‘Startup Advisors Council’ appointed

The Government has appointed a “Startup Advisors Council” to help identify and address opportunities and challenges facing high growth start-up businesses, including those in EV-related fields.

The council includes the likes of Ministry of Awesome chief executive Marian Johnson who opened the Electrify Aotearoa conference on May 26 in Christchurch, the Ministry of Awesome also featuring in an earlier EVs and Beyond story.

“Startups are major contributors to the knowledge and innovation that we know are fundamental to New Zealand’s economic recovery as well as resilience, ongoing economic growth, the creation of highly skilled jobs, and to people in Aotearoa enjoying a high quality of life,” says research, science and innovation minister Megan Woods who jointly announced the council with economic and regional development minister Stuart Nash.

Woods also attended Electrify Aotearoa.

“Startups are often high tech, rapidly growing businesses which compete in the global market,” she says.

“They can generate significant levels of research and development and drive economic growth, sometimes developing entirely new industries. 

“The council whose members have extensive experience in the start-up and angel investor industry will enable more co-ordinated and targeted action from government, helping lift productivity,” Woods adds.

Nash says: “We know that New Zealand has a strong start-up ecosystem that has demonstrated impressive resilience over the last two years.

“Start-ups and smart capital are important engines for productivity growth, and our Government is committed to deepening capital markets through initiatives such as New Zealand Growth Capital Partners.”

Nash says the Startup Council will help in understanding the challenges facing start-ups and the actions needed to take to create an even better environment for innovative start-ups to thrive.

“I have seen the value of the approach through my work with the Small Business Council, which produced a strategy in 2019. The government backed these recommendations through immediate changes, and the strategy continues to influence Government policy today.

“This includes the recently announced Business Growth Fund, which will enable New Zealand’s small and medium sized enterprises to access the capital they need to grow and be successful,” Nash explains.

Seven members will sit on the council for a one-year term, the council chaired by Phil McCaw, founding partner at venture capital fund Movac and former chair of the Angel Association New Zealand. 

Council members include Marian Johnson, the Angel Association New Zealand chair Suse Reynolds, co-founder of the A.I. language translation platform Straker Translations Grant Straker (Ngati Raukawa), founder of various start-ups including Sonar6 and Joyous Mike Carden, co-founder and chief executive of Auckland-based Outset Ventures Imche Fourie, and managing partner of WNT

Ventures Carl Jones who has been involved in companies including Advanced Manufacturing, Robotics and Aerospace.

Visit MBIE for more information on the Startup Advisors Council, including the terms of reference.