A strong Fintech sector matters for New Zealand. Financial services shape how people save, borrow, invest, insure and run businesses. When these systems are more accessible, efficient and trustworthy, the benefits compound across the economy — from household resilience to SME productivity and capital flowing to where it is most needed.
Local Fintechs also help ensure solutions reflect New Zealand’s regulatory settings, values and market realities, rather than being imported by default. They create jobs, attract talent and build valuable IP for NZ.
Against that backdrop, Fintech Lab 2026 is kicking off. Delivered by Creative HQ, the programme is an accelerator designed to support early-stage startups building financial technology in and for New Zealand. The Lab supports founders working across a range of Fintech subsectors, including payments, wealth and savings, accounting and compliance, lending and insurance infrastructure, financial inclusion, and emerging intersections with digital assets.
“It’s about getting the founders from where they are to where they want to be. For some that’s investment ready, for others it’s securing their first customer. In order to help them achieve that we ensure they have the support and capability they need by providing them with coaching, mentors, connection to regulators and connection to investors. Our startups have gone on to raise over $300 million dollars collectively – and this is one of the most impressive cohorts we’ve ever had.” Chris O’Neil, Fintech Lead at Creative HQ
Meet the founders in Creative HQ’s 2026 Fintech Lab cohort.
Fundsorter
Fundsorter matches community organisations and charities with grant funding opportunities that are the best fit, and instantly drafts the application for them to submit. The aim is to reduce time spent navigating funding complexity, so organisations can focus on delivery rather than paperwork.
Feijoa
Feijoa is a smart, simple app that helps people grow their KiwiSaver account with every purchase, every day. By embedding saving into everyday spending, Feijoa targets long-term financial wellbeing without requiring active decision-making.
Penny
Penny is an enterprise financial CRM that links multiple lending and insurance institutions with a single click. It is designed to reduce friction across complex financial relationships, improving visibility and coordination for enterprise users.
HaveMore
HaveMore is building a “web 2.5” bridge between traditional finance and the on-chain economy. The platform provides regulated, compliant and scalable income products powered by digital assets, aimed at making this emerging space usable within established financial frameworks.
COUNT
COUNT is an AI-native accounting platform built for New Zealand small to medium businesses that want clear, practical financial insight without the usual accounting drag. The focus is on simplicity, automation and decision-ready information rather than compliance alone.
Numera
Numera fixes the biggest inefficiency in accounting compliance by automating workpaper preparation – collecting, validating and pre-populating GST and annual review data directly from IRD, ACC, Open Banking and Xero so accountants start from done, not from scratch.
AVCA
AVCA is an AI-driven compliance platform for regulated financial firms, enabling earlier and more reliable identification of regulatory risk.
Raumati Hohua Whetu Para Whānau Trust (RHWP)
RHWP Trust provides kaupapa Māori whānau asset management support, including the use of digital financial tools, to enhance transparent governance and intergenerational stewardship of Māori land interests in a manner consistent with tikanga Māori and existing legal frameworks.
Frontier Property Insights
Re-imagining property data and insights.
Qippay
Providing Open Banking infrastructure and payments to businesses.
Website: Qippay
ALYRT
ALYRT is an AI‑powered platform that detects financial and legislative risks in real time, giving SMEs trusted insights for smarter decisions and long‑term wellbeing.
Nashrr
New Zealand’s first all-in-one halal Fintech platform.
Website: Nashrr
Hello Cashflow
Hello Cashflow connects to your accounting software and brings your numbers to life – so you can stay in control, protect your business and always know what to do next.
Pacific Prosperity Lab
A fintech-for-good startup building the digital bridge between Pacific innovation and global capital—turning ideas into investment-ready ventures with real-world impact.
Pilot
Trust infrastructure for social trading.
Get involved: People interested in connecting with the founders, learning more about Fintech Lab, or supporting an upcoming event can contact Creative HQ, or find the team’s details here.
