Young Auckland entrepreneurial talent is being fostered with the launch today of iDEAStarter – a competition which encourages young people to turn their energy and ideas into action.
Entries to iDEAStarter are now open to all Aucklanders aged between 15 – 24 years who can either enter as a team, or as an individual.
iDEAStarter is sponsored by the Tindall Foundation and delivered by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED).
ATEED General Manager, Business, Innovation and Skills, Patrick McVeigh, says: “iDEAStarter is for young people who want to dream up an idea, create new ways of doing things, and do something towards becoming a millennial entrepreneur.
The competition is designed to enable a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship and works alongside other ATEED-led initiatives to nurture talent and help young people into career pathways.”
Vivek Kumar, who won the 2016 iDEAStarter 18-24 year age group category, has been progressing his idea QuickSense, an online adaptive learning tool for students.
Having launched QuickSense through iDEAStarter, Vivek went on to become a finalist in Velocity, The University of Auckland’s innovation and entrepreneurship programme, and is now involved in the technology incubator, Astrolab.
“I developed QuickSense because, despite studying hard as a student, my work was never reflected in the grades I got so my idea was to develop something that enables students to study smarter, not harder,” Vivek Kumar says.
“QuickSense is now being trialled in a number of Auckland schools and my dream of having my own business has become a reality. It all started with entering iDEAStarter, and now I’m working with experienced mentors to develop my online platform further,” he says.
Entrants can access a range of free online resources to help with their idea, with winners to two age categories (15-18 years and 18-24 years) receiving up to $10,000 in business start-up support.
iDEAStarter entries close on 12 June with winners selected by a team judges and announced on 29 June.