Rotorua firm Chemipreneur in national final

SCIENCE TO BUSINESS: Dr Robert Franich is taking his idea from the laboratory to the business world. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

An innovative Rotorua business has popped up from "under the radar" to be named a finalist in a national business competition.

Chemipreneur Limited, a research and development business, is the brainchild of former Scion principal scientist Dr Robert Franich and his wife Helen. It is currently focusing on creating new product streams from the essential oil and extracts of manuka.

This week it was selected along with 38 other regional winners from around New Zealand to go through to the next stage of the ANZ Flying Start Business Plan competition.

The competition, run by Business.govt.nz, part of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, seeks the best business plan from new or fledgling New Zealand enterprises and helps them put their plans into action.

Dr Franich said the whole manuka essential oil had been used for many applications, but some found its odour "objectionable".

Chemipreneur has been granted a New Zealand patent for the "fractionation process" of separating the oils and extracts, enabling them to remove the molecules that cause the odour. They are currently testing two products for which they have registered trademarks.

He said it was exciting to be coming out of the laboratory and was time to try and turn the concept into a successful enterprise.

Dr Franich said the manuka plant took nitrogen from soil, so part of Chemipreneur's vision was to work with landowners in the Rotorua catchment to establish and manage manuka forests. He said the couple decided to enter the Flying Start competition to gain support for their business idea, establish a production-scale enterprise to begin the manuka molecules manufacturing and work with nurseries and landowners to establish manuka plantations.

"Our business has been kept under the radar while we established our IP, and we felt that it was now time to gain some more exposure to our business vision," he said.

"We are delighted to learn that our business has been named as one of the three finalists in our region at the first stage."

There are also two Tauranga-based businesses through to the next stage.

Kate Garvie, acting manager of Business.govt.nz, said the judges were overwhelmed by the innovative and well-constructed business plans they received from a wide range of businesses across New Zealand.

She said Chemipreneur and the other finalists must now submit a more detailed business plan. A second round of judging will take place and 13 regional winners will be chosen. From these, five will be invited to Wellington to pitch their business to a panel of experts.

"The entrepreneurs who entered but didn't make it to the regional finals should carry on and stick with their ideas and ambitions to grow their business. The process of creating a business plan will inevitability strengthen their chances of succeeding," Ms Garvie said.

Gold sponsor ANZ is putting up $30,000 for the supreme winner. The second and third prize winners each receive $5000, while the competition's 10 regional winners each receive $1000 cash from silver sponsors Ernst & Young, OfficeMax and Xero.

Winners will be announced at the grand final in Wellington on October 30.