Five years after starting up in Hawke's Bay, national start-up incubator and funder, The Icehouse, reveals in that time it has helped local businesses generate more than $200 million in extra revenue.
Since The Icehouse opened first its doors in Hawke's Bay, the business development organisation's first regional base outside Auckland, it has gone on to engage more than 200 businesses in programmes or events, and is now an integral member of the Hawke's Bay Business Hub in Ahuriri.
Celebrating its five-year anniversary, a survey of the Icehouse alumni in the region show total job growth, since working with The Icehouse, at 677 fulltime equivalent jobs (FTEs) or average growth of 116 per cent, (year on year 17 per cent), and revenue growth of $232m, equating an average growth of 219 per cent, (year on year 26 per cent).
Export revenue amongst those surveyed increased by an average of 130 per cent, of those already exporting. Additionally, business owners who started exporting since attending an Icehouse programme, reported $86 million in export earnings.
Icehouse Hawke's Bay regional manager Michaela Vodanovich said the figures aligned with the goals set by the team back in 2013.