From Garage
To Greatness
Investing in ambitious, deep tech founders.
Why WNT?
We champion and empower pioneers at the start of their frontier tech journey.
Our passionate founders are solving global problems by commercialising complex research, science and innovative technologies. Our roles are as high conviction partners, helping them build global businesses by championing their vision and connecting them to resources, expertise and support.
We want deep technology to be among NZ’s fastest-growing and highest-value creation sectors.
WNT began as a collaboration between experienced entrepreneurs and investors passionate about helping emerging companies bring their visions to life. We have two existing funds, with one currently open to investors.
Carefully vetted New Zealand companies, smart investments
Pre-revenue companies
Defensible intellectual property
Global markets
Sectors we invest in
  Artificial Intelligence
  Agritech and Food
  Medtech
  Automation
  Engineering
  Sustainability
Guiding Founders from Garage to Greatness
Alongside capital, our founders get hands-on support to grow. Here’s how we do that.
Eligible businesses could access a $35k pre-incubation funding grant, via our supplier agreement as a Callaghan Innovation Technology Incubator. Â
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We provide a wide range of support for pre-revenue start-ups including hands-on support, first cheque, follow-on investment and non-dilutive capital.
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Our templates, tools and guides are tailored specifically to support deep-tech founders to grow their companies . Get in contact with us to get access.
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Join our community
WNT by the numbers
INVESTED
$8.4m
Follow on investment figures of $80 million
JOBSÂ CREATED
>150
Investments have created in excess of 150 jobs.
CAPITAL RAISED
$80M
since WNT involvement
DEALS INVESTIGATED
900
Approximate to date
Our Portfolio
Meet the companies we have partnered with
From AI data processing, to precious metal recoveries, our investments to date have covered a wide range of sectors. We are incredibly proud to be helping have helps these companies on their journey to greatness.
Our People
Greatness doesn’t happen in isolation. Along with our in-house expertise, we have an enviable team of partners, director and advisors with huge amounts of experience in early-stage business.
Blog & News
AI for Good
Interview by TJ Laurino
Asa Cox is passionate about being a NZ deep tech founder and busts some myths and misconceptions about Artificial Intelligence. He tells us how AI may help address some of the issues in society today
Asa Cox on Crossing the Deep Tech Chasm with WNT
Interview by TJ Laurino
The CEO and Founder of Arcanum AI, believes getting the right partners at the start of his deep tech journey was vital.
Successful Startup Founders Test Their Assumptions
Written by Michael Nguyen
The assumptions you make as a startup founder can make…..or break….your company. Validate your assumptions at the start and begin your journey to greatness.
The Hardware Startup Trap – 6 Quick Steps to Having Enough Cash
Written by TJ Laurino
This is Part II of ‘The Hardware Startup Trap’, a series of two articles addressing the issue of working capital and cash flow management in Hardware Startups.
WNT Ventures Announces New Directors
WNT Update
WNT Ventures are very pleased to announce the addition of two new Independent Directors, and Investment Committee members to our WNT Ventures team.Â
The Hardware Startup Trap – The Most Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Written by TJ Laurino
This is Part I of ‘The Hardware Startup Trap’, a series of two articles aimed to address the critical (but often overlooked) issue of…
Events
WNT Ventures Fund III Launch Party
WNT Ventures Fund III Launch PartyThe WNT community celebrated the launch of their third fund on the 28th October 2020. Thankyou to everyone who joined us and made the evening memorable [cwp_et_pb_layout_slider_standard...
Market Validation Workshop – Rotorua
Workshop by Dr Laura Faulconer
The workshop focuses initially on developing an understanding of the problem-market fit, and is designed to enable inventors…
Market Validation Workshop – Wellington
Workshop by Dr Laura Faulconer
SOLD OUT
Startup Folk #3
Startup Folk #3
Oct 2019. Revolutionary Products and the Teams that Build Them: Lessons in Scaling from Amazon and Apple
Market Validation Workshop – Christchurch
Workshop by Dr Laura Faulconer
SOLD OUT
Startup Folk #2
Startup Folk #2
March 2019. Perspectives of Founders, Invesntors and Investors.
Contact Us
I’m a founder looking for support
Do you have a technology or company that needs funding and support? We are looking for innovative, pre-revenue companies with strong intellectual property and global potential.
Find us here
Basestation, 148 Durham Street, Tauranga
PO Box 13256
Tauranga Central
Tauranga 3141
Support greatnessÂ
We’d love for you to help us support making great businesses.
If you are a qualified investor and would ’d like to find out about investing with us please get in touch with us Carl Jones:
carl@wntventures.co.nz
021 666 375
Pre-revenue businessesÂ
- Our investments are typically pre-revenue or, at most, with early trial/beta revenue
- WNT has expertise in this phase of a business’s life and we can have an outsized impact on a company’s future growth.
Intellectual Property (IP)Â
- We like rich, defensible intellectual property or know how that needs to be capable of being protected whether by patent, trade secret or ongoing investment.
- We believe that defensibility is the way to succeed in deep technology commercialisation.
Global Market OpportunityÂ
- We support founders from garage to greatness, to move forwards and look globally for opportunity. We seek to invest in companies that represent a global, scalable market opportunity
Pre-Investment FundingÂ
Eligible businesses could access a $35k Pre-Incubation funding grant, via our supplier agreement as a Callaghan Innovation Technology Incubator.
Pre-Incubation not only provide funding support but active guidance on the development of:
- business plans,
- IP strategy,
- market validation,
- company set up and
- whatever it is you need to get investment ready.
Incubation and InvestmentÂ
Hands-On Support: Tailored expertise is wrapped around each portfolio company, pre and post investment, with time allocation allotted to support that enhances or accelerates the trajectory of the company.Â
1M First Cheque: Building from our success in Funds 1 and 2, WNT provides up to $1m in the first round.
Follow-On Investment: WNT can continue to support the portfolio through fund follow-on and from our wider investor network.
Non-Dilutive Capital: Access to non-dilutive capital in the form of the Callaghan Repayable Loan is a key value driver for WNT investee companies, enabling the companies to get further and faster with equity capital efficiency.
Investment ResourcesÂ
To get access to our resources simply provide your details and email address. Contact us at admin@wntventures.co.nz