The Mainland Angel Investors will host our sixth investment evening for 2025 on October 15th in Invercargill, Queenstown, Christchurch, Wanaka and Dunedin. Join in to hear from three startups as they pitch their unique value propositions, growth potential, and financial projections. This is a fantastic opportunity to network with like-minded investors and entrepreneurs who are interested in supporting the next generation of successful startups. RSVP Here.

As a founder or startup owner, you most likely have many questions about setting up your business, raising capital, or managing legal risks.

What better way to get answers than from two experts with serious startup experience and success? Read More Here.

See what this year’s cohort of Otago tertiary students have been working on, and watch them pitch their startups for $5,000!

After weeks of shaping ideas and putting pitches through their paces, Dunedin students will present and share their startups, side hustles, research projects, and not-for-profits. Our Pitch Night gives you the opportunity to see what our student entrepreneurs have been building and to get behind the next wave of student startups right here in Ōtepoti.

Read more & RSVP here.

Looking for ways to connect into the digital identity ecosystem? Join these informal monthly drop in/coffee chats for the Digital Identity NZ community. Each session is designed to help you connect, share stories and spark discussion, and runs for 45 minutes to allow more time for discussion and ideas exchange. Read More.

Marketing can feel overwhelming when you’re running a start-up — small budgets, limited time, and a hundred other jobs on your plate. The good news? You don’t need a big spend to start winning customers.

This session includes actionable guidance to help you create an action list you can implement immediately, plus a Q+A to answer your burning questions.

Read More.

Avid Legal lawyer (and Startup Dunedin’s board chair!) Wade Pearson is joining fellow Avid Legal lawyer Monica Cacho-Bevin at the New Zealand Game Dev Conference this year in Wellington!

Join them for some clear and simple advice on contracts for all stages, whether you’re developing your own game or doing contract work for others. Warning: this talk includes useful tips and interesting stories. You might even have fun.

Read More.

Dunedin City Council allocates up to $70,000 per year for innovation and development from the Waste Minimisation contestable fund. Applications are open to any idea, project, initiative, or event that encourages, promotes, or administers waste minimisation activities in Dunedin.

Collaborative projects are encouraged.

Apply here: Waste Minimisation Commercial Grant application - Dunedin City Council

Retrospectives are a vital part of engineering team performance, helping improve processes, teamwork, and delivery efficiency. But many teams still face challenges bridging the gap between objective data and subjective feedback. With so many approaches available, it can be difficult to know which method best fits a team’s needs.

This upcoming session will explore the barriers that get in the way of running meaningful retrospectives and how engineering leaders can overcome them. The discussion will also cover how to address team concerns about retro processes and strike the right balance between human reflections and data-driven insights.

The conversation will feature Aino Corry from MetaDeveloper and Vivek Katial, Lead Data Scientist, who will share their perspectives on creating impactful retrospectives. RSVP here

As a startup or business owner, raising capital is essential for growth, but the legal requirements can be difficult to navigate. LegalVision is hosting a free webinar designed to support founders and entrepreneurs who want to better understand their options around funding strategies and investment structures.

The session, Ask a Cap Raising Lawyer: Seed, Series A and Beyond, takes place on Tuesday, 23 September at 12 pm NZST. Georgina Toomey, Managing Director at LegalVision, will answer questions and share insights into funding at different stages of growth. RSVP here

Founder Catalyst is Ministry of Awesome’s startup programme for ambitious Kiwi founders obsessed with discovering and solving customer problems on a global scale. Founder Catalyst is all about hands-on learning, real-world application, and expert guidance - read more about it here.

We've got $5000 for student startups at our upcoming Student Pitch Competition!

If you'd like to make the most out of your pitch submission and ensure your pitch is in tip-top shape, join us on Friday, 12 September for this Pitching 101 session + Ask Me Anything (AMA)!

You can get your burning questions answered, and learn what to include in your pitch for maximum effectiveness.

Sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/AMAPitch25

OR - learn more about our Student Pitch Competition here: startupdunedin.nz/pitch

This online workshop equips angel investors with the tools and insights to manage their portfolio effectively. Led by seasoned investor Ken Erskine, the session covers due diligence, investment structuring, key legal terms, and follow-on strategy. Read more.

In this Tech Leader Chat, PartnerSlate’s CTO Pete Hodgson (previously at Earnest Inc., ThoughtWorks and more) will discuss the reality of AI adoption across companies and how to roll AI out for your team while setting everyone up for success.  Read More.

You’ve found the right Angel investor, and due diligence is done—now it’s time to tackle the paperwork

In this next session of our Angel & VC Investing series, Startup Queenstown Lakes will walk you through the essentials:

• Term Sheets: Key terms to know and negotiate

• Subscription Agreements: Understanding commitments from both sides

• Shareholder Agreements: Building a clear framework for ownership and rights

Read More & RSVP.

NZX’s Anna De Souza and Joseph Redpath will lead an online session for founders on what it takes to build a business ready for future listing. From assembling strong teams to setting up robust reporting and investor engagement practices, this session offers valuable advice for startups preparing for long-term growth. Read More.

CodeCraft are meeting up this September to discuss key learnings from Rust Forge in Wellington (https://rustforgeconf.com/), as well as have a discussion around the state of play in adoption (or otherwise) of generative AI tools in our workplaces and lives.

Read More.

Looking for ways to connect into the digital identity ecosystem? Join these informal monthly drop in/coffee chats for the Digital Identity NZ community. Each session is designed to help you connect, share stories and spark discussion, and runs for 45 minutes to allow more time for discussion and ideas exchange. Read More.

Scott Mason is a chartered accountant at Findex. Catch him at the latest Otago Breakfast Series event by University of Otago Alumni & Dunedin Young Professionals for a glimpse into his career journey, how he embraces change and opportunity, and his wisdom for early career starters on navigating challenges. RSVP Here

Keen to get your club earning, saving, and planning smarter? Come along to this fun and practical workshop all about sponsorship, fundraising, grants and sustainable leadership. That's everything you need to help your club thrive now and into the future. Whether you're brand new to it or just want to sharpen your skills - this one’s for you!

Plus: Every club that sends someone along goes in the draw to win one of two $50 New World vouchers - perfect for grabbing snacks for your club's upcoming AGM!

OUSA will have a bit of food for everyone, so please register so we know how many to cater for. Click here for more.

Ready to Pitch Your Startup? You’ve perfected your pitch and feel set to approach investors - but is your startup really ready?

Before any investment comes through, you’ll need to tick off every box in Investor Due Diligence (DD):

• Founders & Team: Showcasing your strengths and readiness

• Solid Business Plan: A roadmap investors can believe in

• MVP & Validation: Proven market need for your product

• Legal Foundations: IP, founder shares, contracts, and more

• Financial Projections: 3-year OPEX and revenue forecasts

Read More & RSVP.

Join our webinar to explore undergraduate Business study options at Otago. Hear from our esteemed academic staff and our industry guest speaker.

Discover what makes Otago’s Business programmes unique – from global pathways and entrepreneurship to real-world, hands-on learning.

Bring your questions – our team will be answering them live! 🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏼‍♂️

🗓️ Date & Time: Tuesday 19 August, 4:30PM – 5:30PM (NZT)
🔗 Register now:
https://otago.zoom.us/webinar/register/5617546124712/WN_QraXg0GkQWGYms3AkKB9Kw#/registration

Entries close this week to celebrate Southern Māori business excellence and the outstanding achievements of pakihi Māori across Otago & Southland! 

Nominations for the Kuma Māori Business Awards are open now across 6 award categories, so if you know someone who ought to be nominated, make sure you get that in ASAP to support a local business doing great things. Read More.

Jacqueline's journey from writer to technologist centred on one question: how do we build digital spaces where everyone belongs? Read more & RSVP: https://academyex.com/events/jacqueline-comer-is-exceptional

The Pledgeme team have distilled their experience supporting over 1,700 founders and doers to successfully raise into this practical four hour workshop.

Join in and you'll come away with a practical understanding of how to raise and a draft plan.  The team will then catch up with you as a group a fortnight later to check in on your progress! Read More.

Petridish are hosting an open day and morning tea for National Co-Working Day! This is an awesome chance for Dunedinites to experience Petridish, engage in some fun networking and meet other locals working on cool stuff.

Keen? Please RSVP to bookings@petridish.co.nz by Wednesday, 6 August. If you'd like a tour of Petridish after the morning tea, let them know in your RSVP!

This two-hour online workshop is ideal for those new to angel investing or curious about getting started. Facilitated by experienced investor Ken Erskine, the session explores the motivations, risks, and mechanics of early-stage investing. Topics include building a portfolio, legal responsibilities, the importance of engagement, and the role of exits. Expect practical insights, a welcoming learning environment, and the chance to connect with fellow investors across Aotearoa.

Read More.