"There were a few false starts and a few pitch lines forgotten, it was a real testament to the seriousness of the environment and the high stakes for these entrepreneurs," Whanganui & Partners business strategic lead Tim Easton said.
"They all have something exceptional and worth backing, they know how worthy their ideas are but this type of competition really puts self-belief to the test and creates extraordinary outcomes."
Whanganui & Partners is delivering Innovate in collaboration with The Factory, a Palmerston North collective made up of experts at getting ideas off the ground, launching start-ups, and helping businesses grow.
Innovate's Top 5 have each received $3000 towards getting their idea humming and, along with the two wild cards, are midway through an eight-week programme of one-on-one mentorship.
Easton said the 10-week accelerator programme was testing the competitors in ways they didn't expect, creating robust business models and providing inestimable value through highly competent mentors.
Locals Ben Blain, Brad Kirkland, Mike Petersen, Vaughan Campbell, Lauren Peat, Steven Tier, and a pair made up of Sarah Stephens and Sam Duncan have all made it into the Innovate accelerator programme and are now building their business plans for their final pitches.
Easton said the top seven and their innovative ideas will be profiled in the upcoming months.
"We have such a great group of people and they have wildly different ideas and incredibly varied backgrounds. We can't wait to divulge more about them."
At the Innovate Whanganui Final, the top seven will each have five minutes to pitch to the judges and hundreds of spectators in a high-pressure final bid for entrepreneurial excellence.
The winner will collect $10,000 and help from The Factory. If that top Innovate idea is deemed impressive enough, the winner will also have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pitch to the MIG Angels, Manawatū's angel group community.
• Tickets are now available for the final night. Go to innovatewhanganui.kiwi to book.
