Your 2016 winners!
Little Yellow Bird – Overall winner
Vizbot – Second place
Wireless Guard – Third place
Congratulations to those three, and to all of the finalists!
BNZ Start-up Alley is a celebration of New Zealand start-ups. We want to celebrate businesses doing social enterprise and technology work who are seeking to scale rapidly and establish themselves as a long-term, sustainable businesses.
This competition is an opportunity to take your start-up to the next level. It might just be the helping hand you need and it’s certainly a promotional opportunity you won’t get anywhere else.
6 Start-ups. 2 winners. There are six finalist spots at Webstock ‘16 at the BNZ Start-up Alley. If your start-up is chosen you’ll be able to tell everyone at Webstock what you’re about and pitch your start-up to our panel of expert judges in front of a live audience, full of potential customers and investors. If you win, BNZ will give you $20,000 cash and a seat at the Kiwi Landing Pad in San Francisco to help take your business global.
Check out this video from Mike Brown, Webstock co-founder:
Here’s a case-study with 2015 3rd place winner, Syngency:
The prizes
Each of the 6 finalists will receive:
- A $1,000 cash prize, courtesy of BNZ.
- BNZ and Webstock will also give you two free tickets to Webstock ’16 — Thursday 11th and Friday 12th February.
- The opportunity to promote yourself to Webstock attendees and speakers via a specially produced BNZ Start-up Alley section in the conference handbook.
- The opportunity to have a 30min meeting with the Start-Up Alley judges on Wednesday 10th February.
- The opportunity to be part of the BNZ Start-up Alley event on Thursday night at Webstock. Three minutes to pitch yourself to judges. Ten minutes to answer their questions. All in front of a live audience.
- BNZ “health check” – a chat about your business with one of our Banking Specialists to see how BNZ can help your business get ready for future growth.
The runner-up will receive:
- $10,000 cash prize from BNZ.
- Return trip for 2 from BNZ to the USA to further their business.
- BNZ will also provide a programme place at Kiwi Landing Pad – allowing you to establish yourself in the American market by exposing you to invaluable knowledge and networks.
- A free legal clinic with Buddle Findlay’s Early Stage and High Growth Company advisors.
- Icehouse 1-hour professional business coaching session.
The winner will receive:
- $20,000 cash prize from BNZ.
- Return trip for 2 from BNZ to the USA to further their business.
- BNZ will also provide a programme place at Kiwi Landing Pad – allowing you to establish yourself in the American market by exposing you to invaluable knowledge and networks.
- Icehouse 1-hour professional business coaching session.
- Up to $5000 worth of legal advice from Buddle Findlay’s Early Stage and High Growth Company advisors.
Check out last year’s winner Banqer and their experience at Start-up Alley.
The Finalists
We’re delighted to announce the 2015 Startup Alley finalists!
The Judges
Lance Wiggs
Lance is the founder of Punakaiki Fund, which invested over $9 million into high growth companies in the 18 months to October 2015, including former Webstock Start-up Alley finalists, Timely (2013 winners), InfluxHQ (2014 finalist) and Boardingware (2014 finalist), along with Wellington’s Raygun and Melon Health, Christchurch’s RedSeed, and Auckland’s EverEdgeIP, Vend, Weirdly, ThisData, Vibe Communications and Onceit.
Lance has helped over 60 companies through NZTE’s Better by Capital workshops, is the Chair of the Return on Science ICT Committee, and a member of the Return on Science Physical Sciences Committee. He is a co-founder or investor in and director of My Tours, Lingopal, 200Square, Pocketsmith and Define Instruments, amongst others. Last year he tried and failed to put something humorous here.
Derek Sivers
Originally a professional musician and circus clown, Derek Sivers created CD Baby in 1998.
It became the largest seller of independent music online, with $100M in sales for 150,000 musicians.
In 2008, Derek sold CD Baby for $22M, giving the proceeds to a charitable trust for music education.
Anna Guenther
Anna Guenther is the co-founder and Chief Bubble Blower of PledgeMe, New Zealand’s first crowdfunding platform. Since launching 4 years ago, over 900 creative, community and entrepreneurial projects have raised almost $8million through PledgeMe.
Anna has also worked for the New Zealand Government, MIT and Harvard, and completed her Masters in Entrepreneurship with a focus on crowdfunding.
Simon Millward
Simon is part of the senior leadership team at Bank of New Zealand Small Business. He has been a key member of the team for the past 4 years which has won the Canstar Award for Best Small Business Bank in NZ for the last five years running. Simon is passionate about small businesses and how he and his team can support them to succeed. Simon is particularly interested in Webstock finalists who are able to scale quickly nationally across NZ as well as venture in to international markets. Outside of BNZ Simon has started and run successful businesses in NZ.
And your MC for the evening
Nat Torkington
Nat ran the first web server in New Zealand, wrote a bestselling programming book, chaired the biggest open source programming conference in North America, and was a trend spotter for O’Reilly Media. He returned to New Zealand in 2005 and started Kiwi Foo Camp, a gathering of influential New Zealanders. He is Chief Banjo Officer in the
bluegrass band The Pipi Pickers.
Entry criteria
- Be a New Zealand start-up business.
- Have 5 or less employees.
- Be in the web/technology industry and must have an idea, working concept or product for their start-up business relevant to this industry.
- Social enterprises will also be considered.
- Be able to demonstrate they have a clear direction and purpose.
The Fine Print
Please read the Terms and Conditions [PDF] that apply to the event and competition. By entering into this competition it is deemed you have read the Terms & Conditions. You agree to be used for promotional purposes by Webstock and the BNZ. You agree to interviews as required.