news archive
News Archive - January, 2009
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15 January 2009
NZVIF Gives Angels a Halo
NZVIF has just launched the eagerly-awaited Halo Fund. The new $5 million angel investment fund is targeting investors in a bid to boost the capital available to seed and start up companies. Basically, the fund allows registered angels to take a passive stake in a diversified portfolio of startups that have been selected by the rest of the significant angel community in New Zealand, and SCIF (the government Seed Co-investment Fund). Halo will contribute 50c for every dollar invested into a business by the Seed Co-investment fund to a maximum of $125,000.
It’s a brilliant concept, in that it allows people to buy a diverse portfolio of 15-30 qualified investments. Angels can put in as little as $25,000. Proceeds from liquidating investments will be distributed to investors immediately. Once the fund closes there will be no further opportunity to invest.
The fund will operate for 10 years and it is the result of NZVIFs desire to recruit 1000 new Angel investors.
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15 January 2009
Dfi – Moving on in Style
The Dunedin Fashion Incubator will move to the Otago Polytechnic on 26th January 2009. After seven successful years helping both emerging designers and fashion businesses, the Fashion Incubator is being relocated to the Otago Polytechnic in a move to achieve synergies with the Otago Institute of Design, and the Design Department. The team at Upstart are delighted the Fashion Incubator has found such a good home where it will be able to keep working with Dunedin's thriving fashion community. Over the years there have been many highlights with 13 full time business clients, and hundreds of Outreach and Hatchery clients. Clients have shown at both New Zealand and Australian Fashion Weeks, and a number of clients now sell widely throughout the country and offshore. This year one of our full time clients, Sarah MacDonald and her label Doe-a-Deer, won the Otago Chamber of Commerce business award for Design with their innovative mix of functional, design led clothing for women who hunt, fish and work in the great outdoors. The team at Upstart look forward to following the progress of all our graduates, and those transferring to the Polytech, confident that Dunedin will remain at the forefront of the fashion industry, and proud to have played our part.
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12 January 2009
Upstart Selected as Finalist in Vero Awards
Upstart has once again been selected as a finalist in the Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards, in the category of Education. Judges commented that one of the reasons for Upstart's selection was the ability to demonstrate measurable and tangible success as an educator of both business incubation clients, and interns participating in the highly innovative Entrepreneur Intern Programme. Being selected as a finalist is quite an honour given the quality and quantity of submissions received in 2008 for the 2009 award. Upstart was the High Growth category winner in 2008, with the 2009 winner in each category being announced in May.