Venture Lab

About the Programme:

Venture Lab is a six-month incubator programme offered by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), designed to take your start-up to the next level. This pre-seed programme provides tailored support, guidance, and resources to help you secure your first customers and prepare for early-stage investment.

Participants receive:

• Dedicated mentoring and step-by-step guidance
• Access to venture development funding (upon milestone achievements)
• Workshops, advice, and support to navigate the challenges of start-up success
• Connections with industry leaders, the entrepreneurial community, and potential investors
• Mental and physical space to develop and grow your venture

Through Venture Lab, you’ll gain guidance on accessing $40m of pre-seed capital through the University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund
and the Momentum Investment Committee.

Your Opportunity:

When you join Venture Lab, you’ll become part of the vibrant CIE community, where we’ll:

• Connect you with mentors, successful start-up teams, and an extensive entrepreneurial network.
• Provide access to educational resources that will challenge and develop your skills.
• Support your potential by inspiring and guiding you on your entrepreneurial journey.
• Enable your success by giving your start-up the tools to stand out, create value, and launch.

Learning Outcomes:

The six-month incubator programme equips you with the tools, skills, and connections you need to grow your venture.

Being part of Venture Lab will enable you to:

• Build on your start-up plan and bring it to life.
• Identify markets in New Zealand and internationally.
• Develop effective business strategies.
• Explore commercial models to achieve feasibility.
• Identify your target market segments and engage with early-stage customers.
• Sharpen your pitching skills to communicate your vision effectively.
• Scope out and connect with potential investors.
• Build specific capabilities through workshops and collaborate with other successful teams.
• Be guided by a Venture Lab Entrepreneur in Residence to broaden your horizons.
• Connect with the entrepreneurial ecosystem to gain the confidence to launch a real-world venture.
• Work as an effective team, applying governance principles and understanding legal structures to support startup growth.
• Achieve tangible milestones such as securing pilot opportunities or developing functional prototypes.
• Advance your venture to a stage ready for pre-seed or proof-of-concept (POC) investment.

Timing and Commitment:

As a Venture Lab participant, you’ll meet weekly with the Venture Lab Entrepreneur in Residence for mentorship and progress reviews. You’ll be expected to work on your venture consistently and deliver results by the end of the programme.