With Semester 2 of Audacious 2020 drawn to a close, we’d like to take a moment to congratulate our amazing Audacious prizewinners. We were gutted that our tech failure meant we were unable to video or live-stream this semester’s showcase, so we’ve decided to make a break-down of the evening for you in blog format.
Speaking of breaking new ground - this cohort broke the record for most Audacious applications Startup Dunedin has ever received! It’s also worth noting that 7/8ths of this cohort was delivered online, with students having to rapidly adapt to online delivery after the announcement of New Zealand going into Level Two following covid-19’s brief resurgence.
With the uncertainty and inconsistency of having to move so quickly, we’re very grateful for the hard mahi, grit and determination of every single student who continued with us this semester.
Prize List
($2,000 cash) Best Business Case Winner:
Georgie Northcoat - Lynk
($2,000 cash) Best Positive Impact Winner:
Tahere Siisiialafia - Le La'afa Translation Hub
($250 cash) Audacious Alumni Best Entrepreneur Winner:
Georgie Northcoat - Lynk
($500 cash + Mentoring) United Machinists Best Physical Product Winner:
Kirsten Anderson - Canine Clean
($10,000 in services) Aule App Prototype Winner:
Gabriel Dykes and Alex Thomson - SPLIT
($500 cash) Best Pitch Winner:
Jordan Frost - Phlow
($500 cash) Petridish Brass Tacks Award:
Jonathan Storm - Smokebox Salts
Polson Higgs 6 Month Advisory Board Package Winner:
Lydia MacLean - MT Legs
($500 cash) Most Audacious Winner:
Kirsten Anderson - Canine Clean
($100 cash) Maori Business Boot Camp Prize Winner:
Jordan Frost - Phlow
($100 cash) People's Choice Award:
Tahere Siisiialafia - Le La'afa Translation Hub
About our winners
Georgie Northcoat’s Lynk is a filter that connects to your washing machine, removing microplastics from the waste water to prevent them from flowing back into the ocean. It’s estimated that human beings consume a credit card-sized amount of microplastic a week (through eating fish which have consumed these plastics) - a shocking figure that Lynk hopes to help reduce.
Tahere Siisiialafia’s idea, Le La’afa Translation Hub, has set their sights on translating important materials like Sustainable Development Goals into the many Polynesian languages and dialects that have previously been excluded from these initiatives due to language barriers. With such a massive variety in language, this has the potential to bring hundreds of thousands of non-english-speakers into the mix when it comes to planning and implementing strategies for change worldwide.
Kirsten Anderson (and her adorable dog Ruby) pitched the idea of Canine Clean, a device fitted to small-breed dogs to make tooth cleaning a breeze. Small breed pets are particularly prone to headache-inducing vet bills for poor dental health. Kirsten’s product could potentially save dog-lovers thousands each year.
Jonathan Storm’s fresh new venture, Smokebox Salts, provides home cooks, professional chefs, and wannabe Masterchefs (see: Startup Dunedin’s own Angus Pauley) with tasty, high-quality mixes of wood-smoked salts and blends. He’s already made sales, with his knack for seasonings winning over two thirds of the Startup Dunedin Team so far.
A joint initiative powered by Gabriel Dykes and Alex Thomson, Split took out our massive $10,000 App Prototype Build prize, sponsored by Aule. Their platform provides the opportunity for the average person to invest in horticulture, without needing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Split is designed to make investing in land used for horticultural-based accessible to the everyday consumer.
Lydia Maclean’s venture MT Legs is designed to combat the high amount of empty flight charters across New Zealand. Many charter flights will come back from their destination with no-one or no-thing on the plane, which is a total waste of fuel and a lost opportunity for more revenue! MT legs is an online platform that allows private customers, freight, emergency services or other interested parties access to these flights.
Jordan Frost’s innovative new app idea, Phlow, provides the user with music to listen to while running which matches the BPM to the runner’s heart rate and/or cadence. Designed as a cross-platform music app, Phlow will help keep athletes and coaches… er, on track. Pun definitely intended.
Next semester
If you’re an University of Otago or Otago Polytechnic student, we’d love to have you on board for Audacious next year. Make sure you’re following us on Facebook, and keep an eye on our website for further details. Remember: you don’t have to be a business major to do Audacious! We love bright ideas from absolutely any student - no matter their major, minor, or experience level.