The Factory NZ

The Factory NZ is a prominent accelerator based in Manawatū, New Zealand, dedicated to supporting ambitious founders across Aotearoa. Established in 2003 as the Bio Commerce Centre, it has over two decades of experience in strengthening the startup ecosystem and building regional innovation capability. The organisation is owned and governed by the Manawatū Entrepreneurship and Investment Trust, a charitable trust committed to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.

At its core, The Factory provides hands-on, founder-first support to help early-stage startups validate ideas, build traction, and scale. They design and deliver various cohort-based incubator and accelerator programmes, alongside personalised one-to-one founder support. Their offerings are tailored to meet the evolving needs of founders, from foundational support using lean methodology to testing ideas and building early foundations, through to ongoing incubation as startups gain momentum and grow.

What sets The Factory apart is its flexible and founder-centric approach. The team, which includes experienced founders themselves, understands the challenges of building a startup and provides practical, relevant assistance at each stage of the journey. They foster strong relationships, connecting founders with mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners locally, regionally, and nationally. The Factory is known for championing founders, advocating for them, and acting as a trusted partner through challenges, while being comfortable working in uncertainty to help innovators move forward with confidence.

Key achievements include supporting hundreds of founders, with statistics showing 303 startups incubated, 483 jobs supported by active startups, and a collective capital raise of $161 million by the companies they have worked with. The Factory played a foundational role in establishing initiatives like Sprout Agritech, which began as an agritech accelerator delivered by The Factory before growing into an independent organisation. They also founded and continue to facilitate the Manawatū Investment Group (MIG), an active angel network that supports early-stage investment and the development of a strong local investor community.

Leadership at The Factory includes Nick Gain, who leads the organisation with a practical, founder-focused approach. Benji Pritchard works closely with founders as a coach, bringing deep experience from designing high-impact startup programmes and his own background as a serial entrepreneur. The board members include seasoned individuals like Dan Khan, Stephen McPhail, Colin Groves (Chairperson), and Sarah Laurence.