Innovation recognised at University of Auckland Blues Awards

Innovation and entrepreneurship were among the achievements celebrated at the 2026 University of Auckland Blues Awards, with six students connected with the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) receiving honours.

The Blues are among the University’s highest honours for achievement beyond academic study. Originating from the sporting traditions of Oxford and Cambridge, they now recognise outstanding student achievement across Business and Innovation, Service and Leadership, Arts and Cultural, and Sport.

CIE participants Maadhav Arora, Mihir Ojas Rallapudi and Nathaniel Brown received the award for Most Meritorious Performance in Business and Innovation after becoming the first New Zealand team to win the Australia and New Zealand final of the L’Oréal Brandstorm competition.

Their concept, Mémoire, uses artificial intelligence to turn personal memories into customised fragrances. The team went on to finish in the global top six from around 380,000 entrants across 64 countries, presenting their idea at VivaTech in Paris.

Mihir says, “It’s surreal. A year ago, none of us would have pictured ourselves pitching to L'Oréal in Paris, and becoming the first New Zealand team to win Brandstorm ANZ was already more than we imagined, so having it recognised with a Blues and Major Blues Awards feels incredible.

“We're grateful to stand alongside so many outstanding students, and we hope our story shows that a bit of curiosity, a lot of persistence, and the willingness to back yourself can take you surprisingly far."

Eliot Chignell and Omar Mourad received Business and Innovation Blues for entrepreneurship. The pair are co-founders of sports technology venture NextPlay, formerly Pollsport, which won a place in the 2025 Velocity $100k Challenge and went on to participate in CIE’s Venture Lab.

Dylan Chand received the Most Meritorious Performance award in Service and Leadership for organising and leading an Aotearoa youth delegation to COP30 in Belém, Brazil. A CIE participant and founder of Youth Climate Collective, Dylan presented the delegation’s Youth Statement on the international stage.

CIE Manager Kimberley Ansell, who attended the awards and was part of the judging panel, says the evening was a chance to recognise ambitious ideas and the work required to bring them to life.

“There was such a great energy in the room. It’s one thing to have an ambitious idea, but these students have also put in the work to make things happen and are already making an impact beyond the University, often alongside everything else that comes with university life.

“What I loved most was seeing how much it meant to people to have that effort acknowledged, and how genuinely excited everyone was to celebrate each other’s achievements.”

The Blues Awards are one of several ways the University recognises and encourages innovation and entrepreneurship among its students. Students who take part in CIE activities can also have eligible extracurricular participation formally recognised on their academic transcript, with activities contributing towards the University of Auckland Distinguished Graduate Award.