Dunedin also the place for health tech and start-ups
When health tech entrepreneur Angela Edwards moved to Dunedin/Ōtepoti after 14 years in London, she expected more nature and a slower pace of life.
She didn’t expect to find a buzzing network of talented, creative people that would help bring her startup, Elli Cares – aimed at dementia sufferers – to the next level.
In 2021, Edwards was still in London, she and her husband working remotely for international clients while raising their two-year-old daughter. After Covid hit, the family decided it was time to come home to New Zealand.
Edwards, pregnant at the time with her second child, sat down with her husband to compile a list of possible places they could move to, ranking them with criteria such as house prices, traffic congestion, weather, access to nature, schooling and crime.
“All those things together make your life good, or tricky and it makes life pretty easy when you’re in a city [like Dunedin] that’s got access to everything in such small space.”
Cromwell and Dunedin came on top. The family initially moved to Cromwell to be close to Edwards’ parents. But after a couple of years, they felt it was “far too quiet” and moved to Dunedin.
Dunner Stunner
Edwards, who has a background in design, was nervous about the weather, but after a year in Dunedin, she has no regrets: “We bought an old wooden villa. Before we moved in, we got double glazing and insulation and radiators throughout the house, so it’s cozy and warm. I was very firm on that point.
“It can be cold, but everybody has heard of a Dunner Stunner. When the sun is on you, it is hot. Even in winter, it can be beautifully warm. If it was five degrees warmer, everyone would live here.”
However, Edwards came to Dunedin for the beaches, the affordable housing and good schools. What she wasn’t expecting was finding a thriving community of innovators in tech, game development, health, and design.
“You scratch under the surface, and you find out people are doing incredible things. For quite a small city, there is so much innovation happening. I wasn’t aware of it before coming here, to be honest.”
In Cromwell, Edwards created Elli Cares, a multi grant-winning app helping people with dementia to take back control of their independence and dignity, while giving family members peace of mind. People with cognitive impairment can manage their day through unique notifications on the app, while family members gain an unobtrusive visibility of their loved-one’s activity and safety.
Petridish of support
Edwards now runs the start-up from Dunedin’s Petridish shared working space, where she has found business mentors, advice and support:
“Dunedin is a fantastic place to start a startup, you’ve got this community here who kind of wrap themselves around you. I have been pleasantly surprised how welcoming people are and how readily they offer support.”
Successful health tech businesses such as WoFo Medstaff - an innovative platform connecting healthcare professionals with facilities in need - are also based in Dunedin.
At Petridish, Edwards met the founder of GetHomeSafe - another app providing safety monitoring to lone workers - whose advice has been invaluable. It’s also been useful for Edwards to have access to health experts from Otago University, another big supporter of the local start-up scene.
“Somebody will introduce you to someone else and you will have coffee with them the next day and it will be so valuable,” she says. “Networking can feel like a drag, but I love it here - my energy is reflected by so many people down here.
“People are just so willing to introduce you to the next person and that’s what you need, it’s just this domino effect. You’ve got all these people who are doing crazy innovative stuff…Otago University brings a lot of that here and that innovation, that drive, and people just stay.
“There is a wonderful buzz of excitement and energy. People are very optimistic about what they can achieve.”
Growing industries
Health technologies and biotechnology, niche manufacturing and engineering, ICT and creative industries have all grown over the past decade, according to Enterprise Dunedin.
“The city is thriving in these areas as well as in the start-up and game development space. We are looking to adapt the successful model established by CODE (NZ Centre of Digital Excellence) in Dunedin to create a health tech ecosystem where education, research and development, and innovation in the sector intersect,” Enterprise Dunedin Economic Development Manager Fraser Liggett says.
Otago University’s research capability, combined with Otago Polytechnic’s product development and market-testing expertise and local industries’ high investment in research and development provide a rich breeding ground for innovation.
But Dunedin has been a winner in terms of family life too, Edwards says. Her daughter, now 5, goes to the local school, a short walk from the family home. Her son, 3, goes to a pre-school close to Petridish, which is a 10-minute drive from the family home.
The city also boasts an impressive range of parks, reserves, tracks and cycleways. The Otago Museum, botanical gardens, “dinosaur playground” Marlow Park and bird watching at Ross Creek are firm family favourites.
But it’s also got that cool edge, she says. “There’s nothing beige about Dunedin.”
For more information visit Live & Work - Ōtepoti | Dunedin