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Built for: first-time founders, Series A builders, and global founders scaling into NZ.
Why this page exists:
This is your map to the active players in the NZ startup ecosystem. From founder communities to accelerators, from government programs to commercialisation offices, this directory helps you find who’s building, funding, and growing startups across Aotearoa.
The fastest way to access NZ’s startup support organisations and playbooks without building your own tracker.
Quick Navigation →
- New Zealand Support Orgs, Mapped
- Pitch Decks & Fundraising Insights
- R&D Tax Credit Guide
- Startup Playbooks: Fundraising, GTM, Hiring
- Curated Reading List: Tools, Guides & Founder Content
1. New Zealand Support Orgs, Mapped 🇳🇿
What you’ll learn:
Stay current with the latest updates, events, funding announcements, support and ecosystem maps across the New Zealand startup landscape.
🇳🇿 News & Insights from New Zealand
AANZ — News
https://www.angelassociation.co.nz/news/
Updates and insights from New Zealand’s national angel investment network.
CID — News
https://www.cid.org.nz/connect/news/
Development and impact news from the Council for International Development NZ.
GEN NZ — News & Updates
https://www.genglobal.org/news/622
Global Entrepreneurship Network NZ, with news on entrepreneurship and ecosystem growth.
Startup Dunedin — Newsletter
https://www.startupdunedin.nz/newsletter
Ecosystem updates, founder stories, and local news from the Dunedin startup community.
Caffeine Daily — NZ Startup News
Curated stories on innovation, tech, and entrepreneurship in New Zealand.
TechStars Startup Digest New Zealand
https://read.letterhead.email/techstars-new-zealand
Curated weekly newsletter highlighting key startup events, opportunities, and ecosystem news across Aotearoa.
NZ Entrepreneur
An online magazine dedicated to New Zealand’s startup and SME ecosystem, providing founder stories, business insights, and practical advice to support entrepreneurial growth.
BusinessDesk — Startups
https://businessdesk.co.nz/startups
Latest startup news and investment trends in New Zealand.
Diaspora.nz
A podcast and platform profiling the founders, innovators, and emerging leaders of the global Kiwi expat community.
StartupDaily — ANZ Ecosystem Coverage
News, insights, and stories from the Australia and New Zealand tech ecosystem.
Building NZ Fintechs: A Guide for Kiwi Startup Founders
https://creativehq.co.nz/building-nz-fintech-guide-2025/
A tactical guide by Creative HQ, co-developed with Aotearoa’s fintech community. Offering practical insights on validating problems, navigating regulations, launching MVPs, and scaling fintech ventures in New Zealand.
Mahesh Muralidhar – Startup Insights Substack
Founder of Phase One Ventures and early Canva operator, Mahesh shares tactical insights on building, fundraising, and scaling NZ startups.
https://maheshakl.substack.com/
Dave Moskovitz — EdTech News Clippings
Curated EdTech news from one of New Zealand’s most active angel investors and startup mentors, with a focus on global trends, founder insights, and local ecosystem updates.
Another FKA Friday
Weekly updates from Flying Kiwi Angels featuring startup insights, open investment rounds, and candid commentary from one of NZ’s most active angel groups.
The Funding Files
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-funding-files/
https://open.spotify.com/show/13cKDug0SNJW5M4j8FfgvD?si=5bb1d18e4b4a4c91
Exploring the highs, lows and cashflows of funding a business in Aotearoa New Zealand. From the founder of NZ crowdfunding market leader, PledgeMe.
Startup Theatre Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/2lHcB1e71ZLXAFsMPKjyoG
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/startup-theatre-podcast/id1659155195
The Startup Theatre Podcast explores bold startup stories and founder insights at the intersection of innovation, risk, and real-world execution.
APAC Innovator Podcast
https://www.apacinnovator.com/
A podcast showcasing in-depth conversations with tech founders across the Asia-Pacific region, offering firsthand insights into startup journeys, challenges, and strategies for success.
Wild Hearts Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/4xiZ9bttbLDWhS9HDX03S3
https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/wild-hearts/id1645936896
Blackbird Ventures’ Wild Hearts reveals the real-time lessons from the founders and operators changing the world.
Top 10 in Tech: A Weekly SaaS Newsletter
Essential insights and strategies for operators in B2B SaaS companies. A selection of curated SaaS and Tech insight from around the web repackaged for people to put to good use.
🇳🇿 Events & Community Calendars
🪩 Events in Aotearoa — Ecosystem Calendar
Managed by Pauli Sosa, this Google spreadsheet is the closest you’ll find to a single source of startup event and networking truth in Aotearoa New Zealand.
AANZ — Events
https://www.angelassociation.co.nz/aanz-events/
Angel investor events and ecosystem meetups from AANZ.
Ministry of Awesome — Events
https://ministryofawesome.com/events/
Workshops, founder meetups, and startup ecosystem events.
GridAKL — Events
Startup events and networking opportunities in Auckland.
Eventbrite NZ — Startup Events
https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/d/new-zealand--auckland/startup/
Discover startup events happening across New Zealand.
Auckland Business Chamber — Events
https://aucklandchamber.co.nz/events/
Business-focused events and networking opportunities in Auckland.
Overnight Success — Startup Events Calendar
https://www.overnightsuccess.vc/startup-events/calendar
A curated calendar of Aussie and NZ startup ecosystem events.
🇳🇿 Ecosystem Maps & Networks
🗺️ Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Tech Ecosystem Directory
Managed by Pauli Sosa. A structured founder journey map and ecosystem directory for startups in Auckland, New Zealand. It outlines key support pathways across four stages — Dream, Create, Grow, and Scale Up — and connects founders to relevant tools, events, and partners at each stage. It includes local co-working spaces, legal and funding resources, co-founder matching, acceleration programs, and more — acting as a practical, stage-based roadmap for building and scaling startups in Aotearoa.
Mum's Garage — NZ Startup Ecosystem Map
Visual map of accelerators, support networks, and resources for NZ founders.
https://www.mumsgarage.com/new-zealand-startup-ecosystem-map/
Startup Dunedin — Ecosystem Map
https://www.startupdunedin.nz/where-to-access-support
Map of support organisations and startup resources in Dunedin.
Startup Aotearoa — Support Explorer
https://startupaotearoa.org/support-explorer/
A searchable directory of NZ startup support organisations, funding programs, and ecosystem connections.
🇳🇿 Community Groups & Forums
☕️ Hosted by Founders and side hustlers: meet other Aucklanders building businesses, startups, and ideas from the ground up. Casual, founder-friendly meetup at Gillis Café. Details here: https://www.meetup.com/freelancers-contractors-hub-connect-collaborate-grow/events/307466045/
Meetup — Startup Businesses in NZ
https://www.meetup.com/topics/startup-businesses/nz/
Find startup-related Meetup groups across New Zealand.
NZ Tech Startups — Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NewZealandtechstartups/
Community group for NZ tech founders and startup operators.
EdTech Jobs NZ — Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/edtechjobsnz
Job postings and hiring network for EdTech startups in New Zealand.
kiwiSaaS — NZ SaaS Community
An industry-led community connecting nearly 4,000 SaaS professionals across Aotearoa, fostering knowledge exchange and accelerating the growth of New Zealand's SaaS sector.
Tech Marketers Group (TMG)
A national community supporting marketers in SaaS or B2B tech companies, offering shared resources, mentoring, workshops, and conferences.
GEN NZ — Global Entrepreneurship Network New Zealand
https://www.genglobal.org/news/622
Connecting Kiwi entrepreneurs to a global network, with events, resources, and ecosystem insights.
Startup Grind Auckland
https://www.startupgrind.com/auckland/
Global entrepreneur community chapter hosting regular Auckland founder meetups and fireside chats.
CoFounder.nz — Find Co-Founders in NZ
Connect with potential co-founders, early hires, and investors inside the NZ startup ecosystem.
GirlBoss New Zealand
Empowering young women in entrepreneurship, leadership, and STEM across Aotearoa.
🇳🇿 Startup Innovation Hubs, by Region
🎓 Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) – University of Auckland
https://www.cie.auckland.ac.nz
Who it’s for: University of Auckland students and staff across all faculties (Waipapa Taumata Rau). Turning ideas → MVPs → Seed-ready startups.
What you’ll get: A free suite of startup programmes, events, and incubators — from early ideation to venture scaling. Includes co-working space, startup grants, product development sprints, and tailored Māori and Pasifika initiatives.
Highlights:
- Venture Lab – Six-month incubator for early-stage startups
- Start-up Studio – On-campus co-working for active founders
- Velocity $100k Challenge – NZ’s leading university startup competition
- Kurutao & Pasifika Talanoa – Entrepreneurial pathways for Māori and Pacific innovators
- Summer Lab – UN-inspired summer startup sprint
- Ignite Innovation – Turn ideas into real ventures (no prior experience needed)
- Start-up Interns – Paid internship placements in venture-backed startups
- Solve It – Real-world innovation challenge with NZ companies
- Vanguard Expedition – Study tour to Silicon Valley + Stanford
Northland Inc — Northland Innovation Hub
https://northlandnz.com/business/
Northland Inc supports startups and businesses through funding, mentoring, and regional growth initiatives.
Creative HQ — Wellington
Wellington’s leading startup hub with accelerators, founder programs, and community events.
The Atom — Te Kahu o Te Ao — Victoria University of Wellington
https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/innovation/the-atom
An innovation space at Victoria University supporting student entrepreneurs through events, mentorship, and collaborative opportunities.
GridAKL — Auckland Innovation Hub
Auckland’s innovation precinct offering coworking, startup events, and community programs.
Soda Inc — Waikato Innovation Hub
Startup incubator and growth ecosystem in Hamilton, supporting founders with programs and access to investors.
Priority One — Bay of Plenty
https://www.priorityone.co.nz/
Western Bay of Plenty’s economic development agency supporting innovation and startup growth.
Te Ōhaka – Center for Growth & Innovation
Christchurch’s startup incubator, supporting high-growth companies with founder-first programs.
Startup Dunedin
https://www.startupdunedin.nz/
Dunedin’s entrepreneurial hub providing founder support, programs, and ecosystem connections.
Startup Queenstown
https://www.startupqueenstownlakes.com/
Startup Queenstown Lakes supports founders across the Queenstown Lakes District with programs, mentorship, and resources to launch and scale innovative ventures.
Doso — Taranaki
Building and growing a strong, inclusive & connected entrepreneurial ecosystem in Taranaki, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Venture Taranaki
Regional development agency providing startup support, mentoring, and funding pathways.
The Factory — Palmerston North
https://www.thefactorynz.co.nz/
Startup incubator and investor network in Palmerston North, focused on founder growth.
🇳🇿 Deep Tech Innovation Hubs & Commercialisation Departments
Outset Ventures — Launchpad for NZ’s Deep Tech Startups
Outset Ventures offers specialized lab and prototyping facilities for deep-tech and hardware startups, alongside early- to growth-stage investment for science-led ventures. Founded by the first wave of Kiwi innovators in deep tech. Founders can access physical infrastructure, expert support, and capital under one roof, making it a launchpad for NZ-based deep tech startups.
KiwiNet — Kiwi Innovation Network
KiwiNet connects cutting-edge research with commercialisation support, helping science-backed startups access funding, expertise, and pathways to market across Aotearoa.
AUT Ventures — Auckland University of Technology
https://www.aut.ac.nz/ventures
AUT’s commercialisation arm, connecting research with global partners, startups, and investors.
UniServices — University of Auckland
https://www.uniservices.co.nz/
University of Auckland’s research commercialisation arm, advancing innovations from lab to market globally.
Return On Science — University of Auckland (Investment Committees)
https://www.returnonscience.co.nz/
National research commercialisation program connecting science and technology with commercialisation expertise and investment.
WaikatoLink — University of Waikato
https://www.waikatolink.co.nz/
The commercialisation company of the University of Waikato, bridging research with business to create impact-driven ventures.
Massey Ventures — Massey University
https://www.masseyventures.co.nz/
Supports the commercialisation of Massey University’s research, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
Lincoln Agritech — Lincoln University
https://www.lincolnagritech.co.nz/
A research and development company owned by Lincoln University, focusing on innovative solutions in agriculture and environmental sciences.
Wellington UniVentures — Victoria University of Wellington
https://www.wellingtonuniventures.nz/
The university's commercialisation office, working with researchers to advance ground-breaking ideas and inventions.
Center for Entrepreneurship (UCE) — University of Canterbury
Offers programs like the Summer Startup Program to help students transform ideas into impactful ventures.
Research and Enterprise — University of Otago
Facilitates the translation of research discoveries into beneficial products and services.
2. Pitch Decks & Fundraising Insights
What you’ll learn:
What works in NZ fundraising today. Decks, signals, rejections, and trusted global patterns.
🇳🇿 NZ Focused
🌳 Airtree Ventures — Open Source VC
https://www.airtree.vc/open-source-vc
Pitch templates, grant lists, and fundraising insights from a top ANZ early-stage fund.
Founder VC – Fundraising, Unfiltered Blog Series
No-spin insights from inside the fundraising room, built to decode the patterns, pitch fails, and funding signals NZ founders actually face — with tactical checklists, narrative builders, and investor truth serum.
Fundraising Debug Checklist
https://foundervc.org/blog/fundraising-debug-checklist
Pre-send checklist to catch mistakes before investors do.
Hidden Data Driving VC Rejections
https://foundervc.org/blog/the-hidden-data-driving-vc-rejections
Understand hidden red flags that cause instant rejections.
Visible.vc — Guide to Startup Funding NZ
https://visible.vc/blog/top-vcs-in-new-zealand/
Overview of VCs and fundraising dynamics in NZ.
Enterprise Angels – Founder Resources
https://www.enterpriseangels.co.nz/raise/founder-resources/
A curated portal offering tools for capital raising, pitch preparation, investor engagement, and founder wellbeing, including legal, compliance, and digital skills support.
Icehouse Ventures – Pitch Deck Best Practice (PDF)
https://raise.icehouseventures.co.nz/hubfs/IV%20Pitch%20Deck%20Best%20Practice.pdf
Step-by-step guide to building a high-quality investor pitch deck used by top NZ founders.
Icehouse Ventures – How to Raise $10M in 2025
https://resources.icehouseventures.co.nz/blog/how-to-raise-10m-in-2025
Insights on momentum, investor strategy, and pitching in 2025’s market.
🌍 Global Best Practice
Sequoia Capital — Writing a Business Plan
https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/writing-a-business-plan/
Sequoia’s no-nonsense business plan framework.
Y Combinator — A Guide to Seed Fundraising
https://www.ycombinator.com/library/topics/fundraising
Templates and tactics from YC alumni for early rounds.
TechCrunch — Science of Pitch Decks
https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/22/science-of-pitch-decks/
What data tells us about investor behavior on decks.
Fifty Years — Spinout Playbook for Scientists
https://www.fiftyyears.com/spinout
A practical, step-by-step playbook for scientists and researchers looking to commercialize breakthrough research into venture-backed startups. Focused on deep-tech and university spinouts.
Optional: Investor Psychology
Visible.vc — Fundraising Blog
https://visible.vc/blog/category/fundraising/
Understanding investor motivations and objections.
Founder VC- What VCs Really Think of Your Startup
https://foundervc.org/blog/what-vcs-really-think-of-your-startup
Understand the key criteria venture capitalists use to evaluate startups, broken down by type of business or vertical (B2B SaaS, D2C, Deep Tech).
3. R&D Tax Credit Guide for NZ Startups
What you’ll learn:
Eligibility, claim steps, and how to maximize your R&D credits in New Zealand.
🇳🇿 NZ Focused
Inland Revenue — Claiming R&D Tax Credits
https://www.ird.govt.nz/research-and-development/tax-incentive/claiming
Official NZ government guide for claiming credits.
MBIE — R&D Tax Incentive
How the scheme works and eligibility criteria.
Inland Revenue — Guidance PDF
Detailed IRD guidance for claiming R&D credits.
Inland Revenue — Eligible Expenditure
https://www.ird.govt.nz/research-and-development/tax-incentive/eligibility/eligible-expenditure
What counts as eligible spend under NZ’s scheme.
PwC NZ — R&D Tax Incentives
https://www.pwc.co.nz/services/tax/research-and-development.html
NZ-specific breakdown from a leading advisory firm.
4. Startup Playbooks: Fundraising, GTM, Hiring
What you’ll learn:
Go-to-market strategy, hiring first teams, and preparing your business for scale.
🇳🇿 NZ Focused
Founder VC — Pitch Deck Templates (DeepTech, D2C, SaaS)
https://foundervc.org/blog/deep-tech-pitch-deck-template
Templates tailored for different NZ startup business models.
Te Ōhaka — Startup Resources
https://teohaka.co.nz/startup-resources/
Christchurch incubator’s startup tools and playbooks.
My Startup Gig — Hiring Playbook for ANZ
https://www.mystartupgig.com/blog/hiring-playbook-for-early-stage-startups
Step-by-step hiring playbook for ANZ founders.
MoneyHub — Hiring for a Startup
https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/hiring-for-a-start-up.html
Hiring essentials for NZ startups.
University of Auckland — Sector Trends
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/01/15/8-trends-will-shape-the-startup-sector-in-2025.html
Sector trends that will shape NZ startups in 2025.
🌍 Global Best Practice
First Round Review — Early-Stage Sales Playbook
https://review.firstround.com/this-is-how-you-build-an-early-stage-sales-playbook
Sales playbook for early-stage go-to-market.
Stage 2 Capital — Go-To-Market Playbook
Structuring your GTM funnel.
Y Combinator — Startup School
https://www.startupschool.org/
Learn how to start a company, with help from the world's top startup accelerator - Y Combinator.
Lean Labs — Go-To-Market Strategy
https://www.leanlabs.com/blog/go-to-market-strategy-for-startups
GTM strategy playbook for new product launches.
5. Curated Reading List: Tools, Guides & Founder Content
What you’ll learn:
Toolkits, operational guides, and startup law basics — NZ and globally.
🇳🇿 NZ Focused
Founder Institute — NZ Startup Resource List
Comprehensive NZ startup resource directory.
🌍 Global Best Practice
Y Combinator — Startup Library
https://www.ycombinator.com/library
YC’s full startup playbook.
First Round Review — Best Founder Reads
https://review.firstround.com/
Curated reads from successful founders and operators.
TechCrunch — Global Startup Coverage
https://techcrunch.com/startups/
Startup news and global ecosystem insights.
Lenny’s Newsletter — Scaling Advice
https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/
Growth tactics from global SaaS and marketplace leaders.
What Founders Want — NZ startup tools, templates, grants & funding in one place
Pages — Start a Startup · Government Support · Get Funded · Accelerators · Templates · Perks · Tools · NZ Startup Ecosystem Directory · Editorial Contributors
Know something we don’t? Submit an update or share feedback