A mobile app to help keep boaties safe on the water was the winning business concept at the inaugural Tauranga StartUp Weekend.

Organiser Sheldon Nesdale says the event exceeded expectations, with 50 people taking part, the same number that took part in the first event in Auckland last year.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges, SUW Head Organiser Sheldon Nesdale and Mayor Stuart Crosby sharing some great Startup stories.

The next event has already been planned for June.

The event, which has a strong focus on developing iPad or iPhone apps, is part of the non-profit global StartUp Weekend movement that has helped create hundreds of businesses around the world.

Sheldon brought the startup competition to Tauranga after being inspired when he took part in the event in Auckland last year.

He believes the region could become a hub of business innovation and entrepreneurship and hopes the event will promote this.

'What an amazing experience, what an amazing result. These seven businesses, these seven teams, none of this existed last week! This is exactly why brought the StartUp Weekend to Tauranga.

'To change people's lives … and to set Tauranga up as the next Silicon Valley.”

Among those whose lives could change following the competition is designer Ian Wills and his winning team StandbyNZ.com.

The team have come up with a mobile app to make it easy for boaties to check in with the Coastguard as they leave and return to the marina.

The weekend began on Friday with 22 people pitching business ideas, before seven teams formed around the best ideas they liked and the race to build the app or business over the weekend.

Ian says he almost came home early on Friday night when it looked like his idea did not have enough support.

'I'd had a busy week and was about to go home, but then they shortlisted it and we got a great team together and it just went from there. The real key for us was the strategic partnership in our team.”

Ian described the weekend as a 'really great experience” and recommends it to others, but says the team still has a lot of work to do to offer the system they aim to.

'It's still early days. We've got a lot more to do yet – we're still getting our feet back on the ground after the whirlwind weekend and are working out what to do next.”

Ian says the team believes they have many opportunities to add value to the concept and link in with a series of emergency services, but is focusing initially on the Coastguard.

He says the $11,000 prize package – which included business advice and coaching – will help them make major progress.

He has already had a brief talk with the Tauranga Coastguard about the system, and team members were meeting with Coastguard management next week to go into more detailed discussions.

'It's very early so I'm hesitant to talk about the feedback we've had, because we've still got a long way to go.”

The team to win second place was Model It for a service for architects to create models of their plans using 3D printing. Other startup concepts included mobile app that: suggest what people can do when they have spare time; help you find people with similar interests in your area; help members of Gen Y get financial advice; link people with produce growers in the area; or allow people to swap clothes.

Tauranga business leaders were delighted with the event, with Tauranga Chamber of Commerce CEO Max Mason saying it is just what the city needs to encourage 'young entrepreneurs that stand up and create new Tauranga-based businesses with huge potential”.

Enterprise Angels executive director Bill Murphy says the investment group 'had been desperately seeking local opportunities for months, and now, with a few weeks of further refinement, it looks like we will have seven to consider. Fantastic!”.

Details: www.tauranga.startupweekend.org