Coin South stunned by startup demand
Since putting the call out in August for business startups in Southland, Coin South has been overwhelmed by demand.
The collaborative network, which supports new businesses to become successful, has had nearly 100 Southland applicants since the initiative was set up.
Coin South chief activator Louise Evans said she was ‘‘overwhelmed’’ by the number of businesses that had come forward. ‘‘It’s incredible . . . If we haven’t gone over 100 [applicants] we’re very close.’’
They had fielded applications covering everything from the food and fibre sector to sustainability on the farm, people in the engineering space, and techrelated ideas, she said.
One innovation set up by Southlander John Dillion was a tool used to help release pressure on tractor couplings on the farm.
His Quick Release Saver, a hydraulic pressure relief tool, helped to remove the frustration of having to bash tractor couplings to release the pressure.
The idea came about when Dillion was frustrated that he was spending a lot of time having to loosen his tractor’s couplings and the risks it could cause to the hydraulic system when the hoses were bashed around.
‘‘[Hitting couplings] or undoing them [can] put dirt or metal fragments into your hydraulic system which can be costly.’’
He had spent more than two years designing the tool and hoped it would relieve frustration for farmers and contractors.
Some other Coin South innovations are: VeryEcoBikes, or four-wheeled people-powered bikes designed for people who want to exercise but find traditional bikes painful to use; and a prototype being tested to help stop fishing fatigue.
Evans said she would help anyone who came to her with an idea. ‘‘If they’re doing the work and have a great team around them and keep driving, it’s all I’m looking for.’’