A startup accelerator is a fixed-term program, usually 8 to 16 weeks, that takes a cohort of founders through a structured growth sprint with mentoring and a milestone at the end: a demo day, pitch event, or investor introduction.
Some accelerators put cash into your company for equity. Most don't. The table below tells you which is which, so you know exactly what you'd be trading before you apply.
This list covers accelerators realistically open to New Zealand founders, whether based in NZ or Australia. It doesn't include incubators, pre-accelerators, or self-paced learning programmes.
Last verified: June 2026.
How to read the table
Funding: Yes means the accelerator puts cash directly into your company for equity, before you've found any other investor.
Funding: No means the program is free or low-cost mentoring and support. Any investment comes later, from someone else, on separate terms.
All accelerators on this list are open to Kiwi founders regardless of where they're headquartered.
Accelerator | Headquartered in | What it is | Funding | Equity taken | Sector | Link |
Startmate | Australia | 12-week accelerator. Customer-validation focus, in-person weeks at start, mid-program, and Demo Day. | Yes, AUD $120,000 cash | Up to 8% (recent cohort: 7%) via SAFE at AUD $1.5M post-money cap on a first raise; matches prior round terms otherwise | Generalist | |
Sprout Accelerator | New Zealand | 3-month accelerator for agritech/foodtech, idea stage through post-launch. | No. Sprout's investment team may invest separately afterward, but that's not part of the accelerator. | 0% | AgTech / FoodTech | |
Aurora Climate Lab
(Creative HQ) | New Zealand | 12-week accelerator for pre-seed/seed climate startups. | Not publicly disclosed | Not disclosed | Climate Tech | |
Fintech Lab
(Creative HQ) | New Zealand | 12-week hybrid accelerator for fintech founders. Alumni include Sharesies and Hnry. | No, free to participate | 0% | FinTech | |
Founder Catalyst
(Ministry of Awesome) | New Zealand | 7-month program. 1:1 mentoring from a dedicated Entrepreneur-in-Residence. | No, free to participate | 0% | Generalist | |
Giants
(Blackbird) | Australia | Free mentoring program. 1:1 sessions, content modules, community access. | No, free to participate | 0% | Generalist | |
Foundry
(Blackbird) | Australia | 8-week program for researchers testing a science-led idea. No product or IP required. Alumni have gone on to Startmate and Y Combinator. | Yes, $1,000 non-dilutive per team, plus a $5,000 pitch prize | 0% | Deep Tech | |
Frontier
(AirTree) | Australia | Rolling residency, not a fixed cohort. Pre-idea founders welcome.No demo day; weekly in-person Fridays are the only structure. | Yes, $250,000 on an uncapped, no-discount SAFE | Variable, converts at your next priced round, not fixed upfront | Generalist | |
Gritworks | New Zealand | 11-week hardware accelerator for mountain bike product makers. Workshop space, trail-testing, demo day. First cohort October 2026. Based in Queenstown. | No cash investment. NZD $1,000 upfront cost to join. | 0%, plus 3% revenue share after NZD $80,000 cumulative revenue, capped at NZD $30,000 or 4 years | Hardware | |
Tupu Accelerator | New Zealand | 8-week accelerator for Māori founders. Wānanga plus weekly coaching, ending in a public showcase. | No, free to participate | 0% | Māori Entrepreneurship | |
Antler Australia | Australia | Backs founders from day zero, including pre-team and pre-idea. 5-week coaching period ending in an investment committee pitch. | Yes, AUD $260,000 cash, minus a $75,000 program fee | 12% | Generalist | |
Remarkable Tech
(Australia+) | Australia | 16-week accelerator for disability, health, or ageing tech. | Yes, AUD $100,000 cash | 5% | DisabilityTech | |
EnergyLab Climate Solutions Accelerator | Australia | Australia's largest climate tech accelerator, open to any stage. | Yes, AUD $80,000–$100,000 cash | At your last round's valuation, or AUD $1M pre-money default | Climate Tech | |
SparkLabs Cultiv8 | Australia | Global agtech/foodtech accelerator with the NSW Department of Primary Industries. | Not publicly disclosed | Not disclosed | AgTech / FoodTech | |
Founder Institute
(Australia NZ) | ANZ | ~15-week virtual program, structured sprints, leads to FI's Funding Lab and Virtual Demo Days. | No cash investment. $999 entrance fee. | Not disclosed | Generalist | |
Scale Up (Startup Queenstown Lakes) | New Zealand | Founder-initiated, not invitation-only. For Queenstown Lakes startups with an executable plan, growing beyond the founder, looking to raise Angel/VC funding of $250k+. | Not publicly disclosed | Not disclosed | Generalist | |
Remarkable Scaler | Australia | Direct investment for disability, health, or ageing tech at Seed to Series A. Rolling, not a fixed cohort; no disclosed milestone event. | Yes, minimum AUD $200,000 cash | Negotiated per deal, not fixed | DisabilityTech | |
REACH Australia & New Zealand | Australia | Proptech-specific growth accelerator. Monthly strategy calls, 1:1 mentorship, demo days. 2027 cohort applications open. | Not publicly disclosed | Not disclosed | PropTech |
Spotted something wrong, out of date, or missing from the NZ Startup Accelerators directory? Tell us here.
One rule: it has to be realistically open to NZ founders, wherever it's headquartered.
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