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RISE UP

Seed grant and accelerator programme for ambitious female founders

At Soda we are passionate about supporting women in business, particularly those tenacious enough to start their own business.

We created RISE UP in 2021 to encourage more women to consider entrepreneurship as a viable career, to lift the capability of female founders and champion female entrepreneurship in Aotearoa.

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RISE UP 2023

RISE UP is a seed grant for globally ambitious female founders. We will select 5 ambitious female founders to go through a series of founder-focussed workshops, culminating in a pitch night where the winner will take away $10,000 cash! Please note that applications for 2023 open on 1 June.

Who should apply

We're looking for globally ambitious female founders who meet the following criteria.

To be eligible you need to be a female founder (or have one female founder) and have:

- a business that is pre or early revenue

- a business that is scaleable or has some unique IP

- a registered New Zealand business

- a business that is less than three years old

- less than five employees

N.B. You must submit a 90 second video as well as filling in the application form below. (Please note applications will open on 1 June 2023).

Important Dates

1 June 2023        Applications open

23 June 2023     Applications close

30 June 2023     Finalists confirmed

17 July 2023        Accelerator programme starts

29 August 2023  Pitch night

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CHECK OUT RISE UP 2022

Our six finalists pitched their business to a public audience and panel of high-profile judges at Wintec House in Hamilton on 17 August 2022.

The winner of RISE UP 2022 was Finery. Read more.

Check out all the event photos.

Watch our 2-minute highlights video.

Watch the recorded livestream of the event.

Our Sponsors

If you are interested in sponsoring RISE UP 2023, please contact Anna Devcich.

GOLD SPONSOR

Craigs Investment Partners

SILVER SPONSOR

TBC

BRONZE SPONSORS

CFO 4U

Chow:Hill

Cucumber

Debt Free Diva

Deloitte

Frank Risk Management

Hamilton City Council

KPMG

Norris Ward McKinnon

Syndex

Vazey Child

EVENT SPONSORS

Remedy

RocketSpark

Apply for RISE UP - applications now closed

RISE UP

What our clients say

What our finalists say

RISE UP enabled me to capitalise on the early potential of my business by connecting me with the right people in the industry and assisting me to identify strengths and weaknesses. Plus the cash has allowed me to cross some of the many expensive business hygiene tasks off my list.

- &Again founder and 2021 RISE UP winner, Wendy Quach

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