HTK Start Up

03/05/2026

🍽️ Startup Spotlight: Hosti 🚀

Hospitality doesn’t need more tools, it needs better ones.
Hosti, founded by Chris Simpson and Poni Sula, is replacing clipboards and spreadsheets with a mobile-first platform built for real venue life.

From stocktakes to compliance, it’s simplifying the work behind the scenes so teams can focus on what matters. 👏

Built from experience. Designed for action.👉 www.hosti.co.nz

27/04/2026

💰 Funding's flowing...but are you ready?

Startup investment in Aotearoa hit $754M in 2025, but most of it is going to startups with proven traction according to NZ Herald https://tinyurl.com/ppux5un4

Early-stage founders, this is your bat signal: It's not about raising, it's about being ready. Investors want:
✅ Clarity
✅ Traction
✅ Ex*****on

Because capital doesn't fix problems, it scales them. 📈

Start with the right foundations: Our Startup Activator helps you get clear, build traction, and helps you on the path to being investor ready.
🖱️ 👉 https://htkstartup.com/startup-activator/

23/04/2026

What if support started with understanding? 💡

🚀 Untangle, founded by Meghan White, is helping NZ families navigate neurodiversity with clarity, not confusion. 👏

Through its OWLS platform, Untangle maps each child’s unique profile and turns complex data into personalised, practical support.
Built from real need. Designed for real families. 👨‍👨‍👧‍👧
This is health tech that actually makes sense.

Follow more on Meghan's founder journey here 👉 https://untangle.co.nz/

21/04/2026

🚧 Startup Spotlight: Preformance Technologies 🚀

Construction doesn’t have a talent problem; it has a systems problem. Preformance Technologies, led by founder Benny Huang, is bringing real-time data, smart devices, and reality capture together to improve productivity across Aotearoa’s construction sector.

➡️ Better data.
➡️ Better decisions.
➡️ Better builds.

Find out more here 👉 https://preformance.co.nz/

Thanks to Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment you can see more of our kiwi startups supported through our Whakatipu Incubator programme here 👉 https://lnkd.in/gm-9Sv2n

31/03/2026

🚀Startup highlight this week is our friends at Keyhook, a platform that is simplifying one of the most fragmented industries out there.

Property managers have long been stuck juggling multiple tools across listings, finance, maintenance, and communication. Keyhook changes that — bringing everything into one seamless, AI-driven platform. 🤖

Founded in Wellington by Luke Nicholls and Aaron Rama, who experienced these challenges firsthand, Keyhook is built to remove friction and unlock smarter workflows. 🙌

Shout out to one of our standout founders from Māui Venture Summit 2025, Keyhook is already onboarding major agencies across NZ and expanding into Australia, they’re proving: the best tech doesn’t feel complex, it just works. 🤌

👉 Learn more: https://keyhook.com/

19/03/2026

Meta’s Horizon Worlds VR pivot is a reminder that even $80B visions don’t always land.

Startups fail. In fact, around 90% of startups don’t make it. But that’s the game.

The real skill? Knowing when to push… and when to pivot.

⚒️ It takes courage to build.
🧠 It takes wisdom to let go.
💡 To every founder backing an idea, win or lose, that’s where innovation starts.

Find out how we can help support your startup journey here 👉 https://htkstartup.com/startup-activator/

Meta Horizon Worlds shutdown highlights a shift from VR ambitions to AI focus after weak user adoption and rising losses.

17/03/2026

If you are a female founder in the O3, check out this amazing opportunity with our friends at Kura Tāwhiti - Canterbury Community Foundation.

Details on how to apply are below ⬇️

When women founders succeed, our communities feel the benefits.

The Women Entrepreneurs Fund exists to support female entrepreneurs in the early stages of building something bold, with $10,000 grants up for grabs to help remove some of the living pressures women founders face.

If you’re a woman building a business in Christchurch, Selwyn or Waimakariri, this could be your opportunity to take it a few steps further.

Applications close 16 March. ⏰

Find out more and apply here: https://www.kuratawhiticcf.org.nz/women-entrepreneurs-fund. ❤️

09/03/2026

We've extended our February intake and are seeking applications for our Whakatipu Incubator.

This six-month programme helps Kiwi founders invest in their capability and get support to help grow their startup globally. 🗼

Get free expert advice to receive customised support to help launch your startup to the world. 🌏

Apply here: https://htkstartup.com/whakatipu-incubator/

22/01/2026

Are you the next tech and innovation venture looking to showcase your startup to investors, PSGE, Angels and ecosystem leaders? 🚀

We were fortunate to have Dealtable AI founder Shakeel Ahmed feature at last year's Maui Venture Summit at the investor showcase. Find out more about his mission to empower investors to discover and nurture the next generation of world-changing companies.

If you want to take the next step in your startup, join our Whakatipu Incubator, a program to support your startup journey.

👉 Apply here: https://htkstartup.com/whakatipu-incubator/