Creative HQ

2025 is around the corner, BUT FIRST… 🥁 Creative HQ is proud to present our 2023/24 annual report. As we reflected on this challenging year, we were more inspired than ever by the incredible entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and lifelong learners we’ve had the privilege of working with. ✨ History has shown that some of the world's most successful ventures emerge during the most difficult of economic climates: WhatsApp, Uber and AirBnB, for example, all emerged during the GFC. Closer to home, companies like Dawn Aerospace, Mint Innovation, FTN Motion and Halter demonstrated the ability for 🥝 Kiwi Entrepreneurs to develop and scale successful businesses during the Covid pandemic. 📈 🧡 Creative HQ continues to nurture Kiwi entrepreneurs where support matters most, celebrating those who trust us to guide their journey. We thank our community for making this work possible - because, as we say, it takes a village. Grab a cuppa and enjoy the inspiring stories we’re proud to share: https://lnkd.in/gxR6fgSx #creativehq #innovation #impact WellingtonNZ Wellington City Council Callaghan Innovation Catherine Jones Chloe Narain Brett Holland Colin Kennedy Nedra Fu

👋 See you online tonight at 5:30 pm to chat with a global business leader, Bill Padfield, about expanding your business. 🎟️ There's still a chance to sign up so get amongst it: https://lnkd.in/gVwrquGm Chris O'Neill Salamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions

These founders are truly ones to watch. 👏✨ Well done to this incredible group who brought their ideas, energy, and passion to Creative HQ’s latest Impact Mini Accelerator. We’ve been inspired by the ambitious missions driving each of your startups. Among you are changemakers tackling food waste, the energy crisis, the housing crisis, and so many other critical challenges facing our planet. 🌍💡 This is just the beginning, and we can’t wait to follow your journeys from here. 🚀💪 Dr Lucy Huang Raechel Osborne Tamara Novak Finn Shewell Joanna Clouden Sabrine van Rossum Fokko van der Schans Stuart Edwards Hans P. Victoria Anderson Dr Nan Yang Holly Beals Callaghan Innovation WellingtonNZ

"Wellington is great at growing smart, innovative companies and brands.” I couldn't agree more. Thank you Gill South for highlighting the incredibly positive and inspiring Startup ecosystem that exists here in Wellington. Creative HQ https://lnkd.in/gydpDGmQ

⏰ See you this Wednesday for an awesome Startup Session with Bill Padfield. 🌏 Want to learn about expanding your business globally and how to secure VC funding? Bill is the co-founder Salamander Advisory Services - Helping technology companies realise ambitions, and he's got some insights and secrets to share. 👇 Reserve your FREE spot here: https://lnkd.in/gVwrquGm #creativehq #innovation #startupsessions

📣 EVEN MORE good news for our #Fintech community. Welcome Banzpay to our Fintech Lab 2025 as our newest programme partner, who are adding an exciting opportunity to the prize pot. 👏 💙 Banzpay is providing a chance for founders to take a spot in their upcoming Payments Incubator. This means that Fintech Lab participants will get another opportunity to receive deep dive sessions and on-call support to make the most of innovative payment technologies, as well as opportunities to fast-track payments capabilities post-accelerator. 💵 Banzpay works across Aotearoa and the Pacific Islands, partnering with Fintechs and traditional financial service providers to deliver banking and payment technology solutions. Part of the Booster NZ group, they're committed to building better financial products for Kiwis. 🥝 Thanks Banzpay for joining us to help to build a better future for NZ through Fintech. 👇Check out more information about the Banzpay Payments Incubator below: https://lnkd.in/g3qpqBEX Learn more about the Fintech Lab here: https://lnkd.in/gqV5fNVw Callaghan Innovation WellingtonNZ FinTechNZ Payments NZ Financial Markets Authority - New Zealand NZ Growth Capital Partners NZ Fintech Fund Booster NZ Banzpay Joe Slater Colm Kearney Chris O'Neill Sean Morrison

🚀 Ready for an Ambitious Crossover? Calling all public sector innovators. 📢 Come get amongst one of Aotearoa’s most exciting startup programmes for 2025. Our GM of Government Innovation has crafted a specialised programme to run alongside our Fintech Lab, creating a powerful blend of public sector expertise and private sector innovation. This is for teams ready to validate, grow, and/or scale finance-related projects. Why join? ✅ Collaborate with NZ’s top Fintech founders, investors, and domain experts ✅ Accelerate your team’s ideas into impactful, scalable projects ✅ Contribute to a fairer, more efficient, and innovative financial future for all Kiwis With insights from the Commerce Commission’s investigation into NZ’s banking sector, there’s never been a better time to drive change. Let’s build better financial products and services - together. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gQA8fUXt Jonnie Haddon 💡 Shoutout to FinTechNZ and Technology Investment Network for the valuable industry data.

This week we're celebrating Good Grub, Solid - Sustainable Oral Care, CarbonTrail, Mutu, Cetogenix and Cleanery who have all made the Sustainable Business Network’s Next 95 🤩 🌱 We're so proud to have you all in our alumni community and love following your journeys. Check out the full list 👉 https://lnkd.in/gbhcvQrn

Come join our (spectacular) team 👋

We are PUMPED for Sunrise '24 here in beautiful Pōneke next week. If you missed out on your ticket, we have good news... There are tickets remaining for the kick-off event. ✨ Two short docos will be screened at Te Papa on Monday evening, followed by networking and drinks where Sunrise attendees can connect before the big day. 🥂 🍿 Get your ticket here: https://lnkd.in/gHjuzCXU Robyn McAllister WellingtonNZ Blackbird