Bond University Bachelor of Business student Gabriel Simard and Bachelor of Finance graduate Maurice Sevecke have launched an innovative new drink ordering app – called Venu - to help both bar owners and patrons avoid queueing in line for drinks.
Venu is already in use in two great Gold Coast hotspots – Bedroom and Aloha Bar & Dining– with plans well underway to rollout the app in bars in Brisbane and Melbourne in the near future.
As of this week, the app – the first of its kind available in Australia - is also now available to be downloaded from the App Store.
Venu allows users to scroll through a bar or club’s menu on their mobile device, order and pay for drinks without needing to interact with a bartender. It then alerts users when their drinks are available for collection.
Venu earns its revenue by charging five per cent of the order’s price on purchase. Users are able to order either one or two drinks at a time, with bartenders retaining the right to refuse to serve any patrons their order if appropriate.
The idea for the app came to Gabriel when he was standing in line waiting for drinks.
“I was in a club with friends queuing for drinks, bored and frustrated, and said to myself and my mates ‘there must be a more efficient way of doing this!’ he said.
“We did our research and realised there wasn’t a directly comparable drink-ordering app available anywhere in Australia, but we knew it was only a matter of time until there would be.
“With the support of private investors, we were able to secure initial funding of $175,000 which allowed us to set-up the business, but we are currently seeking funding to take Venu to the next stage of development.”
Gabriel from Montreal, Canada and Maurice from Hamburg, Germany first met about 12 months ago when they were both studying and living on campus at Bond.
Gabriel was quick to approach Maurice, a recent finance graduate as he recognised he had the business and finance skills that Venu required, and was passionate about the start-up’s potential.
In addition to the skills and knowledge they both gained through their studies, Maurice and Gabriel both received support, guidance and access to a rich network of industry contacts through their lecturers and tutors at Bond Business School.
“Bond has given us an incredible amount of opportunity and inspiration to network – with other students, Bond alumni all over the world and local, interstate and international businesses,” said Gabriel.
Maurice said participating in the University’s Silicon Valley Study Tour in August 2016 had been a huge source of inspiration.
“The experience I had meeting global start-ups and entrepreneurial experts in Silicon Valley – the home of technological innovation – really inspired and motivated me to go further to become involved in a start-up venture,” Maurice said.
“We are very excited about entering the next phase of Venu’s development and hope to announce partnerships with bars in Brisbane and Melbourne in the coming weeks.
“We would urge anyone interested in becoming involved in our business – as a partner, user or investor – to get in touch with us through our Facebook page or email [email protected] or [email protected]