How Velocity can support postgraduate students to develop their career potential
Velocity is the University of Auckland’s flagship extra-curricular entrepreneurship development programme. Velocity involves a year-long schedule of talks, workshops, events and challenges. You can pick and choose which parts of Velocity you want to take part in.
How Velocity can support postgraduate students to develop their career potential
Velocity is the University of Auckland’s flagship extra-curricular entrepreneurship development programme. Velocity involves a year-long schedule of talks, workshops, events and challenges. You can pick and choose which parts of Velocity you want to take part in.
Entries now open for the Velocity $100k Challenge
Have you spotted an unrealised market opportunity, identified a problem to solve or a social issue or an environmental problem? Have you got University research ready for the world? Enter your idea into the $100k Challenge to show how your idea can be a venture. A pool of Judges decides which ideas have the potential to fly. Fifteen teams are shortlisted for a place in the Velocity six-week Launch Pad Programme. The teams receive mentoring from industry leaders and take part in workshops designed to make the idea into a reality. The finalists also compete for a share of the seed-capital and support in growing their venture!
Enter now for a share of the $100,000 prize pool, advice from industry experts and a springboard to further support.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE MIDDAY 1 AUGUST 2022
Entries now open for the Velocity $100k Challenge
Have you spotted an unrealised market opportunity, identified a problem to solve or a social issue or an environmental problem? Have you got University research ready for the world? Enter your idea into the $100k Challenge to show how your idea can be a venture. A pool of Judges decides which ideas have the potential to fly. Fifteen teams are shortlisted for a place in the Velocity six-week Launch Pad Programme. The teams receive mentoring from industry leaders and take part in workshops designed to make the idea into a reality. The finalists also compete for a share of the seed-capital and support in growing their venture!
Enter now for a share of the $100,000 prize pool, advice from industry experts and a springboard to further support.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE MIDDAY 1 AUGUST 2022
Past postgraduate students who participated in Velocity
Jessica Chiang – Founder and CEO of fungal packaging company BioFab
“I developed an interest in research commercialisation, seeing the process of applying scientific ideas and research into the real world to benefit the environment and society. In 2017, I submitted an idea to the Velocity Innovation Challenge where I won the Bioscience Award. That award gave me confidence in my idea, which inspired me to submit it to a global biotech leadership conference where I ended up getting the top prize. Now, the very same idea has been implemented into the R&D strategy of BioFab.” Read more
Dr Francis Hunter – Philadelphia-based cancer drug researcher
“For me, the most enduring benefit is being part of the unbelievable network of high-achieving alumni across many professional domains around the world. I have found that Velocity alumni are always prepared to help each other, and I enjoy ongoing friendships with many of the people I collaborated with at university”. Rea more
Greg O’Grady – founder of Surgical Design Studios and Alimetry
“I led one venture as a PhD student in 2010, then after returning to the University as an Academic Surgeon have introduced several of my students to Velocity, and supported them as an advisor… “The attraction is the opportunity to take my research out of lab and into the “real world” with a chance to have exponentially greater impact. I found that my research could become genuinely accessible if we attempted to build a product that people could physically use. That seems very powerful compared to only generating academic papers that people can read but not apply. But developing a product is extremely challenging – let alone the commercial vehicle to go with it – and requires an entirely different set of skills and abilities. That has been a steep learning curve. And that is where programmes like Velocity are crucial to help people take their first steps in that path. I cut my teeth in the Velocity programme, and still highly recommend it to anyone. You learn best by doing. The structured programme and mentorship that comes with it is both fun and rewarding. I have also benefited from excellent mentorship and advice from UniServices and within the CIE, and I continue those relationships today” Read more
Cosmin Laslau – Boston-based Amazon Alexa employee
“The challenge and opportunity of distilling my research into a general-audience pitch was a definite highlight of the Velocity programme for me. Communication to stakeholders of all backgrounds is such an important skill in innovation and entrepreneurship, and the Velocity programme does a great job of teaching that and also helping participants practice it. Another highlight for me was the calibre of the other programme participants, with their diversity of ideas and approaches. It was very inspiring and motivating to be surrounded by these awesome folks. Innovation benefits tremendously from a collaborative process, and Velocity does well to help foster that community at the University of Auckland.” Read more
Arash Tayebi – Co-founder of sign language digital avatar venture Kara Technologies
Kara Technologies launched in December 2017, after winning a major prize in the Velocity $100k Challenge. Their win enabled the team to participate in the University’s incubator programme VentureLab. “Without UniServices and VentureLab, there is no Kara. Before Kara Technologies, I never had any experience in running a business but now I have the confidence and advisors around me to keep moving forward with our technology roadmap and expand our business.” Read more
Rebecca Jelley – Chemistry PhD candidate
“I really had no experience or even interest in the world of business before going through the Velocity Challenge. But it was while I was in this programme that I developed the necessary skills and passion for commercialisation.” Read more
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