Hey everybody,
TechWeek is close! I’m feeling the buzz already. This sure does seem like a good occasion to put on a WellyForge show 🤔 TechWeek is a great celebration of innovation, and we want to highlight the science → innovation track. Let us know if you are interested in supporting this theme by sponsoring the show, or if you have a speaker you’re dying to see on the Undercurrent stage🎙 We’re scrambling to make it happen, let’s see if it all comes together in time.
Innovation people of all stripes, don’t forget about MBIE’s science & tech reforms webinar on Apr 16. There will be Q&A so let’s figure out how the funding rejig will affect researchers and tech firms.
Also welcome Upwego Digital to the Wellington Innovation Ecosystem map! And it’s officially Hnry Stadium! What a huge marker for the tech community 🥳
Rule #1 - Celebrate the Wins
Sharesies surpasses one million customers #needDrEvilEmoji. So established is our homegrown wealth-tech that it is the go-to source for Scoop to study market resilience.
PikPok hauls three Nyx Game Awards home 👾
COUNT has been on the Ecosystem map for a while, but we hadn’t featured this profile by CreativeHQ.
If you’re feeling warm it may well be thanks to Dr Ian Cox-Smith and 30 years of research at BRANZ 🙏
BioOra partners with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center to evaluate their Atla-cel product in a paediatric setting.
Rule #2 - Understand Your Environment
Understand the fault lines under our feet, in our natural environment with 3D mapping by Earth Sciences NZ.
Global conflict is squeezing the services sector according to the latest BNZ Performance of Services Index, which relates closely to our local hospitality and tech services. I know we’re all specialty coffee hipsters (no? just me?) but go buy a
pour-overflattie this week.NZ’s science reforms all shell, no substance writes Vic Lecturer Dr Seohee Ashley Park on Newsroom (free article).
There’s a lot of good links for InfoSec people in Micheal Tsai’s account of Anthropic’s Mythos and Glasswing.
Airbridge manufacturer locks in supplies, contracts to ride out disruption.
There are ethical ways to integrate AI into UX research, according to this Optimal Workshop report. There is an associated webinar as well.
Rule #3 - Nothing Falls Thru The Gaps
Cogo headlining WCC’s Climate Festival 2026 with Electrify Pōneke 🔌
EdTech New Zealand represents Aotearoa at UNESCO meeting.
A concise writeup about the rollout of Heidi, healthcare scribe.
What does it mean for Gov to default to a specific AI tool?
The Post imagines a Wellington beyond the public service (paywall).
We featured this already, but the TechNZ manifesto officially launched.
If you are embarking on The Hunt for Gollum, you’re doing so in Wellington, New Zealand, thankYouVeryMuch! 🐉
Sigurd Magnusson of Silverstripe on the Morgo Podcast.
Entries for the One Minute AI Film Festival are due 24 April.
Submit your company, service, gig to the WFW Startup Service Providers Directory—like, now, man! Last chance.
Reminders:
Two and a bit days left: KiwiNet Research Commercialization Awards for 2026 are open to April 17th.
Applications to MBIE’s New Zealand–China Strategic Research Alliance 2026 round open on 4 May.
Rule #4 - Get Inspired, Meet the Locals
Highlighted entries are new from last week.
Coming week:
Thu Apr 16th, 2pm, FinTech Festival, Shed 6, celebrate the founders graduating from Fintech Lab 2026.
Fri Apr 17th, 11am, eDNA Insights: A Workflow for Interpreting Complex Biodiversity Data by Wilderlab, online.
Mon Apr 20th, 10–4.30pm, Governing for Growth, run by the Angel Association.
Tue, Apr 21st, 2–3pm, What can AI do about Landslides, Flooding and Earthquakes? at Massey an online—register here.
Tue, Apr 21st, 5–8:30pm, Cracking the U.S. Market with TaxStudio and Studio Leonelli.
Wed, Apr 22nd, 12.30–1.30pm, Bots On The Front Line - How automation is easing the pressure in healthcare, online.
Wed, Apr 22nd, 5.30—7.30pm, After 5 with Hnry Stadium, by the Chamber of Commerce.
Thu, Apr 23rd, 4.30–7pm, Growing junior tech talent in the age of AI by NZ Tech Rally and Summer of Tech at Creative HQ.
Coming eight weeks:
Wed Apr 29th, 5–7:30pm, Aurora Climate Lab launch at Creative HQ.
Thu Apr 30th, 5pm, Network on Your Terms by Powrsuit and Wāhine Fuelled Tech.
Sat May 2nd, TEDxVUW, with a theme of THRESHOLD, hosted at Victoria in Kelburn. Just a few tickets left!
Fri 1st to Sun 3rd May, VESA Hackathon at The Atom.
Wed May 6th, AI and Creativity Summit, Wellington edition at Datacom.
May 7th–8th, ANZ Digital Twin 2026 somewhere in Wellington.
Tue, May 12th, Digital Health Leadership Forum at the InterContinental.
Wed May 14th, 5:15–7:30pm, AI for Good New Zealand at The Atom—Interested in speaking? Register your interest here.
Fri May 15th, NZ Tech Rally brings all devs together at Tākina.
Mon 18th to Sun 24th May, Techweek26 all over Welly.
Tue May 19th, 12–6pm, Hutt Valley Manufacturing & Innovation Expo.
The May 21st, 2–7pm, Movac Growth Jam Epic Fails Edition at Public Trust Hall.
Recurring events:
The Atom at Victoria is open for any unfunded Founders (Students, Early Stage, Idea Stage) and is run by Entrepreneur in Residence, Parisa Shademan - Email [email protected], or join the Facebook community.
Mondays 8–9am, Atom - Founder Mentoring ON-LINE
Weds 12–1pm, Atom - Founder Support Drop-In Hour
Thursdays (every other), 26th Mar 8am, Kapiti Start-Up Network Meet-Ups
Fridays (every other), 27th Mar 5pm, Founders Meet Up at Southern Cross hosted by Jack Shennan, Alistair St Pierre and Adiraj Gupta.