The 15 finalists for BNZ Presents: The Virgin Business Challenge business awards have been announced, from a pool of 263 entries.
Entries from the online and technology industries dominated the field, and BNZ Director Anthony Healy says it’s “heartening” to see new businesses maximising the opportunities of e-commerce.
“With two billion people connected to the internet globally and almost US$8 trillion exchanging hands through e-commerce, it is heartening to see our newest Kiwi businesses setting their sights on this opportunity.”
Entrants are competing for a prize package that includes time with Sir Richard Branson and a $100,000 cash prize.
At the next stage of the competition 10 of the 15 finalists will pitch their ideas to a panel of top New Zealand entrepreneurs, and the winner will be announced on December 15.
The high calibre of entries is an encouraging sign for New Zealand’s economic future, Mr Healy says, and the high offshore expectations of entrants are “a true testament to the talent amongst New Zealand entrepreneurs”.
The 15 stage-two finalists are:
- Roger Boyd, 1Above
- Angus Allan, The Collective
- Mark Christensen, FaceMe Ltd
- Robert Bell, Brett Waterson and Ross Peat, Klickex Corporation Ltd
- Hamish McLachlan, Konnect Net Ltd
- Kaila Colbin and Melissa Clark-Reynolds, MiniMonos Ltd
- David Darling, Pacific Edge Ltd
- Chris de Boer, Pingar Holdings Ltd
- Greg Cross, PowerbyProxi Ltd
- Peter Beck, Rocket Lab
- Mike Carden, Sonar6
- Ian Williams, WilliamsWarn
- Richard Justice, Photonz
- Kyle Dransfield, Highway1 Specialty Roading
- Jeremy Miocevic, Piper Drinks Ltd
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