The Te Ōhaka Startup Founder Catalyst Incubation Programme is designed to support, nurture and accelerate the growth of early-stage startups with global ambition. We work with founders who are dreaming big and moving fast.
If your startup is accepted into the programme, you will join an innovation-rich and highly capable community of founders with whom you can exchange ideas and receive the support you need.
Te Ōhaka is a tight community of founders who give and get support from one another and from the community. While you could do everything on Zoom and not worry about the parking, the startups who go furthest and fastest are here every day doing the mahi, giving and getting the most from the community, learning from their peers and mentors, and focusing on their goals.
Your startup coaches
Your startup coach is Jeffrey Ling. He’ll start off with your startup “WOF” and then work with you to assemble a 9-month roadmap for your venture. Then he’ll keep you accountable with bi-weekly meetings and ongoing guidance.
As part of your WOF, you’ll also meet with Wynn Williams – to ensure you’ve got your legal foundations in order – and with EY – to ensure you’ve got a good start on your financials.
Experts-in-Residence
Our Expert-in-Residence (XIR) programme represents the curation of a “startup A-team” with the specific expertise high growth startups need to succeed. These expert operators each contribute at least 5 hours per month to Te Ōhaka founders via one-on-one support and in-depth knowledge sessions. Meet your starting line-up here.
Global mentors
Our mentor programme is second to none with a curated team of truly diverse global mentors with deep experience and specific domain experience that can help Te Ōhaka startups navigate the challenges of their early stage startup journey.
Out of 67 of our mentors. 31 are in New Zealand, 13 in United States, 6 in Australia, 6 in Singapore, 2 in China, 2 in Hong Kong, 2 in Japan, 2 in India, 1 in Thailand, 1 in Spain, and 1 in Taiwan. 23 are women. Meet them all here.
Investor connections
One of the key enablers of rapid growth is the potential of raising capital in order to fuel your venture’s growth. At Te Ōhaka, we guide you through the development of your capital strategy and introduce you to the NZ investor ecosystem. Te Ōhaka is pipeline for numerous investors including angel groups, venture capital organisations, crowdfunding platforms, and even the odd corporate fund.
Every week, you’ll have the opportunity to check in with at least one of our partner investor teams in their informal office hours. Through our relationship with Ministry of Awesome, we also have access to the Hillfarrance Scout Fund which you can read more about here. For a full list of all our investor partners, click here.
What our founders are saying
How it works
- Get in touch: Tell us about your idea and product via the form below.
- Pitch to our panel: If your startup is a good fit for Te Ōhaka, we will invite you in for a short pitch. If not, please do not worry as we will direct you to the right place for you to get the support you need.
- Induction to the programme: The programme committee will evaluate your startup based on your pitch. If accepted, you will be invited to join the programme.
Ready to press accelerate?
Please fill out the form below and tell us more about what you do.
If you have other inquiries, please get in touch with us using this contact form.