Get your tickets to the Summer Startup Showcase 2025
Join us for our 2025 Summer Startup Showcase鈥 The 2024/25 Summer Startup Programme features a diverse range of 26 participants, whose venture ideas range from a bespoke series of a cold-brew coffee that alleviates the negative effects of caffeine, a phone that reduces doom-scrolling and enhances well-being, a range of shampoo and conditioner tablets that reduce packaging and waste for travellers, an automated bowling machine for aspiring cricket players, enhanced headgear protection for junior rugby players, and a device for making livestock vaccinations quicker, faster, and safer.
Anu Ahuja
anuahuja502@gmail.com
1% Better
Your all-in-one app and journal for personal growth
The 1% Journal App empowers individuals to achieve personal growth by improving just 1% every day. It solves the problem of fragmented productivity tools by integrating habit tracking, goal setting, time management, and reflective journaling into a single platform.
Our target audience includes students, professionals, and individuals seeking
to manage their lifestyle and mental health effectively.
Inspired by a journaling system I developed during my demanding time as a student, athlete, and coach, the app breaks down long-term goals into small, actionable tasks.
Daily time-blocking ensures users have a clear plan to follow, while a habit tracker encourages consistency. Unlike other apps, our AI provides personalized insights, adapting to users鈥 unique needs to guide their self-improvement journey.
Through graphs and data visualizations, users can track their progress over time,
identify achievements, and focus on areas for improvement. The app鈥檚 simplicity,
personalization, and comprehensive design make it a seamless tool for those striving to build better habits, improve well-being, and stay organized, all within one easy-to-use platform.
Maximus Ashman
maximus.ashman@gmail.com
Aerloq
Making the most of it
Energy is a precious resource. Globally, half of all energy consumption is as heat - running our industry and our homes.听
The electricity sector is a growing market, looking to fill in the void left as fossil fuels become less available. Yet with the world's electricity supply is also shifting to renewable sources, plagued by inconsistency. There's not much one can do about the wind stopping.听
But we can be ready for the electricity gaps - by storing excess energy in Aerloq hot rocks during high generation and low demand, we can have heat on tap day in and day out. And it's cheap too - buying something when nobody wants it is lucrative when you can turn around and sell it in a needy market just a few hours later.
This growing market demands cheaper, sustainable energy, and we've got it.
So give us a call - join up, and become a part of an invaluable asset, stabilizing the world's energy supply.
Aarush Bhagwat
asmaansport@gmail.com
@asmaansports
Asmaan
Revolutionising the way you train
Asmaan was founded by Aarush and Toby, two mechatronic engineering students from UC who have both played cricket and hockey. We realized that in sports training, athletes often rely on coaches, teammates, or friends to create a realistic, game-like environment. Therefore, Asmaan鈥檚 mission is to harness technology for sports training, enabling athletes to practice independently in more game-like conditions.
Our initial focus is within the cricket space, where we aim to develop a first-of-its-kind autonomous cricket bowling machine. This innovative product will introduce variability in factors such as line, length, and speed, challenging cricketers to develop not only their technical skills but also their mental skills through decision-making鈥攖he foundation of any sport.
Our target audience includes schools and cricket clubs/organizations, with the goal of providing as many junior and amateur cricketers as possible the opportunity to enhance their skills and passion for the game with purpose, impact, and enjoyment.
Jordan Bourke
jordan@jotomero.co.nz
Curio
Empowering Teachers, Transforming Tech Education
Curio is an innovative online platform that enables teachers to design, adapt, and share digital technology courses while providing essential tools to manage and assess their classrooms effectively.
Curio addresses challenges like limited budgets, a shortage of specialized technology educators, and the need for scalable educational solutions. Teachers can build courses from scratch or take existing courses on the platform, customize them to fit their classroom needs, and share their versions with the broader community. This collaborative approach fosters a community of shared knowledge and continuous improvement.
Curio鈥檚 teacher focussed platform includes pre-made modules aligned with national educational standards, intuitive editing tools for course customization, and robust classroom management features to monitor student progress and provide personalized support. Even educators without technical expertise can confidently deliver engaging, high-quality lessons that encourage creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Our vision is to revolutionize technology education by making it accessible, adaptable, and scalable to empower teachers and students to thrive in this rapidly evolving, technology-driven world. Together, we鈥檙e transforming classrooms into innovation hubs and equipping the next generation with the skills to lead the future.
Nick Cairns
Nca86@uclive.ac.nz
D.O.A
Deceased 鈥淯ber鈥 Service
A fully transparent and responsive corpse relocation service, providing cost effective and real time information to Funeral Directors and the loved ones of those who have passed away recently.
Through the use of modern road transport and the ability to use data and video monitoring 24/7, we plan to disrupt the current system which is highly expensive, providing a cost effective and transparent service, which cares for those on behalf of loved ones.
Working directly with Funeral Directors we aim to become the 鈥済o to鈥 partners in this space with a network built across the South Island.
With a team already operating in the transportation space, we have the resources and capabilities to go to market quickly and efficiently building a business and a brand that not only disrupts the stays quo and adds value, but one that caters for a specialised need whilst including compassion and empathy in our operations.
Emmalee Abbott Joe
froth.cosmeticsnz@gmail.com
@froth_cosmetics
FROTH
Live a Little Lighter
As travel grows and sustainability becomes essential, FROTH is revolutionising personal care with eco-friendly, dissolvable body care tablets. Designed to replace traditional liquid shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, FROTH tablets are compact, spill-proof, and packaged in biodegradable materials, offering unmatched convenience for travellers while eliminating single-use plastics.
Made with natural ingredients like coconut-derived surfactants and rice starch, these lightweight tablets are travel-regulation-friendly, affordable, and fit effortlessly into any bag鈥攁ll without sacrificing quality. FROTH isn鈥檛 just about personal care; it鈥檚 about protecting our planet, solving big issues with little solutions.
We鈥檙e redefining travel essentials for the everyday traveller and exploring partnerships with airlines, hostels, and hotels to help you live a little lighter.
Are you frothing for the future?
Oli Tweddell
olivert.nz@gmail.com
Fungrow
Mushrooms For Dummies
Mushrooms aren鈥檛 just a delicious and nutritious addition to any meal鈥攖hey are also incredibly productive and one of the most sustainable food sources available. As natural recyclers, mushrooms break down organic materials and can transform your household waste鈥攍ike coffee grounds, cardboard packaging, and other paper products鈥攊nto nutritious food. Unfortunately, the reality for many people is that attempting to grow mushrooms is quite challenging. Mushrooms require specific levels of humidity, carbon dioxide, temperature and even light to be able to flourish. If these conditions aren鈥檛 met, the results can be disappointing鈥攜ielding smaller, lower-quality mushrooms or, worse, no mushrooms at all.
That鈥檚 where the Fungrow comes in, it鈥檚 an automated grow box that carefully regulates the environmental conditions inside to be ideal for mushrooms, taking the guesswork out of growing. This not only saves time and effort but also yields bigger, higher-quality mushrooms in greater quantities than manual methods can achieve. No matter your level of expertise, the Fungrow will deliver great results.
Tod Tait
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tod@honestbuild.co.nz
honestbuild.co.nz
Honest
Honest builds. No Hidden Costs.
Honest is transforming New Zealand's residential construction industry with a transparent, client-first approach. By eliminating hidden margins and directly connecting homeowners to vetted contractors and suppliers, we deliver cost savings, financial clarity, and full project control through cutting-edge management software.
Targeting first-time builders, cost-conscious homeowners, and those frustrated with traditional construction methods, Honest simplifies the building process while ensuring quality and efficiency. Our revenue model, driven by consultation fees and recurring project services, is supported by a scalable framework, trusted contractor partnerships, and advanced technology. Honest sets a new standard for trust, transparency, and client empowerment in residential construction.
Nina Kazantseva
nina.kazantseva@gmail.com
Lifestyle Luxe
Functional, Fun, Eco-Friendly
At Lifestyle Luxe, we are transforming modern living for everyday Kiwis by curating innovative, sustainable products that inspire mindful consumption. We believe sustainability isn鈥檛 just a choice鈥攊t鈥檚 a celebration of a better way to live. Launching with EcoLuxe, we proudly offer products built around the 3 F鈥檚鈥擣unctional, Fun, and eco-Friendly鈥攃reating solutions that make sustainability effortless, joyful, and empowering.
Our mission is to enrich lives while protecting the planet, showing that sustainability and joy can go hand in hand. Every EcoLuxe product is a step toward a brighter, cleaner future, where everyday choices contribute to a more beautiful world. At Lifestyle Luxe, we aim to prove that responsibility can also be fun and aesthetically pleasing. Together, let鈥檚 embrace a lifestyle that celebrates beauty, sustainability, and the power of conscious living.
Eva Maya Lloyd
evamayalloyd@moneyneko.app
moneyneko.ai
Money Neko
Set and forget savings and investing
Money Neko is an investment app that allows you to automatically transfer a part of every transaction into a savings account, with the option of having some, or all, invested into an index fund that spans the top 500 companies in America, including Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon. After the initial sign-up with a follow-along video tutorial, Money Neko will help you build your portfolio and start earlier, with less risk so that you can benefit fully from compounding interest.
Money Neko starts with a savings account so you get used to the habit of putting money away in a place you're not impulsively rushing to use it (not being impulsive with money is very important in investing!), as well as regularly seeing the portfolio go up and down without reacting so that you can become a more informed investor.
Thomas Rea
thomas@haganwood.com
morvicta.com
M贸r Victa
Freedom Begins With Expression
At M贸r Victa, we believe that self-expression should be accessible to everyone, from passionate gamers seeking unique playmats to businesses aiming to stand out. Traditional design services can be costly and time-consuming, often placing creativity out of reach. To bridge this gap, we harness advanced artificial intelligence to deliver bespoke, visually striking designs that truly reflect each client鈥檚 identity.
We started by crafting custom desk mats for gaming enthusiasts, noticing how personalisation ignited excitement and fostered deeper connections among players. This insight inspired us to broaden our services and make AI design available to a larger audience, ensuring that anyone can create captivating visuals without breaking the bank.
Our mission, 鈥淔reedom begins with expression,鈥 drives us to provide cost-effective, high-quality solutions that empower people to showcase their passions and values. By blending human-inspired creativity with cutting-edge technology, M贸r Victa redefines graphic design, offering an inclusive way to bring personal or brand visions to life. We invite you to join us in celebrating individuality through design.
Kaden Brock
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Kadenbrock@outlook.co.nz
nzylon.com
NZylon
Plastics reimagined
Discarded fishing nylon is a significant contributor to ocean pollution, and New 九州影院currently lacks the capability to recycle nylon, with most waste ending up in landfills or being exported. Nzylon will address the problem by establishing a domestic recycling facility that processes ocean waste nylon into high-quality manufacturing material.
The recycled nylon will be offered to B2B customers looking for sustainable solutions. The opportunity lies in closing New Zealand鈥檚 recycling gap and meeting the growing demand for eco-friendly products and circular economy practices.
By providing locally recycled nylon, Nzylon enables businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, promote ocean protection, and fulfill the rising consumer demand for sustainable materials. Additionally, final customers benefit from products made with responsibly sourced materials, enhancing brand loyalty and helping businesses differentiate in a market where environmental impact is increasingly influencing purchasing decisions. This solution creates a local, circular economy by turning waste into valuable new products, fostering a more sustainable future.
Hugo Sweetman
hugosweetmannz@gmail.com
overnightleader.co.nz
@overnight.leader
Overnight Leader
The next generation of golf
Overnight Leader (OL) strives to provide an easier way for young people to get into golf and have fun. To do this Overnight Leader is partnering with golf courses around Christchurch, taking advantage of off-peak tee times to host regular events to build a community 鈥 strengthened by our social media challenges, giveaways, golf tips and apparel.
In todays digital world, people are craving real world connection 鈥 look at Social Striders for runners down here in CHCH! Overnight Leader is going to be the Social Striders 鈥 bringing young people together through golf!
Later in 2025, we're looking to introduce a digital membership that will provide discounts on OL events and apparel as well as discounted green fees at partnered golf courses. This is another way that OL is going to provide value to our loyal community.
While Overnight Leader apparel will be stylish and high quality, Overnight Leader is more than just another golf brand. OL's unique value is through its community which we will bring along with in the process of developing the brand.
Amber Scott
admin@piqcoldbrew.com
www.piqcoldbrew.com
@piqcoldbrew
piq
Fueling limitless potential
Coffee fuels the world, but it often comes with a cost鈥攋itters, crashes, and sleepless nights. PIQ offers a revolutionary solution: a functional coffee additive that transforms your favorite cup into a source of sustained, balanced energy. By combining caffeine with functional ingredients, PIQ helps consumers enjoy the focus and productivity of coffee without the side effects.
PIQ seamlessly integrates into existing coffee routines through two innovative channels. Cafes across New 九州影院can use PIQ鈥檚 bulk dispensers, letting customers customize their coffee orders, just like adding a shot of caramel or oat milk. For those who prefer brewing at home, PIQ is sold in convenient sachets through supermarkets, making it easy to enhance any coffee, from a quick instant to a barista-style espresso.
With the global coffee market valued at $132 billion in 2024 and projected to grow at a CAGR of 4.72%, the demand for customisable, functional coffee solutions is clear. PIQ bridges the gap between caffeine and wellness, delivering a better coffee experience for everyone. It鈥檚 not just coffee鈥攊t鈥檚 coffee, upgraded.
Timotius Marselo
timotiusmarselo@gmail.com
Pragmatiq
Delivering Real Enterprise Value with AI
While New Zealand's business leaders see the potential advantages of AI, many struggle to realize these benefits due to the lack of skilled expertise (Datacom, 2024).
Pragmatiq is a data and AI solutions provider dedicated to bridging the gap between AI potential and real enterprise value. We partner with medium and large organizations to address the complex challenges of integrating AI into production systems, ensuring projects scale effectively beyond pilot stages. Through our end-to-end services, we guide organizations from initial ideation through development to deployment, ensuring AI capabilities align seamlessly with strategic business objectives.
We understand that every organization faces unique challenges, which is why we take the time to truly understand each client's specific context, designing custom solutions with meticulous attention to detail. In the fast-evolving AI landscape, we stay ahead by constantly evaluating new open-source technologies and proprietary solutions to deliver the best results. Driven by our strong commitment to positive change, we focus on using AI to create meaningful social impact, with education as our initial focus area.
Annette Swale
annette.swale@pg.canterbury.ac.nz
Ruru Headgear
Protect. Perform. Prevail.
Toa Gear is a pioneering company committed to redefining head protection in contact sports. Its first product, Ruru Headgear, sets a new benchmark in safety and performance for junior rugby players. Using innovative materials and engineering expertise, Ruru Headgear mitigates the health risks of head impacts while maintaining comfort, durability, and style.
Toa Gear leverages cutting-edge research and technology to deliver superior protective solutions that empower athletes, promote safer gameplay, and support long-term well-being. Ruru Headgear marks the beginning of the company鈥檚 mission to revolutionise sports safety through innovation and excellence.
Founded by Annette, PhD candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Toa Gear blends academic expertise with practical application to develop safer headgear for contact sports. With a deep understanding of head impact mechanics and a passion for athlete safety, Annette drives Toa Gear鈥檚 commitment to bridging the gap between science and real-world solutions, making contact sports safer.
Charli Matravers
charlimatravers@gmail.com
www.soleilday.com
@soleildaybody
Soleilday
Every day's a sun day
Approximately 50% of New Zealanders get skin cancer in their lifetime. Despite evidence that SPF prevents skin cancer and sun damage, daily usage remains low. Current sunscreens miss the mark with design, texture, and scent, making them feel like a chore. The lack of education and other brands鈥 marketing reinforces the misconception that SPF is a summer-exclusive habit only for when you are outside getting intentional sun exposure. Soleilday鈥檚 solution is an SPF body lotion that offers optimal UV protection. The sleek, stylish packaging encourages everyday use and the lightweight, easily absorbed consistency, skin-loving ingredients, and variety of fragrances to choose from means consumers won鈥檛 wear SPF because they need to, they鈥檒l wear it because they want to. Combining two products into one, consumers save time, money, and effort while packaging and resources are also significantly reduced. Soleilday aims to increase daily SPF usage rates and lead to better public health outcomes through fewer skin cancer diagnoses, reducing demand for medical resources and lowering treatment costs. Targeting busy, health and aesthetic focused individuals that use body lotion but skip sunscreen, Soleilday's vision is to make daily sun protection second nature, helping people to start the habit and save their skin because every day鈥檚 a sun day.
Ricardo Pinnone
ricardo@spiceship.co.nz
spiceship.co.nz
Spice Ship Mercantile
Savor the Adventure, Naturally
Spices and condiments being sold are packed with salt, MSG, and unnecessary calories.
At Spice Ship Mercantile, we offer salt-free, preservative-free, low calorie spice blends inspired by global cuisines. Our products cater to the growing demand for natural, nutritious food options, especially among health-conscious consumers.
Our mission is to make healthy cooking simple and enjoyable for individuals and families by providing delicious, wholesome spice mixes that elevate every meal.
Jade Luxton
jadeluxton97@gmail.com
sterineedle.co.nz
Sterineedle
safer, cleaner, faster
Sterineedle is a halster designed to improve livestock vaccination by ensuring consistent needle sterilisation. It addresses the challenge of maintaining needle hygiene, reducing the risk of disease transmission and enhancing animal welfare.
Farmers often struggle with needle hygiene during large-scale vaccination, leading to cross-contamination and compromised livestock health. Existing solutions are time-consuming and impractical. Sterineedle is a holster that can clip onto your belt for continuous needle guns that sterilise the needle automatically after every use. This ensures hygiene, minimises disease risks and saves time without disrupting the vaccination process.
The primary market includes livestock farmers in the dairy, beef, sheep, and deer industries, where efficient and hygienic vaccination practices are crucial. Sterineedle easily integrates with farmers' vaccine equipment, reduces disease risks, and has time-saving features by eliminating manual sterilisation or frequent needle changes.
Sterineedle aims to educate and set a new standard for livestock vaccination, enhancing efficiency and welfare while supporting sustainable farming practices.
Jakson de Kort-Martyn
jak@trailsale.co.nz
www.trailsale.co.nz
@trail.sale
Trail Sale Ltd
Fuel Your Mission
Trail Sale was formed while its founders were walking the length of New 九州影院along Te Araroa (TA). Jak was running out of money and Ve was struggling to find dietary specific food. These challenges resulted in the formation of an idea to help others pack and deliver food parcels. Their business saves TA hikers time, and money, and ensures accessibility to dietary-specific foods.
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Throughout the Summer Start-Up Program, they have gained traction with selling resupply parcels to Te Araroa walkers and have expanded their vision for the company. Their purpose is to facilitate others to embark on adventurous journeys, by simplifying the pre-requisite work of packing and planning for multi-day outdoor trips.
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Currently, Trail Sale is selling curated multi-day meal boxes to fuel adventurous pursuits through their website www.trailsale.co.nz. They will soon be releasing a new range of meal boxes to support people embarking on any of New Zealand's great walks as well as a recovery box for people doing the Coast2Coast.听
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Their drive to help people get outdoors is the backbone of their business. Trail Sale serves Te Araroa walkers, multi-day adventurers and people keen on getting outdoors by providing a convenient way to fuel their journeys.
Nadine Archibald
Nadine.Archibald88@gmail.com
Waka Tipu
Growing Futures Today
Growing up in a large family where money was tight, we learned the value of the side hustle. Now, as a mum, I鈥檝e supported my kids through various versions of the 鈥榣emonade stand.鈥 By age 11 or 12, their ambitions and business ideas grow, requiring more tools and guidance. For many children living in poverty entrepreneurship isn鈥檛 about pocket money, it鈥檚 the difference between eating lunch.
Waka Tipu empowers 10鈥14-year-olds with entrepreneurship resources that build self-belief, develop business skills, and are both engaging and accessible. Grounded in Te Ao M膩ori, our holistic frameworks provide practical, real-world business tools for families, educators, and community groups to support children on their journey. Our initial offering is a book designed to introduce key entrepreneurial concepts in an approachable way, followed by an expansion series and interactive games that deepen learning and provide hands-on opportunities to apply these skills. Waka Tipu meets the growing demand for meaningful, supported resources. Unlike standalone read only offerings, our range builds on previous learnings, fostering deeper engagement and interest in specialised areas of business.
Thomas Millis
millis.thomas@outlook.co.nz
WardMate
Better tools for better hospitals
A quarter of nurses interviewed for this project carried no tools on their shift. When a builder doesn鈥檛 have their toolbelt it鈥檚 annoying, but when a nurse doesn鈥檛 have the tools they need to do their job, that job being saving people, things get a bit more serious. This issue stems from poor storage; with far too many low-quality tools and nowhere to safely keep them, many nurses simply forgo carrying any equipment at all. No neurotorch means being relying on phone torches which can damage a patient鈥檚 retina. No ampoule breaker means shattering glass with bare hands. No scissor cap means being stabbed in the thigh with surgical scissors. The WardMate is a multitool which solves this issue by conglomerating all of a nurses鈥 most common tools into a single compact, manageable and personalizable package. Not only does the WardMate de-clutter scrub pockets, provide nurses with a way to humanise themselves and connect with patients, but every tool in the ward mate is also a direct improvement of the current hospital standard.
Elliott Booth
Elliott@ascensive.co.nz
www.ascensive.co.nz
奥别濒濒辫丑辞苍别鈩
Stay connected, Focus on what matters
The 奥别濒濒辫丑辞苍别鈩 is a purpose-driven mobile device designed to combat smartphone addiction while maintaining essential functionality. In today鈥檚 hyperconnected world, smartphones have become tools of distraction, contributing to anxiety, reduced focus, and excessive screen time鈥攅specially for teens and young adults.
The Wellphone addresses this problem by combining modern smartphone necessities, such as messaging, maps, and banking apps, with a compact, non-immersive screen that reduces addictive behaviors. Its unique design encourages mindful use, making it ideal for two key audiences:
1. Parents seeking a safe first phone for their children, free from the harmful effects of excessive screen time.
2. Millennials and adults striving to reclaim time, focus, and mental clarity by reducing smartphone distractions.
By bridging the gap between "dumbphones" and smartphones, the Wellphone creates a new standard for balanced technology use in a modern, connected world.