A new surgical device among Velocity $100k Challenge winners
A new surgical stitching device is being developed in New Zealand that could prevent complications during the surgical
process and even save lives by saving time.
The team behind Suture Future, made up of University of Auckland medical students Joevy Lim and Adrian Ng, commerce/arts
student Rui Han Yeu and mechanical design engineer from Fisher & Paykel Machinery Ivan Sim, say by improving efficiency their device will directly translate to lower rates of
complications and deaths from surgery.
Last week, they won $25,000 in seed capital in the Velocity $100k Challenge, the University of Auckland competition for
emerging entrepreneurs. Their first prize also gives them access to the Potential Programme, which includes support from
experienced mentors and access to a wide range of support programmes.
They aim to launch their first product by early 2019.
Past prize-winners have successfully developed their ventures, including PowerbyProxi, the wireless charging technology
firm sold this week to Apple. Last year’s runner-up, CAT-TRAX, uses cloud computing to replace the current paper-heavy
system used to refer and manage cataract patients. It has already been rolled out in the Waikato area, with the aim of
dramatically enhancing the provision, delivery and quality of cataract surgery throughout New Zealand.
This year’s runner-up was MicroVision, an accurate computer vision technology that allows measurements of deformations
never before possible. It can monitor, analyse, and predict the mechanical behaviour and performance of large structures
such as cranes and wind turbines as they operate in-field. “This will provide valuable insights into design,
performance, maintenance and safety,” says team member Craig Squire.
Kara Education, an online educational platform that aims to deliver education material to deaf children using sign
language, won the Social Enterprise category. “We plan to work with educational institutions and online material
providers to become the Coursera for the hearing impaired,” says team member Arash Tayebi.
STOP Smart Sewer System, which offers data collection and/or round the clock monitoring for wastewater networks, won the
University Research category. “Currently, wastewater authorities around the world struggle with monitoring sewer
function and struggle with subsequent overflows and other network failings,” says team member Wei-Qin Zhuang. “STOP will
offer a simple, cost effective, yet highly effective solution to provide insight into these complex and expansive
networks.”
Augmented Reality (AR) tool Invoke, which summons real-world objects into an augmented experience, took out the New
Ventures award. “AR is a rapidly growing industry that will completely change the way you consume and interact with
media in the future. We’re working with a host of AR developers to showcase this tech soon,” says team member Geoff
Zink.
Velocity is a student-led entrepreneurship programme delivered in partnership with the Centre for Innovation and
Entrepreneurship, based at the University of Auckland Business School.
Velocity CEO Matt Bastion says: "We are incredibly proud of our 2017 $100k Challenge finalists. They are some of the
University of Auckland's most exciting ventures and feature many of our most promising innovators. We will follow them
keenly.
“The 100k Challenge is also a chance to celebrate the thousands of students and staff we have inspired, educated and
supported throughout our programme in 2017. After 14 years, we know that many of the people we engage each year go on to
achieve amazing things all around the world, so we wish the best of luck to our class of 2017."
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Director Wendy Kerr says: “This year we have had over 2,000 students and
staff involved in our programmes at the Centre, representing a 30 percent increase from 2016. This massive increase
represents not only the rich array and quantity of ideas we have, but also the growing desire of students to acquire
entrepreneurial capabilities as part of their university journey.”
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