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Filling the early-stage business funding gap

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

FinanceSeptember 29, 2026

Finding the right funding for any business is never easy, but if you are the founder of an early-stage business pursuing a new, or perhaps untested, market the challenges are particularly complex. But, as Kiwibank’s General Manager of Business Banking Rod Morris tells NZBusiness, Kiwibank has stepped up to change the game for early-stage business founders with its new funding pathway, built to unlock opportunity and foster sustainable business growth.

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

FinanceSeptember 29, 2026

Finding the right funding for any business is never easy, but if you are the founder of an early-stage business pursuing a new, or perhaps untested, market the challenges are particularly complex. But, as Kiwibank’s General Manager of Business Banking Rod Morris tells NZBusiness, Kiwibank has stepped up to change the game for early-stage business founders with its new funding pathway, built to unlock opportunity and foster sustainable business growth.

Growth by digital design

Digital MarketingAugust 27, 2026

Two years after leaving corporate life, Josh Burgisser built Burgs Digital into a full-stack marketing agency. He talks to David Nothling-Demmer about the attention economy, why video isn’t optional for small businesses showing up online, and convincing his own father to become a client.

Small goals, global ambition

Kiwi innovation meets smart marketing. Telescopicgoal is transforming the way football is played and trained around the world, all with a clever, adjustable aluminium goal and a creative, targeted approach to reaching customers.

Hospitality with heart

Taupō’s The Cozy Corner isn’t just a café, it’s a community hub where inclusivity, wellness, and sustainability meet. With a menu that caters to every dietary need, a great team culture, and a commitment to values-driven business, owner Camilla Baker has built an eco-friendly café that sets the standard for hospitality with heart.

Turning personal experience into purpose

Keynote speaker, educator, author, recording artist and Solo Meo Award winner Julia Grace, has turned her mental health journey into inspiring talks, workshops, and performances across New Zealand and beyond. She’s also made a success of being an entrepreneur in the process.

Glow and grow

Turning a dreaded parenting challenge into a science-powered solution, ISpy Nits is making head lice detection accurate, stigma-free, and even fun for kids, and in the process earning Kate Ricketts a well-deserved David Award.

Complexity isn’t going away. New Zealand businesses need to get better at managing it

Eric Clark, CEO of Manhattan Associates, believes complexity is becoming a permanent part of the operating environment. Clark discusses why that can create opportunity, what other industries can learn from retail, and how technology and AI can help businesses manage it.

The AI question every New Zealand business should be asking

More than 80 percent of people don't independently verify AI-generated information. As AI becomes the first place customers go for answers, that trust is creating a new challenge for New Zealand businesses.

Forget the AI hype, follow the data

AI is having its “peak hype” moment, but beneath the noise there is a very practical question most New Zealand business owners are asking: Will this actually help my business run better, or is it just another shiny tech distraction?

Growth by digital design

Two years after leaving corporate life, Josh Burgisser built Burgs Digital into a full-stack marketing agency. He talks to David Nothling-Demmer about the attention economy, why video isn't optional for small businesses showing up online, and convincing his own father to become a client.

The zero-cost loyalty strategy: The humble gift card is your secret weapon

Full-scale loyalty programmes are expensive, complex and slow to roll out, but a gift card programme can deliver many of the same benefits in a fraction of the time, and customers pay you upfront for the privilege.

Why customer engagement matters more when consumers spend less

When consumers start watching every dollar, many businesses reach for familiar tactics: Bigger discounts, louder promotions and more urgent calls to buy.

Bringing a tangible connection: Marvel Experiences reimagines experiential marketing

As brands compete for attention in a crowded market, Marvel Experiences is helping businesses reconnect through thoughtful, high-impact real-world moments.

Auckland agency launches to help brands compete in AI-driven discovery

As AI changes how customers research and choose brands, traditional marketing is being upended. Auckland’s The Optimisers highlights the rise of AI answers, agent-led recommendations, and the need for “machine legibility” to stay visible and relevant.

Why does kickstarting the economy mean a piece of nature has to die?

We're told the economy and the environment are locked in a trade-off. Autex's Jonathan Mountfort says that's a false choice, and shows how circular thinking is already building a healthier version of both.

How to build trust through authentic sustainability communication

Discover practical tips to build trust through authentic sustainability communication, and examples of businesses leading the way.

New packaging product that grows in the dark

An Auckland-based start-up is literally growing a new form of sustainable packaging that could one day replace polystyrene.

Building a better future with wool

A bold pivot to NZ wool has led Autex Acoustics to create Embrace - a regenerative, carbon-negative acoustic wall system reshaping sustainable design.

You get to decide: What’s Next?

Aotearoa’s sustainability pioneers are already reshaping our future, and now we need to back them writes Rachel Brown.

Business briefs

Sir Peter Gluckman, David Thodey to lead push on NZ’s “start-up nation” ambitions

AI is changing how Kiwis choose local businesses, and most SMEs aren’t ready

Start-up funding pilot reveals scale of gap in traditional lending

Sustainable innovators ambitious but stuck in the “missing middle”, report finds

Lodestone’s new solar plan gives Hawke’s Bay small businesses power without the panels

Magazine

NZBusiness June 2026

Practical AI insights, Kiwi tech innovators, and the tools helping Kiwi SMEs compete on a global stage. It’s all packed into this special tech issue of NZBusiness.

Read now
Magazine

Upcoming event

Funding that Accelerates Your Business

Thursday 24 September 2026 | 5:00pm – 7:00pm

📍 The Icehouse, Textile Centre, Level 4, 117 Saint Georges Bay Road, Auckland

If you’re looking to unlock capital to help your business grow then our Funding that Accelerates Your Business networking event and panel discussion on September 24 is for you.

Get tickets
Events

Inside the issue

Remote possibilities

Magazine nzbusiness-june-2026

Two Kiwi directors. Two laptops. One oil platform in the Gulf of America, operated remotely from Nelson and Whangārei. ROV NZ is quietly pioneering the use of underwater robotics and millimetre-precise 3D imaging technology in ways that are turning heads well beyond New Zealand’s shores.

Article Title Here

Trust will decide which businesses win in the AI era

Magazine nzbusiness-june-2026

AI is moving fast. From search shortcut to autonomous agent making purchases on your behalf. But as the technology takes on a bigger role in business, the organisations that will win aren’t necessarily those with the best AI. They’re the ones that have spent years earning trust.

Article Title Here

What AI actually looks like on the ground

Magazine nzbusiness-june-2026

Possibl.AI co-founder Joshua Dally-Butler on why most SMEs are stuck, and the unglamorous habits such as daily prompts; Friday experimentation; a stocktake of shadow AI; that actually move the needle.

Business

Where craft meets commerce

From international advertising to architectural interiors, Susannah Matheson, a Founder of Island Interiors, has built a name at the top end of New Zealand’s design scene.

Who you gonna call for car insurance when you need special help?

Denise Bellingham launched Go Cover in 1998 after recognising a major gap in the market. Here's her story.

Building a better future with wool

A bold pivot to NZ wool has led Autex Acoustics to create Embrace - a regenerative, carbon-negative acoustic wall system reshaping sustainable design.

Tracel showcases New Zealand’s natural health expertise at CIIE

New Zealand natural health brand Tracel is taking its wellness mission global, showcasing innovation and transparency at CIIE.

The proof is in the powder. Cleanery cuts packaging waste while going global

Cleanery is proving that local production can compete globally while dramatically reducing environmental impacts.

How Stuart Savage is redefining Gen Z entrepreneurship with Tuare

Gen Z entrepreneurship isn’t just about tech start-ups or chasing scale. For young Kiwis like Stuart Savage, it’s about creativity, culture, and community – building ventures that carry meaning, craft, and legacy. 

Dental as anything: How Wellington start-up Solid is remaking toothpaste

A hygienist troubled by the volume of plastic waste in the dental sector, Laura Nixon founded Solid with her husband Adam McConnochie.

A start-up journey from hip-hop to RTDs

Ho Lee and Mark Callan are reinventing Korea’s iconic soju with Jagiya Soju, a carbonated RTD that sold out its first batch in weeks.

Episode 15: Brianne West is back to change the world again

In this powerhouse episode, Lilah McDonald sits down with Brianne West, celebrated Founder of Ethique and now the brains behind Incrediballs.

Got a gap? Hairdresser looks to fill last-minute appointments with new tech start-up

The founder of Got A Gap, a brand-new online platform aimed at filling last-minute appointment gaps for small businesses, shares her vision for a helping businesses with limited marketing budgets.

Ashburton to Hyderabad: How Icehouse structure helped Tom Sherratt scale Winseed International

Leading a multi-national company takes guts, hard work and determination but without good governance, structure, and processes there is risk for shareholders - no matter how hard you work.

Where craft meets commerce

From international advertising to architectural interiors, Susannah Matheson, a Founder of Island Interiors, has built a name at the top end of New Zealand’s design scene.

Striking gold: Christchurch garage start-up turned into bullion powerhouse

Kiwi entrepreneur Greg Chapman has transformed a personal passion project into one of New Zealand’s most trusted bullion businesses.

The thriving Napier business that’s served 3.3 million lunches to Kiwi kids

What started as a Napier bakery’s idea has grown into Lunchonline, delivering 3.3 million school lunches nationwide while supporting local food providers.

30 years of magic memories

Queenstown-based Magic Memories has emerged as the leading global player in the personalised digital experience market. Founder John Wikstrom shares a snapshot from 30 years of business.

Sustainable Business Awards open for entries – and raise the bar for 2026

New Zealand's longest-running sustainability awards programme is calling for entries, with expanded categories and a direct pathway to a global million-pound prize.

Tait Communications crowned Company of the Year at Hi-Tech Awards

Christchurch's Tait Communications has been named PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year at the 2026 NZ Hi-Tech Awards, capping a record-breaking night for New Zealand's third-largest export sector.

Record entries as NZ Hi-Tech Awards finalists revealed

Over 300 entries mark another milestone year for the 2026 NZ Hi-Tech Awards, with the Gala Dinner set for May in Auckland.

The Kiwi innovators driving transformational change across the business landscape

New Zealand’s boldest innovators and sustainability leaders have been celebrated at the 2025 Sustainable Business Awards.

Kami Co-founders named EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2025

Kami co-founders Alliv Samson and Hengjie Wang have been named the EY Entrepreneur of the Year New Zealand 2025.

Flicket named Exporter of the Year at ASB Bay of Plenty Export Awards
Flicket, a provider of digital ticketing, booking and visitor management software, has won the ASB Bay of Plenty Exporter of the Year Award.
Non-tariff barriers costing exporters more than $9 billion a year, sector says
New Zealand exporters are losing more than $9 billion a year to non-tariff barriers, with ExportNZ arguing that a sharper government focus on identifying and removing unnecessary trade obstacles could help unlock the economy.
Collaborative marketing of Kiwifruit and Kiwiberry
Kiwifruit New Zealand (KNZ) invites applications for new, or reviews of existing multi-year, collaborative marketing arrangements for the 2027 export season. While Zespri is authorised as the sole exporter of New Zealand grown kiwifruit internationally (other than to Australia for consumption), KNZ may approve other individuals to export New Zealand grown kiwifruit (including kiwiberry) in collaboration with Zespri.
New Zealand avocado exporters pivot to Asia as Australian demand cools
New Zealand's avocado sector is rapidly diversifying into Asian markets as demand from its traditional largest buyer, Australia, softens, according to Rabobank's newly released Global Avocado Update 2026.

Money

Economy

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

FinanceSeptember 29, 2026

Finding the right funding for any business is never easy, but if you are the founder of an early-stage business pursuing a new, or perhaps untested, market the challenges are particularly complex. But, as Kiwibank’s General Manager of Business Banking Rod Morris tells NZBusiness, Kiwibank has stepped up to change the game for early-stage business founders with its new funding pathway, built to unlock opportunity and foster sustainable business growth.

Forget the AI hype, follow the data

AIJuly 16, 2026

AI is having its “peak hype” moment, but beneath the noise there is a very practical question most New Zealand business owners are asking: Will this actually help my business run better, or is it just another shiny tech distraction?

Beyond survival

GrowthJuly 2, 2026

After a punishing economic cycle Kiwi businesses are emerging into something of a stabilisation period. Cautiously optimistic, past the worst, but with operating costs still biting and reinvestment held back. Why the next six months will define the recovery, and what business owners need to be doing in that period.

When hard work stops creating value

GrowthJune 18, 2026

New Zealand’s productivity gap with countries like Finland isn’t about effort, it’s about clarity. Elliot Royce argues that as businesses grow, complexity quietly crowds out a shared understanding of what actually creates value, turning productivity into a symptom rather than the real problem.

Opinion

Video

How to Get Your Brand Chosen (Without Breaking the Bank) | NZBusiness Knowledge Series Simon Squibb on Life, Small Business, Welfare, Politics & Pink Broccoli | NZBusiness @SimonSquibb NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on AI, the Economy & more - Exclusive Interview | NZBusiness Simon Bridges on Business Technology in New Zealand

Leadership

Stepping up

Why good governance goes a long way in developing SME directors in a rapidly changing business environment.

Māori a major driving force for New Zealand economy

The thriving Māori economy and workforce are shaping New Zealand’s future, with professional development, leadership, and Māori values driving transformative opportunities across industries.

Does your sustainability training line up with reality?

If your sustainability training doesn't mention resilience and reconnection, you're doing it wrong. Here are some pointers.

Empowering New Zealand SMEs to embrace the AI revolution

Discover how Spark’s AI Foundations course is equipping New Zealand’s SMEs with the tools and confidence to embrace artificial intelligence.

Knowledge has de-risked decision-making for pharmacist Kerryn Stokes

With the support of a BNZ scholarship, Christchurch business owner Kerryn Stokes has invested in herself to complete the Icehouse Owner Manager Programme.

Stepping up

Why good governance goes a long way in developing SME directors in a rapidly changing business environment.

Māori a major driving force for New Zealand economy

The thriving Māori economy and workforce are shaping New Zealand’s future, with professional development, leadership, and Māori values driving transformative opportunities across industries.

Does your sustainability training line up with reality?

If your sustainability training doesn't mention resilience and reconnection, you're doing it wrong. Here are some pointers.

Empowering New Zealand SMEs to embrace the AI revolution

Discover how Spark’s AI Foundations course is equipping New Zealand’s SMEs with the tools and confidence to embrace artificial intelligence.

Knowledge has de-risked decision-making for pharmacist Kerryn Stokes

With the support of a BNZ scholarship, Christchurch business owner Kerryn Stokes has invested in herself to complete the Icehouse Owner Manager Programme.

SME employment growth ticks up despite flat wages, new data shows

New data from Employment Hero shows New Zealand's small and medium business sector continuing to add headcount in May, even as wage growth stalled completely on an annual basis, highlighting a labour market where businesses are growing cautiously rather than competing hard for talent on pay.

AI and the human touch in recruitment

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept or a futuristic experiment, it’s here, reshaping the way businesses operate and hire talent.

Engineering safer workplace solutions for Kiwi companies

Stratalign Managing Director Matthew Prestige on how the company is leading the charge on smarter and safer lifting technology as it eyes international growth.

Navigating a challenging job market, advice for businesses and job-seekers

James Stevenson, MD at Grada Recruitment talks navigating economic uncertainty, internal business culture, and what job seekers and businesses need to know for the year ahead.

AI: Supporting organisations to be more human-centred

Recruiting firm: AI can be used to aggregate large sets of data, to support people to be able to be more human-led.

From a bunk bed to 20 years in business

Where are they now? Brolly Sheets Founder Diane Hurford on 20 years of bed-wetting, bandanas and building a business that stuck.

The business of saving lives

After 13 years of growth, Heart Saver’s Helen and Mike Mander are scaling new heights in 2025 - expanding into training, mental health support, and Australia.

Totally in with the crowd

Since equity crowdfunding was given the green light in New Zealand in 2013, PledgeMe’s ‘chief bubble blower’ Anna Guenther has been one of the country’s strongest advocates for the highly successful business fundraising platform.

Building brands through a modern lens

Wendy Thompson is a highly successful entrepreneur and business owner with ambitious goals and an enviable track record for building brands across the globe.

Director hours, fees and satisfaction all rise
Directors’ fees are up, hours worked are up and satisfaction with remuneration is up the latest Directors’ Fees Report finds.
New national study reveals customer aggression is now a workplace reality
Shouting, swearing and threats are now common for workers who deal with customers, and 91 percent of workers experienced customer aggression in the past year, according to the ShopCare Customer Aggression Survey, the first national cross-sector study undertaken in New Zealand.
Kinetic appoints New CEO to lead New Zealand business
Kinetic, the largest bus operator in Australasia and a leading multi-modal mass transit operator, has appointed Tessa Auelua (pictured) as CEO of its New Zealand business, following an extensive global search.
Transformation debt: Why organisations keep solving the same problem twice
The hardest conversations in a restructure are rarely the redundancy conversations. They’re the performance conversations that never happened, writes Elliot Royce.

Tech

Sustainability

Marketing

Growth by digital design

Digital MarketingAugust 27, 2026

Two years after leaving corporate life, Josh Burgisser built Burgs Digital into a full-stack marketing agency. He talks to David Nothling-Demmer about the attention economy, why video isn’t optional for small businesses showing up online, and convincing his own father to become a client.

Partner content

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

FinanceSeptember 29, 2026

Finding the right funding for any business is never easy, but if you are the founder of an early-stage business pursuing a new, or perhaps untested, market the challenges are particularly complex. But, as Kiwibank’s General Manager of Business Banking Rod Morris tells NZBusiness, Kiwibank has stepped up to change the game for early-stage business founders with its new funding pathway, built to unlock opportunity and foster sustainable business growth.

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

Filling the early-stage business funding gap

FinanceSeptember 29, 2026

Finding the right funding for any business is never easy, but if you are the founder of an early-stage business pursuing a new, or perhaps untested, market the challenges are particularly complex. But, as Kiwibank’s General Manager of Business Banking Rod Morris tells NZBusiness, Kiwibank has stepped up to change the game for early-stage business founders with its new funding pathway, built to unlock opportunity and foster sustainable business growth.

Growth by digital design

Digital MarketingAugust 27, 2026

Two years after leaving corporate life, Josh Burgisser built Burgs Digital into a full-stack marketing agency. He talks to David Nothling-Demmer about the attention economy, why video isn’t optional for small businesses showing up online, and convincing his own father to become a client.

Small goals, global ambition

Past WinnersAugust 27, 2026

Kiwi innovation meets smart marketing. Telescopicgoal is transforming the way football is played and trained around the world, all with a clever, adjustable aluminium goal and a creative, targeted approach to reaching customers.

Hospitality with heart

Past WinnersJuly 23, 2026

Taupō’s The Cozy Corner isn’t just a café, it’s a community hub where inclusivity, wellness, and sustainability meet. With a menu that caters to every dietary need, a great team culture, and a commitment to values-driven business, owner Camilla Baker has built an eco-friendly café that sets the standard for hospitality with heart.

The IP paradox: When IP helps and hinders entrepreneurship

BusinessJuly 17, 2026

New Zealand research into scientist-entrepreneurs has identified an “IP paradox”: Intellectual property is seen as essential to start-up success, yet often experienced as a costly, complex barrier. Here’s what the findings mean for founders, investors and the wider SME community.

Forget the AI hype, follow the data

AIJuly 16, 2026

AI is having its “peak hype” moment, but beneath the noise there is a very practical question most New Zealand business owners are asking: Will this actually help my business run better, or is it just another shiny tech distraction?

Getting your SME business AI-ready

AIJuly 8, 2026

Most of the AI conversation right now is about what the technology will eventually do for everyone. Not much of it covers what you should actually start doing, this week, to make sure your business can use any of it. Let’s change that.

Turning personal experience into purpose

Past WinnersJuly 7, 2026

Keynote speaker, educator, author, recording artist and Solo Meo Award winner Julia Grace, has turned her mental health journey into inspiring talks, workshops, and performances across New Zealand and beyond. She’s also made a success of being an entrepreneur in the process.

Beyond survival

GrowthJuly 2, 2026

After a punishing economic cycle Kiwi businesses are emerging into something of a stabilisation period. Cautiously optimistic, past the worst, but with operating costs still biting and reinvestment held back. Why the next six months will define the recovery, and what business owners need to be doing in that period.

Glow and grow

Past WinnersJune 18, 2026

Turning a dreaded parenting challenge into a science-powered solution, ISpy Nits is making head lice detection accurate, stigma-free, and even fun for kids, and in the process earning Kate Ricketts a well-deserved David Award.

When hard work stops creating value

GrowthJune 18, 2026

New Zealand’s productivity gap with countries like Finland isn’t about effort, it’s about clarity. Elliot Royce argues that as businesses grow, complexity quietly crowds out a shared understanding of what actually creates value, turning productivity into a symptom rather than the real problem.

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