Innes48 Business Start-up Competition winners have global ambitions
The winner of the Innes48 Business Start-up Competition hope to expand their business globally.
After working tirelessly for 48 hours on their business model, Team Light Bulb was announced the winner of the Innes48 Business Start-up Competition held in Hamilton over the weekend.
The team of five developed Spring, an innovative business solution that offers an efficient, user-friendly, and affordable immigration application service.
Spring aims to improve the immigration advisory industry, which is often costly and can make it difficult for people to move around the world.
Scottish immigrant Michael Waston presented the initial concept to the group after recalling how hard the immigration process was when he moved to New Zealand five years ago.
Team member Tasch Garland said they surveyed a lot of people. “And a lot of them who had immigrated had paid what they thought were exorbitant fees and we could not see why.”
She said in their survey respondents were unhappy across the board with the service they received.
Eight out of the 12 competing teams were selected to pitch their business creation to a panel of business professionals and entrepreneurs in the packed Wintec Atrium.
The panel featured SODA chief executive Cheryl Reynolds, Angel Association vice-chairman Marcel van den Assum, Rodney MacFarlane from MEA Mobile , and NetValue chief executive Graham Gaylard.
Event Manager Rachel Wark said the success of the event has improved since it began last year, saying there were more sponsors, more spectators, and more money up for grabs.
“It is a testament to how far this competition has come in two years, and we can only go up from here,” she said.
Team Light Bulb received prizes to help launch their business, including $5000 cash, a three-month pre-incubation programme with SODA and Waikato Chamber of Commerce membership.
The winning team hope to develop their business and expand it into the international market.
Te Ranga Ngaku won the most innovative team prize, while Team Zappos took away the prize for best use of technology.
After the awards ceremony Team Empire NZ was offered a business start-up programme with SODA worth $15,000 for being close runner-up in the most viable business and best use of technology competition categories.
Last year’s most viable business was won Draw Inc, who created an art trust for artists to sell their work to businesses. They now hold regular exhibitions on Hamilton’s Alexandra Street.
