The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is welcoming the launch of the Catapult Programme, an initiative that will see budding Kiwi entrepreneurs given the opportunity to fast track their ideas into United States markets.
The Catapult Programme will expose promising entrepreneurs to the United States at an early stage in their career and see them experience the Kiwi Landing Pad in San Francisco. By doing so, they will be able to better understand the skills and capability they will need to build a sustainable and competitive business.
“We have plenty of ideas in New Zealand, but we haven’t been very good at turning them into viable products and businesses. The Catapult Programme will go a long way towards helping ensure that entrepreneurs are able to develop their ideas and products to reach their full international potential,” Acting Deputy Chief Executive, Science and Innovation Murray Bain says.
“As the name suggests it will catapult them into the international market and give them the tools, experience and drive they need to take their businesses to the next level.”
Through the Catapult Programme, 10 participants will be funded by the Ministry to spend four weeks at the Kiwi Landing Pad to accelerate the design and development of their products and business models. They will be able to connect with relevant people and organisations in the heart of the global tech entrepreneurialism.
“Innovation is a key driver of economic growth and the Ministry is working to grow the number of driven, successful entrepreneurs who are willing to help grow the innovation eco-system in New Zealand,” Mr Bain says.
“The Catapult Programme will see entrepreneurs given the opportunity and support to foster and grow their ideas in a nurturing and innovative global environment, which will not only benefit their businesses, but the New Zealand economy on the whole.”
The Kiwi Landing Pad was opened in San Francisco last year as a hub for New Zealand high-tech businesses, allowing companies to grow their New Zealand-based businesses in the United States. It offers an environment where entrepreneurs can tap into resources like mentoring, potential investors and networks that have already been established by pioneering Kiwi companies.
