The Mythical AUT Service You Never Knew About

COLUMN | PŪRĀKAU / MYTHOLOGY

Written by Rose Scott | Contributing Writer

Every university has its fair share of myths: spaces you only hear about through word of mouth, opportunities that feel more like rumours than reality, and services you’re never quite sure how to access or who to ask about. Here, AUT Ventures is one of those... and that’s exactly why we’re here to talk about it.

Tucked away in the WO building but working across every faculty, AUT Ventures is the university’s “tech transfer office”, helping students, researchers, and staff take their ideas beyond the classroom and into the real world.

Our core mahi includes commercialising research, managing intellectual property (IP), consulting to industry, and supporting startups through funding and advice. You don’t need a scroll of ancient knowledge (or a polished pitch deck) to reach out, just a spark of curiosity and the seed of an idea.

If that still sounds vague, it might be because AUT Ventures has long lingered in the background of academic lore. Since 2005, we’ve helped the AUT community bring their startups to life, quietly winning victories and overcoming the trials and tribulations of commercialisation behind the scenes. Undergrads, however, have remained rare adventurers in our realm. But here’s the truth: many of those same founders started out just like you, students with ideas they were still figuring out.

One of the biggest misconceptions about AUT Ventures is that it’s only for a certain kind of academic –the genius-in-a-lab-coat type. In reality, we support anyone with a business idea that has the potential to create real-world impact. For example, if you’re a student with an entrepreneurial project, we’re here to help point you in the right direction. Innovation isn’t tied to any one degree, we believe everyone with a good idea should know where to go next.

That’s why this year we’ve been working to demystify what we do – showing up in student spaces and teaming up with platforms like Debate. After all, if students don’t know we exist, we can’t support them. We’re proud to have already backed a range of student and staff-led ventures from AUT alumni, including CONICAL by Alejandro Davila, Dot Ingredients by Dr Jack Chen, and Woo-lace by Jacob Smith. And yes – we’re ready to help the next generation of ideas take flight.

So, if you’re holding onto an idea that feels a little otherworldly, just waiting to be seen... AUT Ventures might just be your blessing in disguise. Except we’re real – and we’re ready to help make your myth a reality when you are.