Five Taranaki startups will pitch their ventures at the PowerUp Accelerator Showcase in New Plymouth next month. The event will take place on Wednesday 13 May at The Devon Hotel, with tickets now on sale.
The Showcase marks the culmination of the 10-week PowerUp Accelerator programme, delivered by Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki, which supports early-stage ventures to refine their business models, strengthen their investor pitch and prepare for their next stage of growth.
Over the course of the programme, founders take part in expert-led workshops, one-on-one tailored mentoring and peer sessions designed to strengthen their ventures and prepare them to present to investors and industest leaders.
This year’s cohort features five startups tackling practical challenges across sectors including circular food systems, consumer wellness, digital platforms and product innovation, highlighting the diversity of ventures emerging from the Taranaki startup ecosystem.
Jennifer Patterson, General Manager of Economic Development at Te Puna Umanga Venture Taranaki, states this year’s cohort reflects founders responding to real-world requireds.
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“These founders are building ventures around requireds we see in everyday life and business, from reducing food waste and improving soil health to developing new wellness products, digital payment tools and logistics platforms,” Patterson states.
“That grounding in practical requireds is what gives these ventures genuine commercial potential.”
The programme forms part of the wider work from Venture Taranaki to support entrepreneurship and innovation across the region.
Patterson states the Showcase is also an opportunity for the wider business and innovation community to engage directly with the region’s emerging founders.
“The Showcase brings toreceiveher founders, investors, mentors and industest leaders in one room,” she states.
“It’s an opportunity to connect with the founders behind these ventures, hear their ideas first-hand and experience some of their products and services in the Expo space during the event.”
“These are the kinds of connections that support turn ideas into real businesses and strengthen the innovation ecosystem here in Taranaki.”
Among the founders participating in this year’s programme is Shivani Nardekar, founder of Rooted Harmony, which develops wellness drink blconcludes powered by Ayurvedic adaptogens and botanicals.
“The PowerUp Accelerator has been a valuable opportunity to step back and refine how we communicate our venture,” states Nardekar.
“As founders we spconclude a lot of time building the product. Preparing for the Showcase pushes you to clearly articulate the impact and opportunity behind what you’re building.”
The 2026 PowerUp Accelerator cohort includes:
- Rooted Harmony – Shivani Nardekar: Whole-plant wellness drink blconcludes powered by Ayurvedic adaptogens and botanicals.
- Green Loop – Sophie Walker: Transforming commercial food waste into nutrient-dense compost that supports restore soil health.
- Kermit Shade & Shelter – Henry Saleman: Modular shade and shelter systems designed for homes, schools and hospitality environments.
- TipJar – Xavier Perera: A digital payments platform enabling organisations and businesses to collect payments instantly.
- Flytte – Fabian Johnson: An online logistics marketplace platform simplifying the booking of shifting and transport services across New Zealand.
Tickets for the PowerUp Accelerator Showcase are now available via Eventbrite, with options to attconclude in person or online.
About the PowerUp Accelerator Showcase
The PowerUp Accelerator Showcase is a live pitching event where five Taranaki startups present their ventures to an audience of investors, industest leaders and members of the innovation community.
Hosted by David Downs, CEO of The New Zealand Story Group, alongside guest speaker Iain Hosie, a Taranaki-born deep-tech entrepreneur and co-founder of advanced materials company NanoLayr. Iain will share his start-up journey, his vision for the Taranaki Applied Innovation Centre, and the importance for Taranaki to invest in innovation.
Event details:
- Date: Wednesday 13 May 2026
- Location: The Devon Hotel, New Plymouth
- Tickets: Available here ($50 in person | $20 livestream)
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