Community partners

Our community partners reflect the quality and diversity of entrepreneurial activity in Wellington and New Zealand.

Angel Association New Zealand

Angel Association New Zealand champions early stage investors. Its aspiration is to increase the quantity, quality and success of angel investment in New Zealand and create a greater pool of capital and support for our inspirational, innovative startup companies. The Angel Association enthusiastically supports youth and student entrepreneurship as future sources of great deals and is delighted to help connect those entrepreneurs with investors, capital for further development, and the connections and experience that inevitably come with investment.

Callaghan Innovation

Callaghan Innovation is New Zealand’s innovation agency. It activates innovation and helps businesses grow faster for a better New Zealand. Victoria University of Wellington has had a long association with Callaghan Innovation. The scientist from whom they take their name (Sir Paul Callaghan) was based at the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences for many years.

CreativeHQ

CreativeHQ has been running incubation and acceleration programmes in Wellington and beyond since 2003. It believes that entrepreneurs are everywhere and its Lightning Lab accelerator programmes are targeted at a wide range of sectors. Its GovTech programme, focused on fostering entrepreneurial thinking in government, is seen as a global first. Wellington School of Business and Government signed a memorandum of understanding with CreativeHQ in 2017 to provide research into how accelerators like GovTech can change people and add value to our communities. Many Business School students work at CreativeHQ as part-time interns. CreativeHQ is funded by WREDA.

Ignite Consultants

Ignite Consultants Wellington (Ignite) is a student-led not-for-profit through which Victoria University of Wellington students are able to collaborate with charities to assist in maximising these organisations’ impact. Each trimester, Ignite runs five 9-week projects, each with up to six diverse range of students, alongside an Ignite alumni project manager and professional mentor, provide consultancy services to socially conscious organisations. To assist in their mahi, students will also receive training from professional consultants and specialists in the not-for-profit sector.

If you are interested in joining as a student consultant, or want more information, please email us at wellington@igniteconsultants.co.nz.

Industry Alliance Programme

The Industry Alliance Programme (formerly the Wellington ICT Graduate School) supports the delivery of industry-focused postgraduate degrees built on connections between the University and local industry.

Students can choose a conversion Master’s degree or a specialised Master’s degree to gain industry-relevant skills and experience. The conversion Master’s programmes allow people from a non-ICT background to change career directions and get started in software development or UX design. The specialised Master’s degrees, meanwhile, allow students to expand their knowledge in data science, AI, or statistics.

Find out more about how the Industry Alliance Programme is bringing the industry and the University closer together.

Momentum

Momentum is a national student-led investment committee program which provides access to world class advice, connections, and investment opportunities to students and start-ups across New Zealand.

Our services include connecting technology and project teams with strategic management, top-tier advice and efficient access to capital.

We believe today’s students have the passion and urgency to innovate in ways that will positively impact on their own and future generations.

Got an idea? Apply to present to a Momentum Investment Committee.

Keen to be a part of the committee and progress Aotearoa's next big idea? Apply to join a Momentum Investment Committee.

Robinson Research Institute

The multidisciplinary Robinson Research Institute melds innovative engineering and applied physics to build advanced technologies for businesses worldwide. It sponsors the group project in MMBA565 Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Students work with intellectual property developed at Robinson and explore the possibilities for unforeseen commercial applications.

ThinkPlace

ThinkPlace is a global strategic design consultancy. It has expertise in collaborative human-centred design, innovation and complex system transformation, and in visualizing innovation and entrepreneurship ecologies. Its co-founder, New Zealander Jim Scully, has been an advocate for entrepreneurship in the Wellington region for many years. ThinkPlace sponsors the group project for the MGMT307: Entrepreneurship course.

Vivita

VIVITA is a co-creation makerspace in the heart of Welly's CBD. It caters to 9-15 year old thinkers, makers and leaders. We are all about fostering the creative entrepreneurial mindset of young people so they may contribute positively to their immediate and wider community in a myriad of ways. If you know a change-maker that fits this demographic, let us know!

In order to ensure our kids are exposed to broad facets of STEAM style disciplines, it is imperative that we have talented individuals who can volunteer their time to guide convivial spirits along their journey of innovation. If you are interested in being involved with us in a capacity that suits you, reach out to hello@vivita.kiwi to learn about the Kaitūao initiative.

Wellington UniVentures

Wellington UniVentures is a subsidiary of the University responsible for creating new for-profit and social enterprises from University research. Wellington UniVentures helps researchers create impact through their work by turning them into products or services that can change lives. They support researchers to protect and develop their innovations, and connects them with the right partners, industry and investors to launch their research into the world.