Audacious is over for 2024 - but 2025 is coming soon.

Click the button below to register your interest in Audacious for 2025. We’ll make sure we contact you to let you know when applications open, early in 2025.

Audacious 2024

What is Audacious?

If you’ve ever dreamed of the entrepreneur life, or you’re dead-set on solving a big problem that feels like no one else is trying to solve, Audacious is for you.

With each workshop dedicated to a different aspect of setting up a business or not-for-profit, you can perfect your idea, get great feedback,

and go on to pitch for over $9k in cash and prizes available to help get your awesome ideas off the ground.

Who is Audacious for?

University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic students -  whether you’re planning on working in a company, starting your own business, learning new skills, or you’re still figuring it out.

Audacious is open to ALL areas of study, all majors and minors.

You DO NOT need:

  • Prior business experience, a business plan or a business major.

  • A profit-driven idea. Non-profit and social enterprise are great too!

  • A team (although you can apply with one).

Why do Audacious?

Prizes

Audacious has $9,000+ worth of cash and prizes up for grabs this year to help you with your idea.

Workspace

Audacious students can enjoy  9 am - 4 pm access to Startup Dunedin’s downstairs co-working space throughout the duration of Audacious, with meeting rooms available for focus groups, customer interviewing, and the like Enjoy meeting entrepreneurs, a heated room and free coffee!

Mentorship

Audacious will introduce you to a variety of mentors, experts and startups from around Ōtepoti . Each individual might have the insight, connections or resources you need for your next steps.

Skill Development

Entrepreneurial experience is in demand by 1 in 3 employers. After you complete Audacious, you can add plenty of skills to your CV!

Some examples are:

  • Innovation

  • Creativity

  • Design thinking

  • Business strategy

  • Problem solving

  • Teamwork

  • Multi-award winning individual*

    *Maybe.

When is Audacious?

Audacious can fit around ANY schedule. This semester we will have an in-person stream and an online stream.

In-person Stream

The in-person workshops will be dependent on the cohort; however these times will either  be:

  • Wednesdays 10 am - 11 am, or

  • Wednesdays 2 pm - 3 pm, or

  • Thursdays 2 pm - 3 pm.

Online Stream

The online stream has two components. All of the Audacious content can be consumed and completed in a student's own time, around their schedule. We will also run an office hours session once per week where students can ask questions and discuss their work from the week before.

 
 

Across 8 Workshops, you’ll learn…

  • Introduction - Starting where you will finish

  • Design Thinking - Who is your customer? What is their problem?

  • Design Thinking - Developing a solution

  • The Bottom Line - Business Model & Finances

  • Marketing & Branding 101

  • Build a Pitch Deck - How to tell your story

  • Pitch Week & Next Steps - Where to from here?

Note: There will also be two smaller hands-on workshops throughout the programme. These will be split into groups of 5 students per workshop, and as many one-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions as you would like.

Need a bit more info?

Does Audacious cost money?

No. Audacious is completely free. However, entry into Audacious is competitive and you are not guaranteed to get in.

I really want to do Audacious but I don’t have a business idea, can I still participate?

Audacious works best if you have either a business idea or problem you want to solve.

If you don’t have an idea, you can still apply - just let us know you don’t have an idea yet when you fill out the form!

I don’t study business and I haven’t got any experience in business, is Audacious still for me?

Absolutely. Good ideas are everywhere.

To be successful in Audacious all you need is an idea and to be willing to take feedback to adjust, tweak and mold that idea.

I am a postgrad student, can I use what I am doing at University to explore the commercial potential of my work?

Definitely! This year we even have a prize sponsored by Otago Innovation specifically for research students to work on something related to their research.

I don’t want to make money, I just want to help people. Is Audacious still for me?

Absolutely. The business you start might be a nonprofit like Startup Dunedin, social enterprise like Eat My Lunch, or an awesome for-profit business that does good like Canva.

I don’t have a team, can I still apply for Audacious?

Absolutely. You might even find a team mate through Audacious!

I don’t have any money to start a business, should I still do Audacious?

Definitely!

I’ve got a brand new idea I haven’t started working on, is Audacious for me?

Yes, absolutely. Audacious will give you the tools, frameworks and support you need to get started. Whether you have some idea of how to start, or have no idea at all.

I’ve been working on my business idea for a short while and have made some progress, is Audacious for me?

Yes, absolutely.

I’m 4 years into my startup journey and am trying to figure out how to scale. Is Audacious for me?

No, not quite (although you are welcome to come along and go over the business basics with us), but you should definitely check out The Distiller Incubator.

I’m still not sure, can I talk to a human?

Of course! Flick an email to mckenzie@startupdunedin.nz with any questions or concerns.

Free Startup Check-in

For those of you who are working with a new idea but aren't sure about doing Audacious just yet, feel free to request a free startup check-in for some actionable feedback on your idea, and to help identify your next steps.

Special thanks to our Audacious sponsors: