Start Me Up
Mentoring Programme
Aerospace New Zealand is excited to offer Aotearoa New Zealand’s first-ever national Aerospace mentoring programme, for individuals who are seeking assistance in kick-starting their start-up.
The mentor programme is perfect for those with an idea or start-ups looking for assistance with scaling up and obtaining venture capital.
Applications will be reviewed by our board of expert assessors. Applications that meet the assessment criteria, will be accepted into the mentoring program. The mentor programme will be tailored to meet the specific needs of each successful applicant.
There will be an opportunity for successful applicants to showcase their start-up idea/business at the New Zealand Aerospace Summit 2023.
Key Application Assessors
These key assessors will identify and invite applicants to the programme, assess criteria and award entry to the programme.
Catherine Qualtrough, Research Operations Manager at Te Pūnaha Ātea - Space Institute
Jason Reeves, Head of Export Business at Bank of New Zealand
Stan Topping, Head of Aerospace Strategy & Global Partnerships, Tāwhaki Joint Venture
Michelle Polglase, Commercialisation Programme Manager at KiwiNet .
Nick Brewer, Business Innovation Advisor at Callaghan Innovation
Dr Sarah Kessans, Senior Lecturer at University of Canterbury
Jude Rushmere, General Manager at Nova Systems New Zealand & Aerospace New Zealand Committee Member.
Dr Tulasi Nandan Parashar, Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington
Alice Sidhu, COO of Moonshot Space
Gerard Quinn, Director of the Centre of Entrepreneurship - University of Canterbury
1
Assessors to review and validate the start-up ‘ideas/concepts’ to grant entry into the program.
2
Assessors to advise on what type of mentoring the applicant requires i.e. testing, funding or consulting.
3
Aerospace New Zealand and BNZ will create a bespoke mentoring program for each successful applicant.
4
Aerospace New Zealand will then manage and facilitate each successful applicant’s program.
What We Offer
This mentoring program provides tailored advice and mentoring from professionals in the aerospace and space industry. Offers of support have been received from our event & programme sponsors. These are noted below:
IP 101 Seminar for participants.
A follow up meeting for any participants wanting to know more. AJ Park can provide them 30 minutes of free mentoring around any IP topics.
A follow IP handbook to help take a coordinated approach to their IP to help build.
Offers help to students working on research at Tertiary Level.
Early validation funding - KiwiNet can offer pre-seed funding tier one $20k (co-matched with time from the University, research must be publicly funded).
Take ideas and make them into an MVP, by pitching to an investment committee to get up to $200k.
Assessment of the Start Up’s Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs).
Liaising with successful applicants as they go through the program to provide assistance and advice for applying for $50k R&D grants
Provide mentoring around the technical challenges start-ups are likely to face – especially in respect of Trials & Development and Test & Evaluation which are some of Nova Systems' core capabilities.
Nova Systems NZ’s technical Subject Matter expert who is Wellington based and can help with the following:
Test & Evaluation
T&E Instruction
CDD development
Airworthiness Systems
Systems Engineering
Electronic Warfare
Project Management
Simulator Evaluation
Technical staff who are also experts in the aforementioned field can participate.
Free 90 minute online or in-person decision making course, that can be accessed at various times throughout the year.
Opportunity for discounted tickets to intensive decision making masterclasses in Wellington.
Give out Hard Decisions Made Easy Book from Catalyze for mentees.
Rotoiti offers strategic validation services that critically assess business strategies and theses. It gathers insights via discreet inquiries in its proprietary source network, helping clients avoid a common mistake: not testing assumptions to avoid costly errors. Under the auspices of the Start Me Up mentoring programme, Rotoiti will support a select number of beneficiary startups.
To be determined by the programme assessors, Rotoiti will either assist startups by advising them on how to conduct their own market research to validate their strategies, or by providing them with free consulting services.
Masterclass/Workshop for mentees on funding for innovators
Access for 12 months to New Zealand's #1 Public Speaking Coach Michael Philpotts online coaching course 'The Ultimate Guide To Speaking' where you'll learn the skills you need to deliver world-class talks and presentations.
As part of Start Me Up, BECA can help mentees to identify some of the realities of developing and commercialising their technologies that will transform the world, especially in the areas of:
Operational concept development and new venture ideation
Systems engineering from requirements development to verification and validation
Critical system and software development (we are New Zealand’s only CAA accredited airborne software and complex electronic hardware aircraft design organisation)
Regulatory frameworks and design approval
Air, maritime and land worthiness, and space-ground mission assurance
Safety case development
Air, maritime and space data links
Electro Magnetic Spectrum Operations
Training and simulator design, development and accreditation
Community shaping, planning and infrastructure
Security threat and risk management
As part of the Start Me Up mentoring programme, BNZ will support the use of Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute facilities and/or the cost of enrolment in Spacecraft Systems Engineering short course.
Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute:
Mentoring From:
Prof G Aglietti is Director of the Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute at the University of Auckland. Professor G Aglietti has over 30 years’ experience in the space engineering, ranging from industrial work to research and teaching in aerospace subjects.
Catherine Qualtrough is the Research Operations Manager for Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute. She is also the Outreach Manager for the University’s role in the MethaneSAT mission and supports a Catalyst-funded collaboration between NZ and the DLR (German Aerospace Centre) in Free Space Optical Communications.
Victoria University of Wellington:
Mentoring From:
Dr Tulasi Nandan Parashar, Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington.
Applications Close 28th April 2023
Programme Delivered By:
Aerospace New Zealand
With Support From:
UC Centre for Entrepreneurship
Smart Christchurch (Christchurch City Council)
Powered by:
ChristchurchNZ
Bank of New Zealand
Programme Partners & Sponsors
Programme Sponsors & Partners:
Aerospace Auckland
AJ Park
Callaghan Innovation
Catalyze
KiwiNet
Moonshot Space
Nova Systems NZ
Rotoiti Space
Smart Christchurch
Te Pūnaha Ātea Space Institute
University of Canterbury
Victoria University of Wellington