We’re excited to announce that applications for the Tupu Accelerator 2025 cohort are officially open!
We are seeking ten ambitious Māori startups to join our intensive eight-week programme to transform your pakihi from a startup to an international venture.
Delivered by Tapuwae Roa in partnership with Sprout Agritech, and co-funded by Callaghan Innovation, Tupu supports Māori founders with the tools, mentorship, and resources to thrive and quickly scale, with ten places available in our 2025 cohort.
Facilitated by experienced business coaches Saara Tawha and Brittany Teei (founder of Kidscoin), selected teams will join a supportive rōpū of ambitious Māori founders and participate in collaborative wānanga, practical assignments, and a capstone showcase where you will pitch your pakihi to potential investors.
⏰ Applications close: 20 March
💻 Online panel interviews: 10 and 11 April
🚀 Programme commences: 1 May
Let Tupu unlock the potential of your pakihi as you navigate the next stage of business growth, apply now, and turn your pakihi aspirations into reality!
What’s involved?
Delivered across eight weeks, Tupu encompasses three in-person wānanga, weekly online hui, and one on one coaching to explore the core elements of building startups and raising capital. Key topics include:
- Business models, planning and organisational structure
- Intellectual Property
- Customers, markets, and competition
- Financial modelling, commercialisation, and capital planning
- Valuation and Term Sheets
- Due Diligence Process
- Investor Collateral
All along this learning journey, pakihi will be guided in their preparation for the venture capital ecosystem by building and practicing their ‘pitch’, culminating in an in-person showcase to friends, partners, and investors.
What our Purapura have to say
The Tupu Accelerator has proven to be a transformative force for Māori entrepreneurship within Aotearoa with a total Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 78.6%*. Recognising the positive influence of the programme on their ventures, many of our former Purapura (founders) believe the programme has significantly advanced their pakihi, providing them with the skills and confidence to scale their operations and elevate their startup to new heights.
“This is just the beginning of my journey but the lessons and insights I have gained during this course has accelerated this start-up process in a way I could not have imagined. I’m now more focused and clearer about the vision,” says 2024 Tupu Accelerator participant and founder of Bhone Beauty, Renei Kingi (pictured above, left).
Purapura spotlight
Participating in the 2024 cohort of the Tupu Accelerator, Longo Reo Te Kooro (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga) established Puāwai Farms with a mission to cultivate and provide affordable, high-quality medical cannabis throughout Aotearoa.
Since completing the accelerator programme, Puāwai Farms has successfully raised capital investment, marking a significant step forward in their growth journey.
ŌKU New Zealand
Another Purapura of Tupu’s 2024 cohort and founder of ŌKU New Zealand, Helen Paul-Smith (Te Arawa), embarked on a three-week international tour this week, starting in Singapore. Showcasing Aotearoa’s native plants within rongoā/wellness products, ŌKU focuses on sustainability and regeneration of New Zealand native bush through sustainable harvest.
Another Purapura from Tupu’s 2024 cohort, Daniel Carson (Ngāi Tahu), recently completed a successful crowdfunding campaign through PledgeMe for his pakihi, Mīti.
Mīti’s smokey kānuka and honey beef bites offer a unique combination of New Zealand grass-fed young beef and the natural goodness of honey, providing a long-lasting, practical, and healthy source of protein and energy.
The campaign, titled “Fuel Your World, Nourish Your Nature,” aided Mīti in scaling up operations and maintaining manufacturing within New Zealand. The campaign surpassed its goal, with over $21,000 pledged by 154 donors.
Apply today: www.tupu.org.nz/apply/
