In 2023/2024, we supported a diverse range of 15 student ventures participating in the Summer Startup Programme. You can follow their journey on UCE social media channels and .
Summer Startup Showcase Awards Article 2024
Read about the life-changing experience of Summer Startup and the impact it made for our 2024 cohort here.
Showcase Award Winners 2024:
Most Developed: Daeem Shariff – Amara
Innovation Award: Jenny Zhu – Linebuddy
Impact Award: Emma Arvidson & Renee Tauwhare – Teiny
Best Presentation Award: George & Louis Newton – Snippet Jobs
People’s Choice Award: Emma Arvidson & Renee Tauwhare – Teiny
2024 Cohort Awards:
Customer Validation Award: Jackson Munday – Divi
Cohort Contribution Award: Daeem Shariff - Amara
Summer Start Up Cohort 2023/24
AdverLink
Yuanhang ‘Fred’ Li (Bachelor of Commerce - Marketing & Management)
Seong-Young Her (Bachelor of Product Design - Applied Immersive Game Design)
AdverLink simplifies digital advertising and tracking for SMEs by consolidating Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok into one easy-to-use platform. Our AI-powered system automates ad creation and optimizes for conversions, making digital marketing hasslefree and more effective.
Altie
Emma Arvidson (Bachelor of Product Design - Chemical Formulation)
Renee Tauwhare (UC Commerce Student)
We have developed an oat milk powder to address waste issues in import/export and product end-of-life, and also aim to establish a factory where we can re-purpose our oat waste for packaging.
We are targeting wholesale distribution to various sectors, including airlines, foodstuffs, hotels, cafes, offices and retail travel/ camping stores, as well as having an e-commerce website where people can buy bulk, or through subscription. All of our products will be made using NZ ingredients, supporting the NZ economy, and have a better nutritional profile than traditional milk (more protein, calcium and other essential vitamins, less fat!). Altie is commercialising an oat milk powder that is designed to reduce the waste that is created through export & import, and non-recyclable packaging.
We will be mainly B2B (foodstuffs, airlines, hotels, macpac/hiking stores) as well as available through subscription on our website. We have access to a patented plant based protein and will be including all essential vitamins and minerals that traditional milk offers, so no one on a dairy free diet has to sacrifice.
amAra Skin
Daeem Shariff (Bachelor of Product Design - Chemical Formulation)
amAra skin is a transparent skincare brand celebrating the traditions of south asia. We create products the utilise traditional ingredients, our first product the aitihya serum targets the signs of fine lines and wrinkles. amAra skin, not only celebrates and uses traditional south asian ingredients but we celebrate my grandmothers blend of herbal skincare she used in her skincare life.
DewTron
Nicholas Dewhurst (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours - Mechatronics)
Through my electronics company DewTron, I want to create a smart home product line focused on lowering power usage for renters. The initial module idea for this system is a device that attaches on top of a light switch (without screws) and physically flips it. This is fully automatable and customisable and can be installed by tenants without consulting the landlord for renovations.
Divi
Jackson Munday (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours - Mechatronics)
A mobile application for people in shared living situations to organise and incentivise jobs/chores than need doing in the household. Jobs and chores are assigned rewards in real money and that money can be earned by the housemates that do the work. This app aims to reduce friction between housemates by providing the fairest way to distribute house work.
Ghost Guards
Kent Davidson (Bachelor of Product Design - Industrial)
Ghost guards is a fully reimagined wrist guard for snowboarder. They are lightweight, custom and fit under the glove easily and are designed to go unnoticed by the user.
When heated the guards become malleable and can bend to fit the user then harden the cool to become ridged. This lets each guard be custom to each person ensuring a comfortable fit.
Koea
Erika Wright (Bachelor of Product Design - Chemical Formulation)
Koea, an embodiment of the Māori term “to be brilliant and beautiful”, is a passionate endeavor to empower Māori wahine and restore the essence of Māori culture through skincare-powered makeup products. Koea is poised to revolutionize the beauty landscape by fusing ancient Māori wisdom with modern formulation strategies.
LineBuddy
Jenny Zhu (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours - Mechatronics)
LineBuddy revolutionises badminton officiating with our automatic umpiring software. Using advanced computer vision and deep learning, we empower umpires, enhancing their precision and confidence. A convenient and affordable way of elevating the badminton experience for players of all levels, both amateurs and competitive players alike.
Nature & Romance Series
Yining ‘Leo’ Liu (Bachelor of Music - Honours)
For mid/high earned group who enjoys and interested in immersing sensual experience of live music, nature, and catering. It is a fashionable and bespoke form of music events that separate from traditional concert setting, providing a social platform for people to connect with the nature and each other.
Pico Propulsion
William Falconer Beach (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours - Mechanical)
Pico Propulsion aims to provide low cost propulsion systems for CubeSats. This allows CubeSat operators to implement collision avoidance and orbital boost maneuvers, lengthening the life and safety of the satellite.
ResilientU
Hunter Hine (Bachelor of Commerce - Strategy and Entrepreneurship)
ResilientU is a dynamic educational platform designed to empower students with the fundamental tools for cultivating habits that pave the way for success in the real world.
Geared forwards students eager to break free from old patters and establish healthier routines, ResilientU offers a subscription-based model, with both individual students and educational institutions having the opportunity to invest in a wealth of knowledge and resources.
SnippetJobs
George Newton & Louis Newton
(Bachelor of Commerce - Strategy and Entreprenueship & Marketing)
SnippetJobs provide the most efficient platform to find and manage temporary labour in the logistics sector.
Stride Boot
Catriona Savage (Bachelor of Product Design - Industrial)
Stride Boot is a user-centric and empathetically designed recovery boot for users recovering ankle and foot injuries or surgeries. It combines innovative internal and external systems into a lego-like modular design. It is a comfortable, lightweight and fully adjustable recovery boot which is made using sustainable materials. The Stride Boots’s purpose is to replace current recovery boots which are uncomfortable, heavy and lacking in adjustability made with cheap and single-use materials. Stride Boot aims to support users who are seeking to recover in the most advantageous way, so they can stride into the future with confidence.
Untitled Mod Game
Oliver Garrett (Bachelor of Science - Computer Science)
Untitled Mod Game is a 2d game platform. As a gamer, you can play a vast set of games/game modes. As a creator, you can create game-rules in a highly elegant and systemic fashion.
Valoway
Daniel Rickerby (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours - Mechatronics)
Introducing the next generation of personal transportation to New Zealand. Developing highly efficient and fun human-powered vehicles for urban and recreational usage with a passionate community.
