New Zealand’s tech sector moves our country forward in ways that matter – new approaches to managing money, tools to tackle climate challenges, more resilient infrastructure, products that make everyday life a little better. Innovation is in our Kiwi DNA.
But for all that progress, the sector has been slow to disrupt one of its oldest defaults: who gets backed, who gets a seat at the table, and whose ideas are taken seriously from the first pitch. Female-only startups receive less than 3 percent of venture capital in New Zealand – a pattern that mirrors the global picture.
There’s a substantial body of data showing women-led businesses return more on every dollar invested than male-only led businesses – and yet the capital keeps flowing in one direction. That context matters because the wāhine building companies in this space aren’t doing it with the wind at their backs. They’re doing it in a system that consistently undervalues them – and putting in the hard mahi anyway.
This week, as TechWeek celebrates achievements we should all be proud of, we wanted to spotlight some of our most inspiring female founders. Their ventures are creating jobs, solving real problems, and proving talent isn’t the issue.
We asked each of these women to tell us about any NZ-specific communities, networks, or initiatives that have made the biggest difference/impact on them, along with asking them to share one thing they wish someone had told you early in your career.
Here are 12 wāhine to watch in 2026 – and trust us, this list only scratches the surface.
Tiowaana Harrington
Tiowaana is focused on improving how Māori land entities manage governance, records, and decision-making. Her work is shaped by firsthand experience of the burden fragmented systems place on trustees, secretaries, and whānau.
Tākoha is governance infrastructure designed to help Māori land trusts and incorporations securely manage records, resolutions, ownership information, and governance workflows in one trusted system. The goal is to reduce administrative burden, strengthen transparency, and create better foundations for intergenerational decision-making around whenua.
Founder, Tākoha
“I wish someone had told me earlier that you can build something deeply Māori without making it inaccessible to the wider world. The challenge is not to dilute the kaupapa so others understand it, but to build with enough clarity, confidence, and discipline that the wider world learns how to meet it properly.”
On NZ communities and networks: “Creative HQ gave me a space to test Tākoha seriously, sharpen the business model, and connect with good people who challenged me to think beyond just the problem and focus on building something scalable and credible. At the same time, the Māori land governance community itself – trustees, secretaries, whānau, and legal practitioners – has been the biggest influence, because their lived realities are what shaped Tākoha in the first place”.
Sadia Islam
Sadia is the co-founder of Nashrr. Driven by the belief that no one should have to choose between building wealth and compromising their faith, she’s making interest-free finance accessible to everyone.
Nashrr is New Zealand’s first halal Fintech, built for the Kiwi Muslim community and beyond – redefining what it means to build wealth with purpose, because everyone deserves a financial system that works for them.
Co-Founder, Nashrr
“Don’t be afraid to start over. You might realise something isn’t for you after putting time and effort into it. The greatest impact comes from people who are genuinely passionate about what they do. It may not be what you expected, but when you find it, you’ll know.”
On NZ communities and networks: “The Creative HQ Fintech Lab has been a genuine source of support, energy, and connection – being in rooms with other founders on a similar journey has been inspiring. Beyond that, the Kiwi Muslim community is not just our target audience but our earliest believers and our biggest why. The Ministry of Ethnic Affairs and the Ministry for Women have also opened some incredible doors for us along the way”.
Stephanie Smits O’Callaghan
Stephanie Smits O’Callaghan is Co-Founder and Director of Hikotron, where she leads operations and stakeholder engagement while helping drive the development of next-generation EV charging solutions. She is passionate about how electric vehicles are reshaping energy systems and actively advocates for greater participation of women in the EV, technology, and automotive sectors.
Hikotron is a New Zealand-based company developing innovative EV charging technology, including a battery-buffered rapid charger that enables resilient, low-cost, and flexible deployment of infrastructure. Its solutions integrate smart energy management across solar, grid, and alternative energy sources to unlock EV charging anywhere.
Co-Founder & Director, Hikotron
“Don’t wait for certainty — move early, learn fast, and course-correct as you go. And know that there will be a long journey ahead.”
On NZ communities and networks: “Soda in Hamilton hosts some great events and startup initiatives. Women in EV has created a strong community of women doing superb work in the EV space. Drive Electric is great for the wider EV community in NZ. Electrify Aotearoa is a fantastic way to connect with other women in the startup space. And Creative HQ’s Aurora Climate Lab has been the gateway to networking in the startup ecosystem in NZ”.
Mela Greenslade
As a corporate banker turned civil servant and entrepreneur, Mela is originally from London – she met a man from Timaru in a Covent Garden pub, and now “here we are”. She’s currently in our Aurora Climate Lab 2026 cohort building SwellGen – which aims to be the no-brainer option for people living on the coast when thinking about how to get water and power.
Founder, SwellGen
“Your brain, ideas, and ways of working are valuable — even though you didn’t go to a posh school or a posh university, and even though you are not a 6-foot bloke, you do belong. So, speak up — that’s how you will add value.”
On NZ communities and networks: “Callaghan Innovation provided great early support through advice and grant funding. Aurora Climate Lab and the Creative HQ team are cheerleaders with access to people who have the skills to help you turn your idea into a commercial opportunity”.
Ashleigh Adair
Data strategist, environmentalist, mother, and entrepreneur, Ashleigh has spent years turning complex data into strategic decisions for world-changing companies including Google and LinkedIn. She’s now channelling that expertise as Co-Founder of DataLoom, tackling a critical gap in climate-informed capital planning – where the cost of depleting the natural infrastructure underpinning all trade (like soil, pollinators, and water) has long been externalised to some distant future.
DataLoom transforms climate data into practical financial simulations, so business leaders can take confident, well-planned steps toward a future where people, planet, and profit work better together.
Co-Founder, DataLoom
“Follow your interests, not the role title. It’s taken me 20 years to realise the pattern: when I pursued my interests, the work opportunities flowed. Also, your network should never stop expanding — it’s amazing how connection networks light up when you need them the most. And pay it forward whenever you have the opportunity.”
On NZ communities and networks: “The Women in Tech Aotearoa community and events (on Slack) have been invaluable – I’ve met some very welcoming women and male allies there, including many in the climate tech space. We’re encouraged to share our ideas and be respectfully challenged in a safe environment, with access to helpful discussions about intersectional issues in tech representation. The Creative HQ Aurora Climate Tech programmes provided the ideal incubation support to take this big idea and run with it. The free Startup Aotearoa coaching sessions have also been a big help for navigating the entrepreneur’s path”.
Ella Blake
Ella is Co-Founder & CEO of Altitude, with nearly a decade of hotel experience across the UK and New Zealand. An operator turned founder, she channels that hands-on background into building technology that sets a new standard for how hotels operate and how guests experience them.
Altitude is the all-in-one platform transforming how modern hotels operate and connect with guests. By unifying operations, communication, and every guest touchpoint into one seamless layer, Altitude helps accommodation providers reduce costs, drive revenue, and deliver stays guests remember.
Co-Founder & CEO, Altitude
“You don’t need to have everything completely figured out before you begin. Perfection can very quickly turn into procrastination, and some of the biggest lessons and opportunities come simply from getting started, moving forward, and learning as you go.”
On NZ communities and networks: “New Zealand has an incredible ecosystem for founders. Over time, we’ve worked with Creative HQ, Ministry of Awesome’s Founder Catalyst programme, and the Kāpiti Tech Cluster and Startup Programme. Each has helped as we move through different stages – whether that’s connecting with other founders, solving challenges, or finding the right people”.
Sasha Lockley
Sasha Lockley is Founder and CEO of Money Sweetspot, a New Zealand social enterprise focused on helping everyday people feel more in control of their money and debt. Her background spans financial services, social impact, and storytelling. She’s passionate about building practical financial solutions that are commercially sustainable, deeply human, and designed around the realities of people’s lives.
Money Sweetspot is building a new category of financial wellbeing in New Zealand – one grounded in real life, not judgement. It combines fair lending, behavioural insights, education, and partnership models to help everyday New Zealanders reduce financial stress, make better financial decisions over time, and feel more confident navigating money.
Founder & CEO, Money Sweetspot
“Don’t apologise for feminine leadership traits. Vulnerability, empathy, intuition, and genuine relationships will take you further than buzzwords and frameworks ever will. The older I get, the more I realise that people remember how you made them feel, whether they trusted you, and whether you genuinely cared — not how polished your strategy slides were.”
On NZ communities and networks: “The Creative HQ Fintech Lab Accelerator probably had the single biggest impact on me as a founder – it pushed me to think much bigger, be more ambitious, and back myself before I felt fully ready. Alongside that, communities like FinTechNZ and the Edmund Hillary Fellowship have reinforced how valuable the New Zealand ecosystem can be. People are remarkably generous with connections, ideas, and encouragement, and that willingness to support founders genuinely changes what feels possible”.
Alanna Irving and Lani Evans
Alanna Irving is co-founder and product lead of Fundsorter. Lani Evans is the co-founder and CEO.
Alanna has worked at the intersection of tech and social impact in Aotearoa and internationally for 15 years, founding multiple for-purpose ventures including Gift Collective and Loomio, as well as holding strategic and governance roles in the philanthropy sector.
Lani brings more than a decade of experience across charities, philanthropy, and social enterprise. She has founded and led multiple purpose-driven ventures, including Thankyou Payroll and Generous Ventures, is an Honorary Member of Philanthropy New Zealand, and was awarded an MNZM for services to social enterprise.
Fundsorter is a New Zealand tech platform helping community organisations find and secure funding more easily. Using data and AI, it matches organisations with relevant grants and helps streamline funding applications, reducing admin time so teams can focus more on impact.
Co-founders of Fundsorter
“Continuous cycles of burnout aren’t normal or inevitable. It’s possible to care deeply and still work sustainably. A given human can’t really solve all the big problems of the world — all we can do is pick one little patch where the specific combination of capacities we bring can make an impact. And if everyone does that, we can actually solve the big problems, collectively.” – Alanna
On NZ communities and networks: “Alongside fellow Fundsorter co-founder Joshua Vial and other collaborators, I helped grow Enspiral from a Wellington-based tech collective into a global network of changemakers. For me, it was a powerful network during my formative years, helping me figure out who I was as an entrepreneur, as a changemaker, as tangata tiriti, and as a human being. The personal relationships I formed there are still going strong – we’re still encouraging each other to believe that a better world is possible, and that we can contribute to bringing it about”. – Alanna
“In the early days of Thankyou Payroll, I found being a female CEO of a tech-focused social enterprise a very lonely experience. So I cold-called a group of other women working in the space and asked them if we could hang out for a weekend to share stories, knowledge, and peer support. They said yes — and 12 years later, we’re still meeting three weekends a year. Their advice, support, and relentless cheerleading have shaped how I think about business, and have made me a stronger leader, strategist, and founder”. – Lani
“There isn’t one model for success. You can experiment with ownership structures, prioritise purpose, grow sustainably instead of chasing scale, and build a business that reflects your ethics and values. Some of the most interesting businesses are created by people willing to be imaginative within — and sometimes pushing against — existing structures.” – Lani
Kathleen Webber
Kathleen Webber believes better data builds better workplaces, and she’s built LiveRem to prove it. She is building it as a mum of two, fully bootstrapped and remote-first, on the belief that you don’t need venture capital, a large team, or a city-centre office to create something meaningful at scale.
LiveRem is an AI-powered pay intelligence platform that democratises access to real-time salary, turnover, and gender pay gap insights – data that was traditionally locked away in expensive consultancy reports or reserved for large corporations. More than 200 New Zealand companies are already using the platform, with Australia rapidly coming on board.
Founder & CEO, LiveRem
“Everything in life is a trade-off. Earlier in my career I worked incredibly hard trying to do everything ‘perfectly’ and be everything to everyone. Once I stopped trying to optimise every single area of life simultaneously, I felt far more at peace and much clearer on what actually matters to me — both in business and in life.”
On NZ communities and networks: “The network of other female founders has been incredible for me. There’s a shared understanding that comes with building a business as a woman – the pressure, the trade-offs, the self-doubt, the balancing act, and also the ambition. Some of the generosity I’ve experienced from other female founders with their time, advice, introductions, and honesty has been pretty incredible. As a bootstrapped founder, I’ve had to build my own network from scratch, and some of the biggest opportunities have simply come from asking someone for a coffee. New Zealand is pretty special in that way – people are genuinely willing to help if you’re prepared to put yourself out there”.
Erika Butters
Erika is the founder of Volition. She previously worked as Director of The Personal Advocacy and Safeguarding Adults Trust, and is co-chair alongside Whaikaha of the Whaimana, Support My Decisions project. She loves walking the Wellington coast and ridge lines, and foraging for finds in op shops.
She’s building Volition – a social enterprise building accessible digital tools to empower personal decision-making and self-determination.
Founder, Volition
“Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every single time. Imagine that you must get through 100 pieces of negative feedback before you get to the first nugget of validation and support — it would give you a bias for velocity and volume and lead you to proactively seek out and celebrate each ‘no’, because it gets you closer to the ‘yes’.”
On NZ communities and networks: “Creative HQ has hands down been the most supportive community and network I’ve connected with on my entrepreneurship journey — and this initiative is itself evidence of the way Creative HQ supports, promotes, and connects founders in a substantial and enduring way. I’ve also greatly appreciated The Wellington Startup Collective’s approach, which pairs experienced operators and new entrants in a no-frills format that promotes discovery and exploration. And Wellyforge is good value information in your inbox”!
Nicole Retter
Nicole Retter is the founder and CEO of PAM and has a background in marketing, digital and strategy. She is a mum of two who hit breaking point trying to keep on top of everything. That experience is what motivates her: building things that genuinely make life easier for families.
She’s building PAM (Personal Admin Manager) – which is more than an app: it’s the infrastructure layer families use to run their lives, turning the chaos of emails, school newsletters, messages, and notes into a clear, shared plan. It gives families back headspace, reduces the invisible load, and helps everyone feel a little more on top of life.
Founder & CEO, PAM
“I was constantly told to ‘stay in my lane’ early in my career — and I wish I’d realised sooner that wasn’t a sign to make myself smaller, but a signal I needed a bigger space to play in. Being a founder has given me permission to think big, think sideways, connect dots, and follow paths others don’t see.”
On NZ communities and networks: “The Wellington Startup Collective was where I first found my people – other founders navigating the same highs and lows – and where I got to spend time with experienced operators who had a huge influence on how I think and build. The Electrify accelerator, through Ministry of Awesome, was another turning point – it expanded my network of advisors, connected me with an incredible group of female founders, and helped bring early investors into the fold at a critical stage”.
Thank you to these incredible wāhine for sharing your learnings, reflections, and insights back with the community. Stay tuned as we spotlight more founders.
