Hundreds of entrepreneurs apply for Hillary Fellowship

5 May 2017

Hundreds of global entrepreneurs apply for Edmund Hillary Fellowship

More than 300 global impact entrepreneurs from 53 countries have applied to become New Zealand’s first Edmund Hillary Fellows, to build and support innovative ventures that tackle the world’s problems from our shores.

Over 60 Kiwi entrepreneurs have also applied to join the inaugural cohort of the Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF), a three-year programme in partnership with Immigration New Zealand aiming to attract up to 100 global entrepreneurs, investors and startup teams every year to grow global impact ventures. Up to 20 Kiwis are selected annually, benefitting from the global network and support.

“It’s extremely exciting to see the calibre, quantity and diversity of applicants from both New Zealand and internationally, all seeking to develop, incubate and support positive global impact ventures from our shores and create new opportunities for New Zealanders,” says Yoseph Ayele, CEO Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF).

“Working through the applications, many of the entrepreneurs and investors who have applied are inspiring and possess expertise that New Zealand can really benefit from.

“We are seeing applicants working to address issues such as inequality, education, climate change, and housing, while others are creating new opportunities in sustainable fishing, blockchain technology, space exploration, and renewable energy.”

Applications have come from all reaches of the planet from Burkina Faso and Nepal, to the United States, China and the UK.

“We are even more thrilled that about a quarter of applicants are from New Zealand, which shows how much the local entrepreneurial community is looking to connect with global entrepreneurs and be part of a purpose-driven ecosystem.”

Over the next two months, EHF will be working through a robust shortlisting process including conducting due diligence, expert consultations and interviews to validate the applications. An Independent Panel will then select the inaugural cohort of EHF Fellows – two cohorts will be selected each year.

“By July we expect to have identified between 20-40 EHF Fellows for that first cohort, around 15-20% of which will be New Zealand citizens and permanent residents. This will be a highly competitive process to identify Fellows who can contribute the most, and create new opportunities for New Zealand.”

Successful international applicants will then apply to Immigration New Zealand for Global Impact Visas (GIVs), the innovative new visa category that is the core enabler of the programme. GIVs provides Edmund Hillary Fellows with a three-year open work visa to live and work in New Zealand to build global businesses, as well as offering eligibility for residence after 30 months in the programme.

EHF is a not-for-profit fully owned by the Hillary Institute for International Leadership and powered by Kiwi Connect, an organisation promoting and connecting high-impact entrepreneurship in New Zealand, and the New Zealand Government.

It offers a three-year Fellowship programme providing individualised on-the-ground support and access to New Zealand’s thriving innovation networks and resources to incubate and grow innovative ventures.

Fellows can be based anywhere in New Zealand to take advantage of the unique opportunities in the regions, and succeed in their missions over the three-year experience.

ENDS

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