US angel investment expert Bill Payne has taken two student interns under his wing for 10 weeks of his 6-month residency with The Icehouse, the University of Auckland's business growth centre.

Sponsored by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, the internships are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Emma Fitzgerald and Eric Liu. Both graduates of Auckland University, Emma and Eric have been tasked with maximising Mr Payne's 'knowledge and network transfer' to New Zealand entrepreneurs, universities and investors, among other tasks.

Mr Payne has been at the forefront of United States angel investment since the early 1980s. In New Zealand he will mentor angel investors, connect start-ups with funding for overseas expansion, offer the Foundation advice on how to convert research and development ideas into businesses, and teach university students.

The Foundation is a major sponsor of Mr Payne's residency alongside BNZ, The New Zealand Venture Investment Fund, Investment NZ, Air New Zealand, University of Auckland and Jucy Rentals).

Richard Bentley, Group Manager Manufacturing and High Growth Firms at the Foundation, says that Mr Payne's residency offers invaluable opportunities for New Zealand's entrepreneurial community, among them the businesses who benefit from strategic investment through the Foundation and TechNZ, the Foundation's business investment programme, the investor networks and the commercialisation offices of the New Zealand research organisations.

Emma Fitzgerald Emma, an Auckland University Honours (marketing) student, says that she expects this opportunity to be "the perfect stepping stone" towards achieving her ambitions to make an impact in the business community once she has completed her studies.

Eric Liu During his science Honours year at Auckland University, Eric was exposed to the "fascinating field of biotech commercialisation" and is looking towards a Master in Bioscience Enterprise degree at University of Cambridge. Eric hopes to learn more about New Zealand's biotech industry during his internship and anticipates gaining networking experience.