Mercedes-Benz Vans is inviting Australian and New Zealand-based small businesses, start-ups, product developers, industrial designers, creative technologists, hustlers and hackers to put together a team of like-minded entrepreneurial thinkers and pitch an innovative business idea using the vehicle manufactuerer’s Vito van as the canvas.
Six teams will be chosen to participate in a final pitch on Thursday 17 August, where their creativity will be put to the test. Throughout the process, the teams will work alongside product experts from Mercedes-Benz Vans to bring their idea to life, redesigning the Vito van in an innovative and creative way.
A panel of entrepreneurs and business leaders including Shane Delia (award-winning chef and restaurateur), Megan Morton (leading Aussie stylist), Dr. Kate Cornick (CEO of LaunchVic), Nick Crocker (partner at Blackbird Ventures), and Diane Tarr (managing director of Mercedes-Benz Vans Australia & New Zealand) will assess the ideas and select the winner, who will be awarded with a brand new Mercedes-Benz Vito.
Also on offer is a $5,000 cash grant for the first runner-up, and a $2,500 cash grant for the second runner-up, provided by RedZed Lending Solutions.
“We ran this event for the first time in 2016 and were so impressed with the diversity and creativity on display from our finalists,” Tarr said.
“This year we are really pleased to open up Hack My Van to New Zealand and can’t wait to see the entries.
“The versatility of the Vito means if you can dream it, we can do it, and so we are excited by the ideas and possibilities for how the Vito van can be reimagined to transform an existing business, or completely reinvented to create new businesses.”
Entries close at 5pm AEST on Friday 28 July 2017, and can be submitted here (Australia) and here (NZ).
