14 AI investors back Wellington startups in 2026. Movac, Hillfarrance, and Icehouse fund deep tech. About 87% of NZ firms now use AI in some form.
Wellington builds serious AI and deep-tech firms. Kry10 and Multitudes both got started in the capital.
Movac and Hillfarrance back the AI-first teams here. Icehouse and Blackbird fund the bigger rounds.
These funds want real models and paying customers. Ellty tracks every open when you share your deck.
This guide lists 14 active Wellington AI investors.
| Type | Check size | Sector focus | Website | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movac | Series A to growth VC | NZ$2M-$10M | AI, SaaS, deep tech, health | movac.co.nz |
| Hillfarrance | Pre-seed / seed VC | NZ$1M-$6M | AI, SaaS, media, climate | hillfarrance.com |
| Icehouse Ventures | Early-stage VC | NZ$250K-$10M | AI, SaaS, deep tech, agritech | icehouseventures.co.nz |
| GD1 | Seed / Series A VC | NZ$500K-$5M | AI, SaaS, deep tech | gd1.vc |
| Blackbird Ventures | Seed to growth VC | NZ$1M-$20M+ | AI, deep tech, SaaS | blackbird.vc |
| NZGCP | Govt seed co-investor | NZ$250K-$2M | AI, deep tech, cleantech, health | nzgcp.co.nz |
| K1W1 | Evergreen fund | NZ$100K-$2M | Deep tech, cleantech, AI, SaaS | k1w1.co.nz |
| Punakaiki Fund | Evergreen venture fund | NZ$500K-$3M | SaaS, tech, AI-enabled | punakaikifund.co.nz |
| AngelHQ | Angel network | NZ$50K-$500K | SaaS, AI, deep tech | angelhq.co.nz |
| Pacific Channel | Seed / Series A VC | NZ$500K-$4M | Deep tech, AI, health, biotech | pacificchannel.com |
| Outset Ventures | Deep-tech VC | NZ$250K-$3M | Deep tech, hardware, AI | outset.ventures |
| Nuance Connected Capital | Series A / B deep-tech VC | NZ$1M-$8M | Deep tech, deep AI, engineering | nuance.vc |
| Folklore Ventures | Seed / Series A VC | NZ$500K-$5M | AI, SaaS, deep tech | folklore.vc |
| Square Peg Capital | Series A to growth VC | NZ$2M-$20M+ | AI, SaaS, fintech, deep tech | squarepeg.vc |
Run your Wellington AI raise tight
AI VCs dig into your model and your data fast. Ellty logs every view in your data room.
Start free 14-day trialWhat an AI investor backs
An AI investor backs real models, not just hype. In NZ they want paying customers and a clear edge.
Most write seed to growth into NZ deep-tech teams. Founders pitching Wellington fintech investors face it too.
They study your data, your model, and your moat. See how Ellty works for AI teams that share data.
Ellty gives each fund one trackable link to your data room. You see who studied your model before the first call.
AI could add around NZ$76 billion to New Zealand's economy by 2038, more than 15% of current GDP.
14 Wellington AI investors
1. Movac
Movac is one of NZ's oldest VCs, with Wellington roots.
Recent Activity: Co-invested in Kry10, a secure OS for AI and critical systems
LinkedIn: Movac LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, deep tech, health
Stage Focus: Series A-B, growth
Check Size: NZ$2M-$10M
Location: Wellington / Auckland
Website: movac.co.nz
2. Hillfarrance
Hillfarrance is an AI-first NZ early-stage fund.
Recent Activity: Runs a NZ$36M fund backing AI-first Kiwi founders
LinkedIn: Hillfarrance LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, media, climate
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: NZ$1M-$6M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: hillfarrance.com
3. Icehouse Ventures
Icehouse Ventures is NZ's most active early-stage VC.
Recent Activity: Backed Halter's US$220M Series E and Tracksuit's US$25M round
LinkedIn: Icehouse Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, deep tech, agritech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed to pre-IPO
Check Size: NZ$250K-$10M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: icehouseventures.co.nz
4. GD1
GD1 takes early NZ tech startups to global scale.
Recent Activity: An active NZ AI, deep-tech, and SaaS investor
LinkedIn: GD1 LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, deep tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$500K-$5M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: gd1.vc
5. Blackbird Ventures
Blackbird is a leading ANZ VC backing deep tech.
Recent Activity: Backed Halter's US$220M Series E and Tracksuit in 2025
LinkedIn: Blackbird Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed to growth
Check Size: NZ$1M-$20M+
Location: Sydney / Auckland
Website: blackbird.vc
Share your model and track every AI fund
Ellty shows when Movac or Icehouse opens your deck. Follow up with each AI fund at the right time.
Start free 14-day trial6. NZGCP
NZGCP is the government-owned NZ early-stage investor.
Recent Activity: Put NZ$15M into Outset's NZ$41.5M deep-tech Fund II
LinkedIn: NZGCP LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, deep tech, cleantech, health
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: NZ$250K-$2M
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Website: nzgcp.co.nz
7. K1W1
K1W1 is Sir Stephen Tindall's evergreen NZ fund.
Recent Activity: An active NZ AI and deep-tech early-stage backer
LinkedIn: Not listed
Sector Focus: Deep tech, cleantech, AI, SaaS
Stage Focus: Seed, early
Check Size: NZ$100K-$2M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: k1w1.co.nz
8. Punakaiki Fund
Punakaiki is a listed evergreen fund based in Wellington.
Recent Activity: Held about NZ$123M in assets as of late 2025
LinkedIn: Not listed
Sector Focus: SaaS, tech, AI-enabled
Stage Focus: Growth, post-revenue
Check Size: NZ$500K-$3M
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Website: punakaikifund.co.nz
9. AngelHQ
AngelHQ is Wellington's main angel investor network.
Recent Activity: An active Wellington early-stage and AI angel backer
LinkedIn: AngelHQ LinkedIn
Sector Focus: SaaS, AI, deep tech
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: NZ$50K-$500K
Location: Wellington, New Zealand
Website: angelhq.co.nz
10. Pacific Channel
Pacific Channel is a deep-tech and science NZ VC.
Recent Activity: An active NZ deep-tech and science-IP investor
LinkedIn: Pacific Channel LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, AI, health, biotech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$500K-$4M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: pacificchannel.com
11. Outset Ventures
Outset Ventures is an Auckland deep-tech VC and lab.
Recent Activity: Closed a NZ$41.5M deep-tech Fund II in May 2025
LinkedIn: Outset Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, hardware, AI
Stage Focus: Pre-seed, seed
Check Size: NZ$250K-$3M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: outset.ventures
12. Nuance Connected Capital
Nuance is an NZ deep-tech and deep-AI fund.
Recent Activity: Co-invested in Kry10 with Folklore and Movac
LinkedIn: Nuance Connected Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: Deep tech, deep AI, engineering
Stage Focus: Series A-B, some seed
Check Size: NZ$1M-$8M
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Website: nuance.vc
13. Folklore Ventures
Folklore is an ANZ VC backing technical founders.
Recent Activity: Co-invested in Kry10, a secure OS for AI and edge
LinkedIn: Folklore Ventures LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, deep tech
Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
Check Size: NZ$500K-$5M
Location: Sydney / ANZ-active
Website: folklore.vc
14. Square Peg Capital
Square Peg is a major ANZ tech VC at scale.
Recent Activity: An active ANZ AI and deep-tech investor
LinkedIn: Square Peg Capital LinkedIn
Sector Focus: AI, SaaS, fintech, deep tech
Stage Focus: Series A, growth
Check Size: NZ$2M-$20M+
Location: Melbourne / ANZ-active
Website: squarepeg.vc
Applied AI and SaaS
Most NZ AI startups sell applied AI, not raw models. They bake their ML into a real working SaaS tool.
Funds want real usage and a clear data advantage. A slick demo with no real users will rarely raise.
Show your retention and your real model results. Set fund-level access with granular permissions.
Learn how investors review a data room first. Ellty logs exactly who opened each file and when.
Govtech and public-sector AI
Wellington sits right next to government and policy. Public-sector AI is a real and growing local niche.
NZ published its national AI strategy back in 2025. That opens up real doors for many govtech founders.
Public buyers want strong security and audit trails. Watermark sensitive docs with dynamic watermarking.
Weak data controls lose public-sector trust fast. Ellty shows who read your files and exactly when.
Pitching AI from Wellington
Wellington AI teams sit close to early customers. That kind of proximity helps an AI pitch a lot.
Funds back AI teams that ship and learn quickly. A slow-moving team will quickly lose the AI race.
Keep your backers warm with steady, real updates. Send them through investor update software.
Learn how data room permissions work early on. Ellty tracks who reads each file you send.
How to pitch an AI investor
Lead with model, data edge, and real users.
- 1.Show real users and a clear data edge.AI VCs fund traction, not just models.
- 2.Prove your model works in production.Demos without users stall AI rounds.
- 3.Share one Ellty link to your data room.Track who opens it and which files.
- 4.Follow up the moment a fund digs in.Ellty tells you exactly when they do.
How Ellty helps you land an AI investor in Wellington
You've shortlisted your Wellington AI investors already. Set up a data room before the first call.
- 1.Upload your model notes, metrics, and deck.Set access per fund or per partner.
- 2.Share one trackable link with each fund.Each fund gets its own tracked link.
- 3.Watch opens and follow up at the right time.Use Ellty analytics to time each nudge.
Wellington AI investor questions
- Movac and Hillfarrance back AI-first teams. Icehouse and Blackbird fund bigger rounds.
- Cheques run NZ$250K to NZ$20M in 2026. Growth rounds run much larger.
- Real users and a clear data edge. A model that works in production helps.
- It sits next to government and policy. Kry10 and Multitudes both started here.
- About 87% of NZ firms now use AI. That is nearly double the 2023 share.
- Before your first AI investor call. Track who opens your model and metrics.
