Whakatipu Incubator

Whakatipu Incubator is a New Zealand-based accelerator programme dedicated to empowering and supporting ambitious Kiwi founders in scaling their startups globally. The incubator operates under the umbrella of HTK Group, a Māori-owned professional services organisation established in 2015. Departing from conventional one-size-fits-all models, Whakatipu Incubator offers a customised and targeted approach to startup development, ensuring each participant receives support tailored to their specific needs and growth trajectory.

Serving primarily Māori and other underserved founders, alongside general Kiwi entrepreneurs with high-growth potential, the programme is particularly active in Christchurch and Canterbury through its Whakatipu Ōtautahi initiative, which specifically supports Māori entrepreneurs in these regions. The core offering includes a comprehensive support system that begins with a 360 Health Assessment for each startup, providing a business health report and a customised action plan. Participants then collaborate with a dedicated HTK startup advisor to implement this plan, receiving expert advice throughout the incubation period.

A key differentiator of Whakatipu Incubator is its deeply embedded values-based approach, rooted in principles like whanaungatanga, which emphasises kinship and the development of enduring relationships and partnerships. This commitment fosters a foundation of trust, quality care, and dedicated support for its participants. Uniquely, the Whakatipu Incubator programme is free for all accepted startups, making it accessible to a broader range of entrepreneurs across Aotearoa. Community building is also a vital component, facilitated through quarterly in-person and monthly Startup Kōrero sessions, designed to encourage connections and collaborative learning among founders.

Since its founding in 2025, Whakatipu Incubator has contributed to the HTK Group's overall achievement of having supported over 400 startups across Aotearoa. Notable alumni include Lee Timutimu, CEO and Founder of Awa Digital, who gained significant insights into product-market fit, and Shakeel Ahmed, CEO and Co-founder of DealTable, who refined his startup idea and established crucial connections. Another alumnus, Arahia Mauriohooho, founded Right Kind, a startup addressing staff shortages in the education system. These successes highlight the incubator's effectiveness in nurturing high-growth potential businesses and fostering global scalability for Kiwi founders.