Hey everybody,
🏆 It really feels like the Startup World Cup was the Welly show this year. I missed a bunch of finalists in last week’s letter, we had SIX! As always I’m amazed by the variety of innovation that comes from our cool little town. Also, I stopped by GEN NZ this week, where all this ingenuity was in full display. Thank you all for the appreciation that you show to WellyForge in these events! It means a lot to this ragtag group of volunteers 😊 It’s dead easy to cheer for you all!
🗓 Book your spot for WellyForge #10! Access code: WFN20260923.
This show is sponsored by Paihau–Robinson Research Institute and the Gracefield Innovation Quarter. Our speakers will blow your minds with hydrogen iron-making and quantum computing hardware, all being developed locally.
This will be our first collaboration with Chiasma: The link in science enterprise. Chiasma does a fantastic job of introducing science and engineering students to industry, so we invite companies that employ technically skilled people to come along and meet emerging talent in the region.
Rule #1 - Celebrate the Wins
Congratulations to Neumic Therapeutics for winning Startup World Cup NZ! True, they are listed as based in Dunedin, but it was cofounded by our very own Ralph Highnam, one of Welly’s biggest community advocates 👏
Big ups to Vic researchers Fernando Solís Fernandez (of WellyForge #7 fame) and Wanting Jiao, who have both been selected for the 29th cohort of the KiwiNet Emerging Innovator Programme to bridge the gap from lab to market 🧑🔬
Wellington fintech Feijoa has closed its first capital raise 🍾 banking $925,000 from local investors! A brilliant milestone for Kiwi consumer fintech!
Rule #2 - Understand Your Environment
Newly minted Quantum and Photonics New Zealand has released its Manifesto. The gist is that we are world-class on the academic side, but transforming into commercial value requires support at the system level, rather than disjointed research grants.
The science funding debacle hit mainstream TV news this week: the science sector spent its lunch hour watching politicians riff about its future shape and design under duress is Peter Griffin’s summary. It’s an election year alright, so Creative HQ is hosting an Innovation Election Debate at Parliament’s Legislative Chamber on 23 September.
I had the pleasure of representing WellyForge at GEN NZ this week. The workshop on revitalising the Welly ecosystem covered so many good topics and I will try to write it all up when the jet lag lets me. For now, two quick thoughts:
Ecosystems and vibes change, that much is inevitable. Different is obviously not worse, but the loss of a good thing can seem like a herald of demise, even if it is replaced by something else. One note that I’ve taken is to communicate all the good stuff to as many people as we can. Vibes matter!
The need to recycle early investment gains. The contention from the panel was that Kiwis are not overly familiar with the idea of reinvesting those gains into the ecosystem, easier to just “buy that house in Greytown” instead and conform to our wider societal norms.
On a wider scale, Dave Mosk’s summary of the IPO isn't what it used to be by US-based investor Donna Harris notes that participation is shifting to bigger players to start with.
RNZ is beginning to realise it’s not all doom and gloom in Welly! Wellington business owners are cautiously optimistic that the tide is turning features Welly Chamber CEO Hayley Horan, who highlights a resilient spirit across the region. As the public sector stabilises, our commercial and tech engines are poised to power the rebound.
Rule #3 - Nothing Falls Thru The Gaps
For early-stage founders navigating this terrain, Michael Batko has mapped out the full playbook on how to raise a seed round in NZ over a 12-month runway.
More coverage on Neumic: Neumic Therapeutics targets a US$155m market with non-invasive brain therapies.
Having been blocked by the judiciary from charging applicants $100k for a (H1-B) tech visa, the US government is instead proposing a $100k fee for employers to foot. Wows, subtle. This is another yuge opportunity for us to redirect a chunk of this tech talent to our shores. Billboard campaign in San Fransisco? 🤔
Nominations are open for the IoT Forum Executive Council 2026 across Corporate, SME & Start-up, Government, and Education seats. If you’re an IoT Forum member looking to shape NZ's connected technology agenda, get your nomination in by 31 August.
Rule #4 - Get Inspired, Meet the Locals
Highlighted entries are new from last week.
Coming week:
Thu, Aug 27th, 5:30–9pm, AI in Large Organisations + Student Innovation Showcase, super-sizes the monthly AI Engineering meetup.
Coming eight weeks:
Wed, Sep 2nd, 7–8:30am, Welly Chamber hosts An hour with the Prime Minister
Wed, Sep 2nd, 5:15–7:30pm, Own your AI: Make AI-powered products built on custom and small LLMs by Wellington AI at Creative HQ.
Thu, Sep 3rd, 5:30–6:30pm, Building from scratch: How materials science is decarbonising the world is the inaugural lecture of incoming VUW Prof Franck Natali.
3–4 Sep, Association for Women in the Sciences triennial conference at VUW (Hunter Council Chambers, that’s the very fancy room!)
Fri, Sep 4th, 9am–12pm, Supercharge your Business Productivity with AI.
Fri, Sep 4th, 4–5:30pm, The AI-driven future of biotechnology in New Zealand at AI and Society.
8–9 Sep, Aotearoa AI Summit at Tākina.
Fri, Sep 11th, 4–5:30pm, All the time in the world: AI-driven computation hones lab work and frees human hands and brains for creative work at AI and Society. By yours truly.
Mon, Sep 14th, 5–7pm, Summer of Tech Intern Job Fair at Hnry Stadium ✨
Wed, Sep 23rd, 5–7:30pm, The 2026 Innovation Election Debate, hosted by Creative HQ at the Beehive.
Thu, Sep 24th, SaaSpocalypse Now at Hnry Stadium, Aotearoa’s premier SaaS gathering, hosted by KiwiSaaS.
Tue, Aug 25th, 5:30–7:30pm, Searching for Life Beyond Earth: Lessons from Antarctica 🥶
Much later:
30–31 Oct, Kawaiicon 4 at the Michael Fowler Centre no less.
Fri, May 7th 2027, NZ Tech Rally on a Super Early Bird launch.
Recurring events:
The Atom at Victoria is open for any unfunded Founders (Students, Early Stage, Idea Stage) and is run by Tania Jones, with entrepreneurs in Residence, Parisa Shademan, Jack Shennan, and Alistair St Pierre and investors in residence Dave Moskovitz, Aaron Scott + Ralph Highnam. Email or join the Facebook community.
Mondays 8–9am, Atom Founder Mentoring online.
Weds 12–1pm, Atom Founder Support drop-in hour.
Thursdays (every other) at 8am, Kapiti Start-Up Network meetups.
Fridays (every other) at 5pm, Wellington ENTrepreneur meetup at Southern Cross.