UC student wins Entrepreneur Of The Year award

The Court Theatre are currently based in The Shed in Addington.

Monique Lau, 22, has won ‘Momentum Student Entrepreneur of the Year’ for her work on Endosoothe, presented at the KiwiNet awards on September 28th.

Winning the award came as a surprise to Lau, ““I just thought I'd apply because it combined that chemistry and entrepreneurship and then [I] ended up winning it!”

Endosoothe is a range of “thoughtfully crafted menstrual care products using natural active ingredients that prioritise comfort.”

Lau started work on Endosoothe as her final year project for her bachelor’s in chemical formulation and product design, which she completed in Semester One of 2023.

She continued to work on her products through the UCE Summer Start Up Programme and “discovered [she] really loves entrepreneurship and solving problems and that kind of social enterprise side of things.”

UC’s Director for Entrepreneurship, Gerard Quinn, mentions that Lau “..really threw herself into the whole world of making a business out of her technical solution.” 

Quinn followed Lau’s progress from the initial planning phase right through to the final product within UC’s Summer Start Up Programme. The program, spanning 10 weeks, endeavours to give one the skills to breathe life into and launch their own unique and innovative ideas.

Quinn states that Lau’s previous background in Product Design aided in the successful creation of her product. The skills gained through the degree gave her a “technical background” that then could be embellished with other business elements.

Quinn mentions that Lau had to get an “intimate understanding of her customers [and] different features the customers need in a product,” especially with how incredibly personal the nature of Endosoothe is.

Lau’s product design and business came from a personal space as Lau suffered from endometriosis for seven years before diagnosis.

Lau “got surgery for it and my symptoms improved, but still [had] everyday pain. So I thought why not create something that could help all women with educational resources.”

Within UC, Quinn believes that a lot of people are “purpose or very values driven,” and Lau is no exception to this. Lau is already “giving back to the other students in the community” but still actively remains very modest about her significant success that she has gained thus far.

Upon asking about Lau’s character, Quinn expressed his immense admiration for the young entrepreneur, saying that she is “very aware, very focused, very committed and very hardworking.”

This work can be seen within a variety of different sectors, such as her contribution to the executive clubs around campus and her work in the Kate Sheppard Women’s fund. 

Quinn believes that the impacts of Endosoothe, both within the immediate community and on a wider scale are, and will continue to be “astronomical.”

In February, Lau will attend the Angel Association New Zealand Summit in Auckland as well as the U.S. Angel Capital Association (ACA) Summit in Ohio later in May.

The ACA Summit is the “international flagship angel investing event of the year,” supporting professional development amongst ACA members who work together to conduct research, identify prospective investments, and mentor and enhance local startups.

Lau is hoping to make connections in America and “maybe look for investment depending on what stage we’re at [...] definitely just talking to people about how we can get into the American market.”

Beyond that, she is looking at outsourcing product manufacturing as she currently makes everything at the university.

Lau says she has “four more products ready to go,” and is set on bringing that from New Zealand to “Australia then Southeast Asia then the rest of the world!”

For now though, Lau is focussed on finishing her Masters.

Endosoothe’s products are now available for purchase through endosoothe.co.nz

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Disclaimer: This product is not a cure, treatment, or prevention for any disease, illness, or medical condition.