Addition to New Zealand Business Innovation

Addition to New Zealand Business Innovation

Three weeks after Massey University’s ecenter played host to the business innovation Startup Weekend, ATEED hosted a follow-up to find out how businesses had progressed since.

The Startup Weekend intended to have fresh entrepreneurial minds create potential businesses over a 54 hour period. Out of the 12 teams that fought for the top prize at the weekend, a team called Smile Today won a prize package worth $8000.

“Close your eyes. Now think of a smiling face. Think about how that makes you feel warm and happy, and makes your day better. Now imagine an entire website full of lovely smiling faces all working together to make you, or your family or friends, or a stranger happier.” This was the initial pitch of Bhavesh Bhuthadia.

Over the course of the weekend, the website became focussed on aiding charitable organisations through the use of smiling faces.

Now, three weeks later, the company is still progressing and members are “all smiles” according to Bhuthadia.

Now that the company has moved past the Startup Weekend, Bhuthadia feels that it’s “a different beast in its own; you have to know how to tame it!” However, he says “the team’s good and I’m learning”.

Despite not winning the event, many other teams have progressed beyond the initial weekend. Jump on Board, a holiday organisation company was one such team.

Jump on Board were the recipients of a special prize granted by BNZ Marketing Manager Margaret Reid on the eve of the follow-up. The prize was a one day market validation workshop aimed at making startup businesses viable.

This ATEED event follows the recent announcement of the new Advanced Technology Institute that will become a high-tech HQ for innovative New Zealand businesses. The main purpose of the institute is to “help get our best, most innovative ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace more quickly”, says Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce.

With successful innovative businesses stemming from the Startup Weekend, this institute is a timely addition to the New Zealand business front.
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