Runner Up goes on to win Global award

30 April 2009

Media Release

2008 Spark Entrepreneurial Challenge Runner Up goes on to win Global award in San Francisco

University of Auckland Spark Entrepreneurial Challenge 2008 runner up has gone on to take away the prestigious Social Impact Assessment Award at the Global Social Venture Competition in San Francisco this week.

Brightmind Labs Clinical Director Dr Yvette Ahmad and CEO Fraser Hurrell have just returned from the world finals of the GSVC in San Francisco where they took away the award. “This is the first time a kiwi venture has made it to the prestigious GSVC finals in America, so it is exciting for us to have not only pitched to the judging panel, but also to have won this award” says CEO Fraser Hurrell.

The venture took away the top Social Impact Assessment prize at the Asia Pacific semifinals in Bangkok in March earning them their place at the finals in San Francisco this week.

“There is a cash prize involved in the GSVC, but the real benefit is the opportunity to pitch the venture on an international stage”, he says.

“Brightmind Labs are creating products that fuse immersive gaming principles with cognitive behavioural therapy targeted to kids aged six to 12 who suffer from the likes of depression, anxiety or post traumatic stress disorder” says Dr Yvette Ahmad.

The success of Brightmind Labs at the Global Social Venture Competition shows that you don’t need to be located in the Silicon Valley to bring innovative business ideas to the attention of venture capitalists and ultimately to market.

“The process of competing in the University of Auckland Spark Challenge in 2008 placed us in good stead to compete in International competitions such as the GSVC”, says Hurrell. “That process assisted us in clarifying our value proposition and our detailed plan to roll out to market”, he says.

Brightmind Labs first product is “FriendQuest” – a game to help children on the autistic spectrum recognise and respond appropriately to emotions. FriendQuest is fully developed and in beta testing and will be launched internationally in the next few weeks once this process is complete.

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