KEY POINTS:
Christchurch iPhone software development house Polar Bear Farm is to lead a handful of technology companies in forming an industry group aimed at stimulating activity among fledgling software start-ups.
Details of the group, which PBF's co-founder Guy Horrocks claims has already secured an injection of private funding, will emerge in the coming weeks ahead of its official launch in June.
Jade software managing director, Rod Carr, had come onboard to help PBF as the founding member of the company's advisory board, but it hasn't been revealed whether he will be involved in the new industry venture.
Horrocks said the group will take a different approach to existing IT bodies and technology incubators, aiming to support young IT entrepreneurs who are working in fast-moving areas of IT like web and mobile application development.
"The incubators are doing a good job but there's definitely a space for something a little bit more creative and inspiring for young entrepreneurs," said Horrocks (24).
Government funding hadn't been sought for the organisation - Horrocks says it is not needed and applying for it would just slow down the process.
"We looked at market development grants for our company but it is quite a bit of paperwork for us and we've been slammed for time lately."
PBF has been developing native applications for the Apple iPhone and welcomed the arrival of the iPhone software developer's kit today, which creates a platform for much broader application development for the device which is selling in the US and Europe.
"In the space of an hour announcement, Apple has destroyed most of the big mobile players, Nokia, Microsoft, and RIM. I'd expect Google to abandon Android development at this point, it's now just irrelevant (if it weren't already),"he wrote on the PBF website.
Horrocks said the organisation will have a permanent administration and structure to it and be open to all interested participants. He is inviting expressions of interest through the PBF website.
