DIGMYIDEA Māori Innovation Challenge entries close this week

Budding Māori digital entrepreneurs are being urged to get in quick and submit their entries to the DIGMYIDEA Māori Innovation Challenge which closes this Friday, 31 March.

Individuals or teams of up to five people can enter DIGMYIDEA, with $10,000 worth of business start-up assistance going to the overall winning entries in two categories:

· Mauri oho: youth category (15-25 year olds)
· Mauri tū: open category (26 year olds and above)

DIGMYIDEA judge Robett Hollis, a lifestylte entrepreneur and founder of Aranui Ventures, is urging people to put their idea forward regardless of whether they think it’s any good or not.

“Innovation is really the commercialisation of a creative idea, and DIGMYIDEA provides the platform for young Māori to share their idea and get the mentoring and support they need to execute it,” he says.

“Even if the idea doesn’t fly, being involved in an innovation challenge like this could be the perfect platform to an even bigger and better idea,” says Robett Hollis.

DIGMYIDEA, which was first held in 2015, aims to inspire more Māori to engage in the digital economy by helping emerging Māori innovators turn their creative ideas into reality.

Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) General Manager Business, Innovation and Skills, Patrick McVeigh says a diverse range of high-calibre entries had been received so far – from digital applications that help to revitalise Te Reo Māori in schools, to interactive online games which teach users about Māori history.

“DIGMYIDEA aims to stimulate the interest and involvement of Māori within New Zealand’s innovation ecosystem, which is an important part of building the technology sector, and a unique point of difference both at home and on the world stage,” he says.

DIGMYIDEA entries must be exciting, innovative, digital and entrepreneurial. They can be anything from an app to a web programme, or even a digital extension of a more traditional business.

Ideas should have the potential to create economic opportunities for Māori and other New Zealanders, as well as be considered for the export market.

DIGMYIDEA entries should be submitted via www.digmyidea.nz by midnight on Friday, 31 March.

Five finalists from two categories will take part in a mentoring workshop known as DIGIwānanga on 13-14 of MayTwo overall DIGMYIDEA category winners will be announced at Techweek’17 on 14 May 2017.

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