Speed-dating birthday party: Startup matchmaker celebrates its first year

New Zealand's first online startup matchmaker OHUDDLE has just celebrated its first birthday with a speed-dating event.

OHUDDLE is a platform offering an online matchmaking service for startups to find vetted experts - lawyers, accountants, developers and designers - suited to their business needs and budget.

The event held last Thursday aimed to help startups and professionals network and find a match.

Five professionals were handpicked from their respective industries - along with five impressive entrepreneurs who had the opportunity to have a one-on-one chat with each of the professionals.

"Since we launched, we've made hundreds of successful matches and the number continues to grow rapidly," founder Kristen Wonch says.

"As more small businesses learn about OHUDDLE, the more the brand becomes a go-to for finding the right business support. When you start to really gain momentum, you know you're doing something right."

Wonch says that without a background in tech, learning the technology has been one of her biggest challenges personally in building OHUDDLE.

"The learning curve is steep and the pace is rapid. Everything changes daily, which is what energises me."

"It's important to have a strong 'why' when you're building any business. I believe entrepreneurs are the ones who are crazy enough to change the world, so for me, helping make life easier for them is what gets me up in the morning.

"The overwhelmingly positive feedback we get from both entrepreneurs and professionals gives me the motivation to push through any challenge."

During the speed-dating event, professionals were given 15 minutes to pitch their service to startups before moving to the next entrepreneur.

The mission was for the perfect match to be made.

Wonch says the event was a success as business owners were challenged on their thinking as each professional introduced new ideas and perspectives to help them push past their blocks.

"It was unlike any other networking event. Entrepreneurs rarely get to go as deep as they did and ask tough questions.

"Throughout the night the chatter was endless and smiles were everywhere. It was clear that genuine relationships were formed across the board. We demonstrated how easy things can be when you're able to make the right connections."

OHUDDLE offers the following:

• Personalised matchmaking - The professionals connected to startups are a good fit for the business, budget, and expertise.
• Rigorous screening – We invest a lot of time screening the professionals on the site and everyone is someone we would want to work with. If they don't meet that bar, they don't make the cut.
• Tailor-made for startups – Creating visibility into which professionals fit into that niche of competitive pricing and high quality.