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Deep Tech
Industry Agnostic
Emoji Key
🚨 Upcoming deadline
👀 Not new, but noteworthy
💸 Paid event over $200
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What Founders Want — Free Startup Templates
Industry Agnostic
https://whatfounderswant.com/free-templates
55 execution documents covering company setup, team & HR, capital, and governance — organised by how New Zealand startups actually grow.
Built for founders who need to get oriented before paying for professional help.
Blackbird Foundry Roadshow
Deep Tech
Turn frontier research into a real startup with the Blackbird VC team’s free Lunch & Learn roadshow sessions for deep tech founders and researchers. Hosted in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin in the month of February.
🚨 Time-sensitive roadshow dates
Soda Inc — Business Fundamentals Online
Industry Agnostic
https://sodainc.learnworlds.com/
Short, practical online courses covering the fundamentals of building a business — from market validation and money matters to sales, brand, and legal basics. Courses from $49, or $245 for all six.
Use code WFW20 for 20% off.
Tuku Awhānau
Industry Agnostic
A free, culturally grounded online business support platform for founders and creatives at every stage — from exploring an idea to sustaining, growing, or scaling a pakihi. It offers short video content, practical tools and templates, and access to free coaching sessions covering the fundamentals of starting, marketing, and running a business.
Creative HQ — Founder Launch
Industry Agnostic
https://creativehq.co.nz/build-for-founders/founder-launch/
A free, self-paced online learning course for very early-stage founders who want structured guidance before joining an accelerator or raising capital.
👀 Startup Aotearoa
Industry Agnostic
A nationwide mentoring programme offering up to 10 free one-on-one sessions with experienced startup coaches. Designed to help early-stage founders pressure-test their thinking before over-investing time or money.
Strong fit for founders who are early, stuck, or unsure what actually matters next.
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Blackbird — Foundry (Cohort 6)
Deep Tech
https://www.blackbird.vc/foundry
An 8-week, idea-stage programme for researchers, engineers, and technical founders testing a science-led startup idea. Leave with a sharper thesis, a real plan for the next 12 months, early evidence you can build on and a network that takes your ambition seriously.
- Free to participate
- $1k non-dilutive capital per team
- $5k prize for the winning pitch
🚨 Applications close 25 February 2026.
Kiwibank — StartUp+ (with Ministry of Awesome)
Industry Agnostic
https://www.kiwibank.co.nz/about-us/community-partnerships/helping-kiwi-get-ahead/startups/
A pilot lending initiative for early-stage startups that don’t yet meet traditional bank criteria, designed around how startups actually grow.
- Progress-based borrowing up to $150k over two years, released as milestones are met
- Discounted interest rates, waived account fees, and tailored startup-aware banking support
- No equity taken — true non-dilutive capital for early stage startups
🚨 Pilot limited to startups associated with Ministry of Awesome and accepting expressions of interest.
KiwiNet Emerging Innovator Programme
Deep Tech
https://kiwinet.org.nz/EmergingInnovatorProgramme
A programme supporting Kiwi researchers to explore commercial pathways for their research, with funding and mentoring to build investor-ready capability.
- $10,000 project fund to test and validate a concept
- 1:1 commercial mentoring plus workshops on commercialisation and pitching
- Access to an Emerging Innovator peer and alumni community
🚨 February intake paperwork due 7 February, one of three intakes annually.
Researchers must be nominated via their tech-transfer/commercialisation office.
Angel Association New Zealand — AANZ Runway : Auckland 2026
Industry Agnostic
https://app.glueup.com/event/aanz-auckland-runway-145549/
A one-day event focused on early-stage fundraising realities. Designed for founders preparing to raise and investors active in the ecosystem. Includes practical sessions, live Q&A, and direct exposure to how angels think.
Great networking for founders considering raising angel investment.
🚨 Tuesday 10 March · Auckland
Startmate Accelerator
Industry Agnostic
https://www.startmate.com/accelerator/program
An industry-agnostic, cohort-based accelerator for early-stage founders focused on customers, traction, and fundraising.
- $120k investment with transparent terms
- Access to leading ANZ founders, operators, and mentors
- A strong fundraising platform with warm intros to angels and VCs
🚨 Applications close 10 May 2026 — register your interest.
👀 Hiraya Ventures
Industry Agnostic
https://www.hirayaventures.co.nz/
The family office and investment vehicle of Alliv Samson and Hengjie Wang, co-founders of Kami. Hiraya provides strategic capital and hands-on support grounded in firsthand experience scaling a global company from Aotearoa.
Operator-led, long-term, and founder-first in approach.
👀 Angel Diagnostics & Investment Clinic (ADI Clinic)
Industry Agnostic
A free clinic providing direct feedback from angel investors. Helps founders understand readiness, gaps, and next steps before approaching angels or raising a round.
Best for founders with a product in market who want to understand how angels think — without pitching blind.
👀 KiwiNet Spin-out Programme
Deep Tech
https://kiwinet.org.nz/SpinoutProgramme#
A programme designed to turn research projects into investible spin-out companies, supporting teams from tech transfer through to capital raising. Provides structure, mentoring, and access to partners and investors to build commercial focus and founder capability.
Open to projects from KiwiNet partner research organisations with board support and a defined commercial lead.
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BlueStart Aotearoa
Deep Tech
https://www.ocean-impact.org/bluestart-aotearoa
A startup support programme for early-stage founders building Blue Economy ventures with global ambition. The programme combines expert-led masterclasses, peer founder support, 1:1 advisory access, and visibility through showcases and spotlights.
🚨 Applications now open.
Creative HQ — Aurora Climate Lab 2026
Deep Tech
A 12-week climate-tech accelerator for pre-seed and seed startups tackling emissions reduction or climate impact. Successful teams may access up to $50k investment alongside deep industry and investor support.
🚨 Applications close 23 February 2026.
EnergyLab Scaleup Program
Deep Tech
https://energylab.org.au/programs/scaleup/
A virtual scaleup programme bringing late-stage energy startups together with established energy companies to deploy new solutions and unlock the next phase of growth. Designed for founders ready to commercialise, partner with industry, and expand across Australia and New Zealand.
🚨 Applications close 2 March 2026.
Ministry of Awesome — Founder Catalyst
Industry Agnostic
https://ministryofawesome.com/founders_founder-catalyst/
A 9-month, industry-agnostic founder programme focused on customer understanding, traction, and growth. Founders work with a dedicated entrepreneur-in-residence to plan strategy, build networks, and move toward sustainable revenue.
🚨 Applications close 29 March 2026.
Tupu Accelerator
Industry Agnostic
A kaupapa Māori business accelerator supporting pakihi through an intensive 8–16 week programme focused on customer validation, commercialisation, and preparing to raise capital. Delivered through in-person wānanga, weekly online hui, and one-to-one coaching, the programme culminates in a live showcase pitch to investors, partners, and supporters.
🚨 Applications open 24 February and close 20 March 2026.
Electrify Aotearoa
Industry Agnostic
https://electrifyaotearoa.co.nz/
A two-day event focused on accelerating women-led ventures through learning, connection, and practical insight from founders and operators who have built real companies.
🚨 9–10 June 2026 · Auckland
💸 Paid event over $200
NZ Hi-Tech Awards
Industry Agnostic
Entries are open for New Zealand’s flagship technology awards, spanning startups, scale-ups, deep tech, and innovation leadership. This is a credibility and visibility lever for companies ready to be benchmarked publicly.
🚨 Entries close 5pm, 2 March 2026.
NZ Hi-Tech Awards Gala Dinner
Industry Agnostic
Tickets open for NZ Hi-Tech Awards Gala as it brings the sector together to celebrate the 2026 finalists, winners, and Flying Kiwis.
🚨 22 May 2026 · Auckland
💸 Paid event over $200
👀 The Fractional Directory
Industry Agnostic
https://www.fractional.directory/
A searchable directory helping founders and CEOs find and hire fractional leadership talent across New Zealand, Singapore, and parts of Australia. It maps publicly operating fractional leaders to give companies visibility into experienced, outcome-focused operators without relying on closed networks or curated marketplaces.
Standout Regional Opportunities
Startup Dunedin — Micro-Grants
Industry Agnostic
https://www.startupdunedin.nz/microgrants
Small, non-dilutive grants ($500–$2,000) to help Dunedin-based founders run experiments — prototypes, trials, MVPs, equipment, or customer testing. Designed to fund learning, not polish.
🚨 Applications close 9 February 2026 at 10am.
Ministry of Awesome — Coffee and Jam
Industry Agnostic
https://ministryofawesome.com/coffee-and-jam/
A recurring monthly lunchtime meetup bringing the Ōtautahi (Christchurch) startup community together for connection and learning over food and coffee. Informal, founder-led, and early-stage friendly.
Circular Economy Hackathon
Deep Tech
https://manawatunz.co.nz/events/circular-economy-hackathon/
A 24-hour hackathon focused on a real-world circular economy challenge: finding innovative ways to repurpose 97 retired fibreglass wind turbine housings from New Zealand’s first large-scale wind farms.
Open to designers, engineers, students, businesses, and curious problem-solvers interested in sustainability, materials, and applied innovation.
- $3,000 prize pool sponsored by Meridian Energy
🚨 27–28 February 2026 · Feilding