The Tankful Story

How the idea was created…

In 2016, Toby and Libby left the rat race of Auckland to bring their family up in the beachside community of Mangawhai.

Mangawhai is one of a few urban-pockets in New Zealand that have no council supplied water - each house has its own rainwater tank collection system.

This was a new experience, having to check the water levels and estimate how long it will last - as newbies to this game they looked for an easier option. But couldn't find anything suitable, so Toby decided to build his own.

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Libby and Toby

How the idea grew legs…

Upon meeting with a Northland Inc representative regarding freelance work (Toby is a web programmer) he was encouraged to enter his side project into The Pick:2017, Northlands Business Ideas Competition.

Libby, with a background in marketing, joined the Tankful team and together they took home a Supreme Winner award. More importantly, with each advisor they met through the process, they realised the idea was a much-needed product in the market. ​

Creating a new startup…

The co-founders joined a Northland business incubation program and are part of The Pick:2018 Investment Ready competition, one of eight startups selected for showcasing to angel investors this month.

Creating a purposeful business…

The grim reality of water shortages we are likely to face in the future is being studied by authorities and shared within agriculture and other industries. But there is limited awareness within residential communities of the impact this will have.

For the co-founders of Tankful, their purpose is about giving people in homes and baches the tools and information they need to make better decisions and protect their water supply, especially in longer dry periods.

Tankful in the news…