Māori business accelerator programme celebrates 2021 cohort
For the last 14-weeks the Kōkiri Māori business acceleration programme has worked with seven Maori led technology-based start-ups from a wide range of industries from film production, fintech, tourism to wellbeing. The programme brings together Māori-led teams that have bold ambitions to become innovation leaders and deliver not only profits but positive social, cultural and environmental outcomes.
The startup teams come from all corners of Aotearoa and from all walks of life. For the first time since Kōkiri started in 2018, female founders outnumbered their male counterparts in 2021.
“We are excited to share and celebrate the progress of these seven Maori-led teams that are leading innovation, creating positive impact in Aotearoa and challenging the status quo,” says Kōkiri head Aubrey Te Kanawa.
Kōkiri will host a virtual Showcase event, celebrating the progress of the Kōkiri 2021 cohort. The showcase is an online livestream event and will be held on Friday, 13 August from 5.30pm. During the event, each team will share their venture and the way they are using technology to change the lives of whānau, organisations and the broader communities they serve.
The 2021 Kōkiri teams are:
- Rāngai – a health-tech startup and wellbeing collective with a vision to help nurture emerging wellbeing leaders and embed wellbeing within communities and corporate spaces.
- Roamio – a tour-tech start-up with a desire to help young people get off their phones and engage with authentic tourism experiences.
- Incluvu – an edu-tech start-up passionate about improving digital accessibility in Aotearoa to create equal learning opportunities for all learners.
- STILL – a local fintech start-up with a vision to pivot our rangatahi away from the intergenerational debt cycle.
- Korawai – a local wearable-tech start-up with a vision of comfort through connectivity for those who can’t seek help themselves.
- The Best Kept Secret – a fashion-focused start up with vision of a helping women celebrate diversity through kākahu (clothing) in a sustainable way.
- The Granary – a film-tech production company utilising technology to empower creatives to develop high-concept Indigenous-driven stories on a budget.
About Kōkiri 2021
Kōkiri is a 14-week Māori business acceleration programme, designed for very early stage Māori-led start-ups that have high-growth potential and are impact positive. The program is delivered as a mixture of online and in person workshops and delivered in a kaupapa Māori environment. During the program the start-up founders will develop their business capability and wellbeing, through tailored experiential based learning, supported by mentors, coaches, and experts in a courageous and culturally responsive learning environment.
Media Contact Aubrey Te Kanawa – program director of Kōkiri Maori Business Accelerator at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa | [email protected], 021810604
