Creative HQ

Come see Carolyn Röhm from Scores4All pitch at the Fintech Festival.👇 🥳 The countdown is ON until the big day on 30 April. Pitches, panel discussions, networking and tons of moments to be inspired. 🎟 Come get amongst NZ's fastest growing tech sector, tickets are nearly sold out: https://lnkd.in/gS9-cqyM See how the rest of the 14 teams are feeling leading up the festival: https://lnkd.in/gxec7esy #fintechlabnz Mastercard

Wellington 📣 it's time to JAM. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from an epic lineup of speakers as they unpack the power of competitive advantage - and how it’s fuelled the rise of some of New Zealand’s most successful tech companies. Come join us on 22 May to hear from: 🎤 Emma Procter - Research Manager at PikPok 🎤 John Mitchell 💡🧠👂😀🏄♂️ - Founder of Arlo Training Management Software 🎤 Alliv Samson -Co-founder and Chief Growth Officer at Kami 🎤 Shane Bartle - CEO at Storbie 🎤 Alex Burke - CEO at Optimal 🎤 Sarah Berkowski - CRO at Timescapes (ex Tradify) We're delighted to host this event with Serge van Dam and the team at Movac. Get your ticket here: https://lnkd.in/gaDK3_t9 Colm Kearney Robyn McAllister Ruth McDavitt

What’s it really like inside a Creative HQ accelerator? 🤔 We'd rather you hear about it straight from the founders. 👏 Learn more about the teams and their Fintech Lab journey here: https://lnkd.in/gFpY3Au2 P.s. Have you got your Fintech Festival ticket? You can come meet these amazing people along with other movers and shakers in the industry on April 30. It's going to be BIG: https://lnkd.in/gS9-cqyM Mastercard Callaghan Innovation NZGCP Banzpay Booster NZ NZ Fintech Fund FinTechNZ Financial Markets Authority - New Zealand Payments NZ WellingtonNZ Salamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions GridAKL Scores4All Otto NZ Money Sweetspot IPromise Sevaka IndigiShare Rebit Money Transfer Homely Indus | India’s Markets In 3 Minutes For Kiwis & Aussies project mosaic. Goldie PolicyCheck eccuity Paysquad

Calling all innovators, mentors, and startup supporters. ✨ Welly Hackathon Weekend – High School Edition is landing 24–25 May. 🚀 High schoolers aged 15–18 have a massive opportunity, thanks to Aaron Scott. We’re bringing together two jam-packed days where students will dream big, team up, and build tech-powered solutions to real-world challenges. Think: brainstorming, prototyping, problem-solving, pitching — and a whole lot of learning and laughs along the way. We’re looking for some startup community legends who want to support these kids as mentors and judges. 💡 Mentors: Got some wisdom to share? Help guide a team as they bring their ideas to life. 🏆 Judges: Share feedback and help us crown the winning concept. 🎁 Everyone else: Got skills, kids who could be interested, connections, or just love a good hackathon? Let’s talk. With $2000 in prizes, an awesome crew, and the chance to back the next generation of creative problem-solvers — this is an opportunity to give back, inspire, and connect with the future leaders of NZ’s startup scene. Keen to get involved? Flick us a message today or share this event with people you know: https://lnkd.in/g-pQ6g_U Colm Kearney Robyn McAllister Ruth McDavitt Nedra Fu

We love this Sasha Lockley. 👏 Hearing that Money Sweetspot has found its tribe through #FintechLabNZ means the world to us. The team’s dreaming BIG, and we’re here for it. 🚀 We can’t wait to hear what’s next - and all about your journey - at Fintech Festival later this month. 💚 P.s There aren't many tickets left - make sure you reserve your spot: https://lnkd.in/gS9-cqyM

Pssst, did you see the news? Something cool is launching – and you’re invited. Here's another sneak peek. 👀 💥 People Who Did a Thing is our brand-new series, shining the spotlight on public sector innovators who didn’t just write a strategy - they delivered the thing. Join us online over lunch next Wednesday 9 April for part 1. We’re kicking off with the inside story of GovGPT – the AI pilot from Callaghan Innovation that pushed past the red tape and shipped a solution fast. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gVuchvtJ 👀 What worked? What didn’t? 💡 How do you build tech that’s secure, useful and user-loved? 🧠 And how do you do it inside government? Hear directly from Sarah Sun and Richie Atkinson. If your team is wrestling with AI disruption, internal inertia, or the dreaded “innovation theatre” – this is the lunchtime webinar you need. 📅 Wednesday 9 April 🕛 12PM NZT 💻 Online via Microsoft Teams 🎙️ Real people. Real tools. Real results. Jonnie Haddon Callaghan Innovation

Fantastic article by Dr Anita Perkins, speaking with Jai Goradia, Founder & CEO of Indus | India’s Markets In 3 Minutes For Kiwis & Aussies, a fintech platform breaking barriers for global investors in India's booming economy. 📈 And it all started with a game of cricket. 🏏 👇 Check it out. #creativehq #FintechLab2025 #fintechnz

Thanks to everyone who reached out after my last post to share your investing stories. The conversations have been extremely motivating. It’s clear: people want to invest together. Are you curious about group investing or already running an investment group? Let's chat! Join our waitlist to stay in the loop. You’ll be the first to know when we launch. (Waitlist link in first comment 👇) Grant Sweeney Creative HQ Colm Kearney Chris O'Neill Joe Slater Megan Rorich Jacky Laverty Sarah Lewis

How can we help more Kiwi startups go global? 🌏 Daniël Heerkens is flying in from Singapore next week to tell us how. Join us Tuesday 8 April for a Startup Session on international expansion - think dos, don’ts, pitfalls and real-world stories. Why come? 🏙 Real talk, in person – Learn straight from someone who’s helped businesses thrive across Asia + Europe. 💡 No fluff – Actionable tips, honest lessons, real case studies. 🤝 Meet your people – Network with Daniël + fellow founders. 🥝 For all stages – Whether you’re exploring or expanding, this session’s for you. Who’s Daniël? A global business strategist and partner at Salamander International, with serious scale-up creds across APAC + Europe. P.S. He’s also hunting for the best coffee in Wellington. Tell us below where he needs to visit ☕️ 👇 👉 Save your spot https://lnkd.in/gMJhyy3c Salamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions WellingtonNZ Robyn McAllister Ruth McDavitt Colm Kearney

🤔 What do David Downs, Adrian Smith, Ruth Riviere and Jovan Pavlicevic have in common? Fintech. Fintech Festival 2025 to be exact. 🕺💃 Make sure you've got your tickets for 30 April, because they're selling fast and we're bringing to you an epic line of speakers, MC'd by the iconic David Downs. 🎤 David Downs – CEO of The New Zealand Story, ex-comedian, author, and innovation champion. 💡 Adrian Smith (Ngāpuhi & Ngāti Hine) – CEO of BlinkPay, driving kaupapa Māori fintech innovation. 🌏 Ruth Riviere – Country Manager, NZ & Pacific Islands, Mastercard, leading secure & smart payments. 📱 Jovan P. – Co-founder of SquareOne & Emerge, rethinking business banking for the digital age. 🔥 Oh, did we mention 14 hot Fintechs to watch are pitching to shape the future of finance? New opportunities will be in the spotlight — investment, partnerships, even your next career move. See you at the Festival. Get your tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gS9-cqyM Mastercard Callaghan Innovation WellingtonNZ NZGCP Banzpay NZ Fintech FundBooster NZ FinTechNZ Payments NZ GridAKL Financial Markets Authority - New ZealandSalamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions