It’s a match. The city’s creatives are joining forces with the tech sector to support the next generation of creators, and Creative HQ believes that with the right support, Creative Tech has the potential to become Wellington’s next goldmine.
Announced tonight at the Wāhine Fuelled Tech Forum, the Creative Tech pre-accelerator, a New Zealand-first, will support early-stage creative technology ideas through an 8 week programme, geared towards refining concepts and validating market demand.
Wellington is already globally recognised for creative excellence, home to screen powerhouses Wētā FX and Wētā Workshop, as well as leading game developer PikPok, foundations that make the city a natural testbed for Creative Tech solutions.
Colm Kearney, General Manager Startups and Tech Sector at Creative HQ, says now is the time for Wellington’s tech, startup and creative communities to build together.
“New Zealand’s creative scene was born, bred, and nurtured right here in Wellington. Our tech sector has built an equally strong reputation, so it makes sense to bring the two together, and help each other grow,” says Kearney.
“We’re looking for ideas that support a creative process, whether that is editing, special effects, production workflows, immersive experiences, digitising physical products, or entirely new tools that help creators work faster and better, and distribute their content.”
“Wellington is uniquely placed to lead this opportunity, with a globally recognised screen and production ecosystem, a growing technology sector, renowned education institutions, and a deep pool of creative talent,” he continues.
It’s a crossover already on display in Wellington’s gaming scene, and in companies like PikPok that have over 200 staff, where creative teams and technologists work together to build globally recognised products.
Emma Procter, NZ Gaming Developers Association Board Member and Research Director at PikPok, says the market opportunity for Creative Tech is significant, and Wellington has the ingredients to grow more globally competitive companies in the sector.
“Creative technology is still a largely untapped market. If we can empower and encourage two or three Wellington companies to scale over the next 10 years, the benefits for jobs, exports, and investment in the region could be huge,” says Procter.
“For the creative industry itself, innovation within Creative Tech means better tools, stronger capability, and more opportunities for Wellington creators to compete internationally.”
The pre-accelerator is the first step in building a stronger CreativeTech pipeline in Wellington for 2026 and beyond, connecting founders with mentors, collaborators and potential customers across the city’s creative ecosystem.
Over the coming year, Creative HQ alongside WellingtonNZ and sector partners plans to grow its Creative Tech support offering through higher touch programmes, large scale events and other initiatives to build the ecosystem – with the goal of helping more Wellington-built creative tools reach global markets.
Applications to Creative Tech Activate are open now, until March 3. Selected teams will be announced shortly after this date.
