Three student ideas were selected as the 2020 winners of Massey University’s Grand Ideas Challenge:
1st Place: Tyrel Glass and Baden Parr (ProTag)
Idea: Take the predictive power of machine learning and combine it with IoT technology, packaging it into a low-cost ear tag that can be easily placed on a cow (or any other livestock) to gain new insights into the health of animals.
2nd Place: Todd Murray (RF Locator)
Idea: In post-disaster scenarios (earthquakes, tsunamis, terrorist attacks etc) rapidly locating victims is the top priority. The product will panoramically scan disaster sites to locate cellular signals, , enabling rescuers to quickly find victims.
3rd Place: Mrinali Kumar (Probiotic Alcoholic Beverage)
Idea: Develop a lower carb, lower sugar probiotic alcoholic beverage for the health conscious consumer market.
The winning students can now access up to $5K worth of seed funding to help turn their idea into reality.
1st Place: Tyrel Glass and Baden Parr with ProTag
2nd Place: Todd Murray with RF Locator
3rd Place: Mrinali Kumar with a new Probiotic Alcoholic Beverage
About Grand Ideas
The Grand Ideas Challenge is open to Massey University students and staff to provide support to enable entrepreneurs to realise the positive impact of their ideas.
When the national lockdown in response to Covid-19 was announced, some quick thinking meant the finals were moved online with the 10 finalists submitting video pitches to a judging panel who met online to select the winners.
With some 40 entries, it was exciting to see the determination to take action to solve real world issues.
“The Grand Ideas Challenge is a central part of our vision to realise the full potential of enterprise at a university. We give students not just degrees, but vision and the confidence and capability to take action right now on the things that matter most to them. Massey University is demonstrating what a modern university can be – indeed must be – if we are truly to transfigure our economy to solve the biggest problems facing the world” – Gavin Clark, Dean of Enterprise at Massey University.
The judges had a difficult job selecting just 3 winners out of the 10 finalists. Each pitch was scored against originality and innovation of the idea, financial feasibility, and the impact the idea will have on the target market.
Judges meeting online to select the 3 winners
We’d like to say a huge congratulations to all of the other finalists:
Cameron Bishop, Hamish Kearns, Daniel McWatters and Ella Moffat (Pub Enterprise)
Natalie Norman (State Housing Water Solution)
Kyle Macadam and Michael Daly (Verti-Farming)
Rakshan Tungala (Biodegradables)
Ella Moffat (Hydroponics Start Up)
Kizzie Amoore (Kelp Farming)
All of this year’s participants will receive ongoing support from ecentre and The Factory as they turn their ideas into reality.