieldays Function Suite on Thursday June 13 from 2.30pm.
Fieldays visitors will get the chance to see Kiwi ingenuity at its finest when the main event is streamed live to the Innovation Centre.
One invention will be chosen to go through SODA’s pre-incubation programme which will help accelerate the process of turning an idea into a start-up.
Entry to the Fieldays Innovation Centre is open until May 10.
SODA will be located within the Premier Feature throughout Fieldays, providing 15-minute business start-up advice sessions to those who have an idea they want to test.
Fieldays will be held June 12-15 at Mystery Creek Events Centre, 10 minutes south of Hamilton.
