PowerUp is all about growing, connecting, and supporting ideas and capability, and harnessing the expertise and passion required to develop Taranaki’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Enterprises, ideas, and individuals will be supported and enabled as PowerUp connects them with a range of new and existing services and opportunities, helping to grow their capability, and broaden their understanding of what they thought possible.

We’ve built PowerUp to bring together Enterprise and bright ideas, and we’re working to build smart, connected communities, so ideas, entrepreneurship and innovation can continue to thrive in Taranaki.  

We’re keeping it simple; as easy as one, two, three, with our Grow, Connect, Tell approach. 

Grow

PowerUp Business Ready

PowerUp Business Ready, delivered in partnership with SODA Inc. is an 8-week series of interactive workshops, where you can gain the tools and resources to validate your innovative idea or take your start-up to the next level.

If you’ve got the next big idea bubbling away, are a startup or an early-stage business, PowerUp Business Ready is for you. Successful applicants will get access to an interactive course framework and resources, hear from expert guest speakers, and learn pitching fundamentals while making connections.  

PowerUp Business Ready is FREE! It will only cost you your time and commitment. Spaces are limited.

PLEASE NOTE: Applications have now closed.

PowerUp Masterclass

PowerUp Masterclasses are a series of half-day workshops  designed to help entrepreneurs develop their skillset and gain practical advice from industry experts, to power up their enterprises. 

PowerUp Masterclass - Raising Capital 101 

Thursday, 2nd May 2024, 10am - 12pm, Stratford War Memorial Centre

Build your capability to navigate the capital raising process and learn practical tips to build an effective pitch deck.

Register here.

 

PowerUp Kickstart

PowerUp Kickstart, an accelerator-style idea and pitching competition, ran in 2021 and 2022 to help build capability and confidence amongst the region's entrepreneurial community. Around 80 big thinkers joined a business programme to shape their business idea or progress their startups. The competition was narrowed down to five finalists who sold us their bright idea for the chance to pitch to win $10,000 cash to take their innovations to the next level. 

PowerUp Kickstart 2022 finalists and winners, congratulations to:

Pam and Frey Livingston, Tokaora Diagnostics, PowerUp Kickstart 2022 winner

Paul Gledhill and Sophia Joy, Surface Swimgear, WITT People's Choice Award winner  

Isaac and Cathi Drought, Planta

Michael Parker, Hiko Surf

Jayden Clark and Ashkan Azarkish, EzSoil 

2021 finalists and winners:

Glen Stephens, Sol + Sea, PowerUp ideas Comp 2021 winner

Lauren Oehme and Leon Power, Nano Bubble Agritech, WITT People's Choice Award winner

Jenni Matheson and Mrinali Kumar, Kinda Ice Cream    

Remy Zynfogel, Calypso Science

Karen Danenhauer, MamaGaia

Watch the highlights from our PowerUp Kickstart Finals Night

View Finals Night Photos

To keep up-to-date with all things PowerUp and the latest entrepreneurial inspiration and insights from people making it happen in Taranaki, sign up for our PowerUp email newsletters.

Sign up here

Connect

Entrepreneur Ecosystem

No enterprise or entrepreneur should operate in isolation. In Taranaki, there is an entire ecosystem of networks and support made up of many interdependent systems, agencies, businesses, and networks available to you, as entrepreneurs and enterprises, to ensure you have every opportunity to flourish. The guide will help you navigate through, and explore the ecosystem.


If you are an entrepreneur, a startup, or an established enterprise looking to innovate or grow, this guide will help you understand where you fit within the ecosystem. It will connect you with peers and guide you to the advice and support you require, no matter where you are on your journey.

Startup Taranaki

Startup Taranaki is a team of motived volunteers passionate about growing a strong, innovative and inclusive startup scene in the Taranaki region.  Through events and programs, they inspire people to be brave in their actions and create companies that have a positive impact.

Startup Taranaki

Get straightforward, free financial guidance for your business with NZTE money matters

Better financial planning and forecasting are the simplest tools you can use to create a more resilient business and prepare for growth.

NZTE Money Matters offers panel talks and one-to-one sessions with independent experts who can provide practical advice and answer your questions on everything from foreign exchange to forecasting to accessing grants and support.

Learn More

Tell

PowerUp Podcast

Listen to our latest PowerUp Podcasts telling the stories of some of the region's entrepreneurs. 


The PowerUp Podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Castbox and wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe now