Innovate Names Finalists For 10th Time

Innovate has been inspiring founders and helping entrepreneurs in the Manawatu for ten years. Success from the past decade has seen over 1,500 people enter, over 70 businesses created and $5.1 million dollars invested into those businesses. Through the proven playbook, the team at The Factory work with people who have great ideas to protect their IP and bring investment and processes to the forefront to commercialise.

“Traditionally, we have around 100 entrants with great ideas that we narrow down to 20 semi-finalists. It’s then really difficult to get those ideas to our Top 5 each year,” explains Dave Craig, CEO of The Factory. “It’s become somewhat of an Innovate tradition each year where our mentors can’t land on just five finalists so they usually select a few more!”

“This year is no different and we have had the challenging decision to determine the Top 7 finalists who have the chance to go through Innovate’s mini-accelerator programme with the chance to win $5,000 in cash, entry in to The Factory Founder Accelerator Programme and the potential to pitch to the Manawatu Investment Group among other things that will help make for a successful new business.

“Each year we have the chance to be stunned by the revolutionary and transformative ideas coming out of our region, and to pick just 7 to go on to pitch the judges live is exciting and a challenge we embrace,” continues Craig.

The 7 finalists for the tenth anniversary of Innovate are -

Rachel O’Connor with Reachible

Reachible is an intelligent platform enabling businesses to reach their best possible audience. Reachible allows businesses to look for the right channel to reach their particular business audience.

Charles Allen with his team at YouWanna

YouWanna is a delivery service for all types of goods, incentivising drivers to start making income on their holiday travels or even make it a full time occupation.

Hannah Rollinson

Hannah’s parents are market gardeners in the Ruapehu district and alongside brussel sprouts and swede they also grow parsnips. A relatively large amount of reject material is filtered through the pack house and Hannah is using that material, specifically parsnips, to create a syrup that could be used as a natural plant-based sweetener in the production of food.

Johan Olafse

Here’s the problem: Unhealthy children, unsafe roads and climate change. Solution: An age-appropriate cycling program that will lay the core fundamentals of cycling but build up to technical competency as well as the ability for parents to track their children’s ride to school effectively removing the question mark of Caitlyn making her way to school safe and sound.

Josh Denize with LAMBS. 

Local Artists Music Behind Screens (LAMBS) is an independent music licensing company that exists to empower media creators and musicians to collaborate locally in a fair copyright environment. Simply put, if you’ve ever tried to source a backing track for a video or film its near impossible due to the cost or the fact that you need a studio to produce your own. Josh is using local artists to plug the gaps.

Janine Chittock and her business partner Jane with MILK MY COWS

Milk My Cows helps farmers find the “right” person for the job when a dairy farmer is in need of a relief milker.

Peter McLean with Pete’s Tours

Pete takes disabled people on day tours, getting them engaged in life activities, together, as groups, not only helping their physical well-being but mental health.

Information is forthcoming on the Innovate Awards on 2 December in Palmerston North, and as Covid alert levels change, we have to as well. Please visit the website www.innovate.kiwi and like us on Facebook @innovatecompetition to stay informed.

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