Lexi Eddington-Smith (Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Strategy & Entrepreneurship)

Tourism is vital to New Zealand’s economy, but it faces two challenges: high marketing costs for businesses and a lack of measurable ways to make travel sustainable.

Aroha Acts is an innovative digital platform that bridges this gap. Travellers share authentic content and small sustainable “Aroha Acts,” which businesses license as affordable, relatable marketing.

This model rewards creators, reduces wasteful spending and channels revenue into cultural and environmental initiatives. It’s about making tourism more regenerative, so every journey leaves a positive mark on Aotearoa. Aligning business value with positive impact.

Dylan Love (Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Strategy & Entrepreneurship) &

Ben Murray (Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and International Business)

Avenir Ai helps businesses integrate ai workflows and automations into their business processes saving them time and money.

There will be two sides: consulting to companies and finding where ai can be implemented and then actually building and integrating the ai automations into the business.

Ai will quickly go from a new concept to something that every business can’t live without and Avenir Ai will be one of the leading companies in this change. 

Zac Hemmings (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours - Civil)

Cluttr is a simple app that helps tradies and everyday people keep track of what they own. It’s like having a live inventory in your pocket, from tools and gear to personal stuff at home. Users can take photos, add descriptions, and store values for everything they own. The app uses AI to estimate marketplace prices, helping users understand what their gear is worth for resale, insurance, or just peace of mind.

For tradies, Cluttr makes it easy to track tools and equipment, avoid losing gear, track equipment warranties and keep clean records for business expenses or insurance claims. For everyone else, it’s a way to declutter, sell what you don’t need, and know exactly what you have sitting around.

The goal is to make ownership simple and transparent. Whether you’re a builder managing a van full of tools or someone trying to get organised at home, Cluttr helps you stay on top of your stuff, save time, and make smarter decisions about what to keep, sell, or protect.

Idris Unwin (Bachelor of Product Design - Industrial)

Crescere - meaning “to grow” - is a modular, self-watering edible living wall that helps people grow both fresh produce and knowledge. Designed for schools, communities, and urban spaces, it captures rainwater and uses Olla-inspired terracotta irrigation to deliver consistent moisture, merging the simplicity of traditional soil gardening with the efficiency of hydroponics. Made from durable, food-safe materials, Crescere transforms empty spaces into thriving ecosystems that cultivate not only plants, but also learning, wellbeing, and connection.

Connor Hislop-Donaldson (Bachelor of Commerce - Finance and Strategy & Entrepreneurship)

Our Mission: To change the stigma around male hygiene and make intimate self-care a recognised, essential component of men's health. DOAP is an innovative personal care brand dedicated to redefining men’s intimate hygiene with a vibrant, discreet gel and foam soap specifically formulated to prevent unwanted odour, build-up, and irritation. Targeting health-conscious men aged 20 to 40, DOAP addresses significant unmet needs in the male grooming market by offering a gentle, pH-balanced, and hydrating product crafted to clean and soothe sensitive areas without compromise.

Olivia Cooper (Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry)

GreenShift Packaging is working to transform the future of materials by creating seaweed-based alternatives to single-use plastics. A biodegradable and home-compostable packaging solution that combines science and sustainability to reduce waste and protect the planet. The goal is to replace single-use plastics with ocean-friendly alternatives that break down naturally, reducing waste and protecting ecosystems while utilising materials that grow naturally here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Fred Sugden (Conjoint Bachelor of Product Design & Commerce - Industrial Product Design & Finance)

A Firefly FSD is an airborne delivery system for fire suppressant gels. 

 As global temperatures rise, wildfires are becoming more prevalent and destructive. Current airborne firefighting systems, such as helicopters with buckets or planes, dump large amounts of suppressant with little control, leaving much of it wasted; too concentrated in certain areas and too broad in others.

 This problem is similar to trying to extinguish a house fire by throwing buckets of water at it; it helps, but is far less effective than using a hose. 

The Firefly FSDprovides a controlled output of gel and water, allowing responders to create firebreaks around homes and across vegetation. This provides firefighters with more control, reduces waste, and enables faster, more accurate wildfire protection.

Leah Whitehead (Bachelor of Commerce Marketing & Strategy and Entrepreneurship)

To be a woman is to embrace complexity. Who we are shifts with the ebb and flow of our natural rhythms, and our style, changes with us. One day we’re soft and feminine, the next bold and powerful.

Yet fashion brands fail to deliver styles across this wider spectrum. In New Zealand, affordable options for young women are limited, uninspiring and plagued by copycat culture, while brands with real design flair price them out of reach.

At Jaden Webb, we believe a fashion brand should be able to do it all. We create elevated pieces that span multiple aesthetics from feminine to streetstyle, at a price that makes feeling confident accessible.

Francine Manrique (Conjoint Bachelor of Product Design & Commerce - Chemical Formulation Design & Strategy and Entrepreneurship) & 

Franceska Manrique (Bachelor of Commerce - Marketing, Minor in Communication)

Kohinga Beauty del Mundo is a monthly subscription box where kids create their own safe, natural beauty products while exploring ingredients from around the world. Each month highlights a different continent, sparking creativity while learning about culture, sustainability, and global traditions.

Jonathan Sayal (Bachelor of Communication in Strategy and Practice) & 

Ryan Duke (Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting & Marketing)

Lift Off Studios connects creatives, talent, and businesses by combining content creation and brand management in one place. Starting with athletes but looking to expand beyond sports, we help creators and brands work together to grow their reach and impact. Our goal is to build a nationwide network of creative talent that businesses can easily access for quality marketing and content.

Nasrina Stuart (Masters of Architectural Engineering)

LiveliQ™ is a compatibility tool that makes lifestyle fit measurable, weighted to personal needs, and testable on design plans (and real-estate listing plans). It matches lifestyle needs with spatial performance, enabling individuals choosing a home and professionals designing or approving one to assess how well a space supports daily routines, emotional needs, and functional realities. LiveliQ empowers confident housing choices and gives architects, developers, and planners clear, comparable evidence to design spaces that truly work for people.

Caetana Langston (Bachelor of Commerce in Strategy and Entrepreneurship, Minor in International Business)

Misure One is a personalised fashion-tech platform tackling the biggest frustration in online shopping: inconsistent sizing. Our first focus is on women’s jeans, one of the hardest categories to get right, where shoppers often buy multiple pairs, return most of them, and still end up disappointed. This creates unnecessary costs for retailers and contributes to fashion waste.

Kodi Dobson-Sinclair (Bachelor of Science in Finance Engineering and Computer Science) & 

Oliver Jenks (Masters of Financial Engineering)

OnChain Education exists to bridge the gap between university theory and job-ready blockchain skills, as blockchain students at university frequently graduate without ever actually using the technology.

The solution - our web-based software that simplifies technical complexities, allowing students to dive straight into a real blockchain experience and gain familiarity to blockchain industry tools and concepts, building confidence in future innovators.

We want to empower not only Aotearoa but the world with practical knowledge and useful skills, setting learners up for success.

Our team has over 18 years of experience in the blockchain space with strong international industry connections and a strong advisory board, we are well placed to create an impact.

Sujan Warnakulasooriya (PhD - Prioritised Scheduling Algorithm to Optimise Initial Flock Formation of Drones)

Manufacturing floors are dynamic environments where inefficiencies tend to compound over time. As processes evolve, new machinery is introduced, and production demands shift, operational bottlenecks proliferate. Plant managers and production supervisors—despite their experience—often lack awareness of the latest optimisation techniques, emerging technologies, and best practices that could significantly enhance their operations. They are frequently too occupied with day-to-day firefighting to step back and systematically optimise the entire system.

Optafactory.ai is an AI-powered manufacturing consultant that leverages cutting-edge Large Language Models and advanced optimisation algorithms to deliver expert-level operational improvements. Acting as an on-demand optimisation specialist, the platform provides instant expert analysis using production data, identifies and resolves bottlenecks, and offers sophisticated recommendations tailored to any optimisation challenge.The system continuously evolves in line with the latest manufacturing technologies, methodologies, and optimisation strategies. Optafactory.ai delivers contextual solutions that are specifically adapted to your equipment, processes, and constraints—never generic advice. It also guides you through implementing changes with minimal disruption to operations.

Rosaria Pitt (Bachelor of Product Design - Chemical Formulation Design)

Modern lifestyles expose skin to stress from climate, pollution, and temperature changes, weakening its barrier and accelerating aging. Ready Ritual redefines skincare by merging thermotherapy science with luxury cosmetic formulations. Inspired by sauna and cold-plunge culture, the innovative duo provides a warming gua sha solid serum bar and a cooling hydrogel cube moisturiser, creating a revitalising thermal “shock” effect. This boosts circulation, collagen, and skin repair while reducing inflammation and fine lines.

Designed with eco-conscious materials and bold branding, Ready Ritual transforms professional spa treatments and skin fitness into an indulgent, accessible self-care ritual.

Beyond glowing skin, it empowers users to understand thermotherapy’s benefits, enhancing confidence and overall well-being through a sensory, results-driven experience.

Jack Pike (Bachelor of Product Design - Industrial Product Design)

RowBetr is a performance-based startup dedicated to providing rowers with a comfortable, lightweight, and functional solution to the daily problems that they encounter while rowing. By redefining the rowing seat pad, our goal is to help rowers get the most out of each rowing session while ensuring that they can row harder, longer, and better. 

Rore Morgan (Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Management)

Savvy Spenders NZ is an educational venture founded in 2023 that’s transforming how young people learn about money. We design interactive financial literacy card and board games that make learning about budgeting, saving, investing, and spending fun and relatable. Our resources are being trialled across New Zealand schools in both English and Te Reo Māori, with an online learning platform currently in development.

Preeti Rawat (Bachelor of Commerce in Strategy and Entrepreneurship) & 

Samrath Sood (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours - Mechatronics Engineering)

Vyra is a wellness-driven skincare venture that merges modern science with Ayurvedic wisdom to redefine beauty from within. Inspired by personal experiences with sensitive and acne-prone skin, Vyra was created to simplify the complex 10-step skincare routine into one nourishing, drinkable supplement. Each sachet is a blend of ingredients that support skin, hair, and nail health while strengthening the body’s resilience against UV damage and inflammation.

Rooted in holistic wellness and self-confidence, Vyra’s mission is to make radiant, healthy skin effortless and sustainable. It’s not just skincare — it’s self-care reimagined, empowering individuals to glow naturally, confidently, and fearlessly in their own skin.