Earlier this month, Startup Dunedin gathered in the University of Otago Business School to celebrate a pretty special milestone: 20 years of student entrepreneurship at Otago University.
We were honoured to be joined by our community for a moment to reflect on the past and how far we’ve come, and the stories still being written today.
The entrepreneurial student community in Dunedin has long been supported by the University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin City Council, and Startup Dunedin, and so the evening brought together the people who’ve shaped the student startup scene over the past two decades.
It was really special to see all those familiar faces, new and old, returning and first-timers - from kaimahi and alumni to investors, mentors, and cheerleaders. You are what makes Dunedin such a great place for student entrepreneurship.
The night opened with a warm welcome from Claire Porima, who was the academic lead for Audacious in 2018 herself as well as establishing He Kākano alongside Janine Kapa, a Mātauranga Māori startup programme for students.
Professor Maree Thyne of the University of Otago officially kicked things off, reminding us of the collective mahi it’s taken to support student enterprise over the years and acknowledging leadership through the unique collaborative model with Otago Polytechnic and Dunedin City Council.
A super special shout out goes to the student-lead team at Cue-Go for their seamless AV production throughout the event! They managed (and sponsored) the tech behind the scenes and helped make both the presentation and guest panel feel totally effortless (even with 20 years of history to cover). What more do you expect from a Dunedin student business?
A quick recap of the “who”:
Speaking of panels - we were lucky enough to have some seriously awesome Otago alumni back for this event! We heard from:
Jason Leong, co-founder of PocketSmith, who’s been a mentor and supporter of the startup community since his student days in 2008 and never quite finished his MBA
Anna Guenther, founder of PledgeMe and fierce advocate for equitable funding, who launched her company as part of her Master of Entrepreneurship and continues to share her expertise widely.
Brendan Yielder and Oli Despatis, founders of Cheeky Iced Tea, who started during lockdown while studying marketing, and now have stock across the country. Their journey is equal parts hustle and heart - and a perfect reflection of what’s possible here in Dunedin.
Scroll the visual timeline!
Startup pathways for students in Ōtepoti started earlier than you might think! In the early 2000s, names like Peter Harris, Graham Strong, and Des Adamson were behind early momentum, with support from the University, Polytechnic, and what would eventually become the Upstart Incubation Trust.
2005 saw the launch of the Audacious programme - though it had many forms over the years. It’s been a lounge, a challenge, a competition, and finally a comprehensive programme. What remained consistent was its openness to both University and Polytechnic students and its emphasis on real-world entrepreneurship.
Early success stories include Dr Kim Chilman-Blair, whose winning idea turned complex medical procedures into comic books for children, distributed in 30 languages around the world.
The 2010s saw the rise of Education Perfect, PledgeMe, and Globelet (now Turn) - ideas that were sparked on campus and then went on to achieve major national and international success. The Distiller opened its doors to tech startups as the first coworking space. Audacious adopted the infamous orange alongside the beloved Audacious fox.
Support infrastructure like GigCity and Co.Starters brought new startup momentum to the city - including seed funding for a startups like Bison and Elixr. We also saw commercial coworking spaces start to pop up around the city.
2020 and beyond
By the time 2020 rolled around, the startup landscape had evolved into something more robust. Innov8HQ launched Mana Rangatahi, (which had to be adapted THREE TIMES on the fly during lockdown!), and Audacious supported students through fully digital cohorts. Later on, We also saw the Bachelor of Entrepreneurship begin at the Otago Business School.
Research by the awesome duo Marissa Kaloga and Rasha Abu-Safieh in 2021 helped us reflect critically on equity in entrepreneurship, mapping our Dunedin ecosystem, and shaping how we continue to build inclusive support today. And through it all, the core values never changed: generosity, collaboration, and long-term commitment from our city leaders.
Dunedin gained national recognition through awards like the Global Entrepreneurship Network New Zealand (GEN NZ)’s Regional Trailblazer. And now, startups like PocketSmith (now in 190 countries) and PledgeMe (over $75M raised) and Cheeky Iced Tea (now stocked in 1000 stores nationwide!) keep on coming back to share their knowledge.
A Big, Bold Community Effort
This celebration was about the full spectrum of people who’ve contributed over the years - mentors, judges, lecturers, funders, cheerleaders, and students who took a risk and decided to Go For It.
We want to keep capturing this history, photos and stories. Please get in touch with who we should talk to and what startups you think we need to capture. We’ll be building on this momentum with more events to come, a digital year book highlighting the last 20 years and a special event later in the year especially to honour the amazing Otago Polytechnic student startups.