Article source: #NZENTREPRENEUR Image source: Unsplash
There must be something in the water – or wind – in Wellington. The region is a hub for innovation and Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington sits at its heart. Wellington UniVentures helps channel that innovation into new for-profit and social enterprises from university research. Whether it’s low carbon green steel, a better fitting bra, or naturally derived pesticides, Wellington UniVentures helps bring seriously exciting research ideas into the world where they can change lives.
Often, that requires spinning out new companies. And that requires investment.
“For new companies, even incredibly promising ones, attracting investment in those early stages can be tough,” explains Dr Anne Barnett, CEO of Wellington UniVentures. “Startups need to prove themselves to attract investment – but, to do that, they need to grow rapidly which requires investment. It’s a Catch-22.”