Showcase Gets The Ball Rolling For Southland Entrepreneurs
Business news is presented by
Losing his golf ball constantly was the driver that Southlander Ben Tattersfield needed to create a design for a sportstech ball that gives instant feedback and stats to the owner.
Tattersfield, the keynote speaker and three other local founders shared their ideas, visions, and clever designs at the FoundX and COIN South showcase on Thursday night.
Growing up in Southland, Ben was an avid sports fan, and after living in Australia for several years developed a passion for entrepreneurship, startups, and technology. He founded Sportscor and worked with technology and sports manufacturers to create the SmartBall.
The Australian-based company has taken leaps and bounds, with Kookaburra launching a cricket ball using its technology and design in 2019.
The FoundX and COIN South showcase was a chance for over 70 guests to get a taste of what innovative businesses and founders are doing in Southland.
Moodew is a family-owned company and raw milk producer creating Indian paneer. Samples were available on the night.
James Wards from Your Corps moved the crowd as he told of his aspiration to tackle our community’s biggest issue: youth suicide. James runs video gaming events across Southland, creating comradery and belonging to kids.
Then there is Digital Beans, two local founders with a vision to create a digital currency for Southland. The currency could help draw people to retailers while the CBD construction is underway, and customers could earn ‘beans’ while spending, which in turn would create free coffee rewards.
Findex managing partner and COIN South Chair Neil McAra said the founders that presented were a great example of the innovation in the region.
“Living in Southland is actually a benefit for entrepreneurs, not a hindrance. The connections, support and relative small size of Southland means that people can talk to the right people a lot quicker than say if you were based in a larger centre”.
Louise Evans, Chief Activator of COIN South, adds, “It takes courage to stand up and talk about what you put your heart into every day. The founders all did an amazing job, and we are super excited to see where their stories take them”.