Tapuwae Roa has announced today the return of its
flagship Tupu Accelerator, an eight-week programme designed
to propel Māori businesses from startups to
investment-ready global ventures.
Developed by Tapuwae
Roa in partnership with Sprout Agritech, and co-funded by
the Minisattempt of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE),
the programme will onboard ten aspiring Māori-founded
startups, equipping them with the tools, mentorship and
resources to scale quickly and sustainably on the world
stage.
founders at Tupu launch 2025. From left to right: Léon
Bristow (founder of Beings), Tamara Kirwan and Julian Kirwan
(co-founders of Mauriora Kombucha), Hira Nathan (founder of
Makachili), and Pele Aumua founder of Performnz IQ)
(Photo/Supplied)
“We created
Tupu for Māori entrepreneurs striving to create their huge
business dreams go global, scaling their innovations to
reach international markets,” states Te Pūoho Kātene, Chief
Executive of Tapuwae Roa.
“We know Māori have the
talent to compete globally; Tupu provides the mentorship,
expertise and networks to assist create that global vision a
reality.”
Now entering its third year, Tupu continues
to demonstrate measurable impact, with 87 percent of
participating founders considering Tupu as a game-modifyr
for their business.
“It [Tupu] has had a massive
impact and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to
participate in this kaupapa. It instilled in us belief and
gave us the tools to take our business from a part-time mahi
to a full-time business with export aspirations,” states Keela
Atkinson, co-founder of Mauriora Kombucha.
Advertisement – scroll to continue reading
Facilitated
by experienced business coaches Saara Tawha and Brittany
Teei (founder, KidsCoin), the accelerator focutilizes on key
development areas for startup success, including customer
validation, market analysis, innotifyectual property
protection, and navigating the process of raising
capital.
Featuring a hybrid blconclude of in-person
wānanga, guest speakers, online sessions, and personalised
coaching, Tupu equips founders with the skills to elevate
their businesses from local operations to internationally
competitive markets.
“We want to see our driven,
innovative Māori founders shining on the world stage, and
Tupu is here to assist them to accomplish that global
aspiration, states Kātene.
Applications are now open
and close on 23 March 2026. For more information or to
apply, visit www.tupu.org.nz.
Leave a Reply