Now in its third year, the Student Enterprise Experience in Dunedin (Seed) course was described by research and enterprise director Dr Gavin Clark as a ''quite unusual'' programme.
It was hoped it would inspire the students to form companies, based on university technology, and retain those students in Dunedin as entrepreneurs.
This year, the theme was sports and health innovation. Four teams of four were given the needs in that sector and the capability from the university that could meet those needs.
They then came up with a product, mentored by a local network of entrepreneurs.
At the end of the four-week period last week, they did a Dragons' Den-style pitching session in front of a panel of judges from throughout the country.
The panel comprised New Zealand Olympic boss Kereyn Smith, Steven Renata (former chief executive of Les Mills West Coast United States), Aki von Roy (BioPacificVentures), Richard Templer (Callaghan Innovation), Prof Richard Blaikie, and former MP Pete Hodgson.
The judges were very impressed with the pitches and the goal of having the contestants come up with viable business propositions in just four weeks had been achieved, Dr Clark said.
It was ''hands-on'' teaching, as the students went out and did it, rather than hearing about doing it.
They got out of the classroom and tested the market, he said.
There were four groups of four products and the products included a new ''healthy option'' sports drink, a clothing prototype that could assist training for rugby scrummaging, and a device that could aid concentration and mental agility via detecting and relaying brain activity to the user.
This year's winning team was Tahi Enterprise Ltd, which comprised Khan Francis-Smith, Ahmad Musa, Diana Samuelson and Sophie Cartwright.
The team's product was Numbii, a ball with electronics inside it which was about learning through fun, active play.
They came up with a crude but working prototype that proved the concept was achievable, Dr Clark said.
He believed there was ''real potential'' for them to refine the model, engage customers and raise investment and he also thought all four proposals had ''real business legs''.
