Innovation
Issue No. 5 - April/June 2002
Zork Wine Closure Pops MOOT CORP VC Challenge
A plan to commercialise an innovative wine closure that eliminates cork taint has won a national venture capital contest held at Queensland University of Technology in April.
The Adelaide University MBA team impressed the judging panel with Zork, a patented wine closure. The Head of the Brisbane Graduate School of Business, Professor Evan Douglas, said it addressed “a long—felt, global need”.
“It’s obviously a problem when about one in 10 of the eight billion corks used each year are affected by cork taint,” Professor Douglas said. “Customers want to hear a ‘pop’ when they open their bottle of wine and they want something that can be resealed easily. The Zork has an aesthetic quality and a screw—top function so it meets both these demands.”
As part of the prize – valued at $100,000 – team members will head for the International Challenge of MOOT CORP at the University of Texas in early May, competing against some of the world̵...



