Hello Everyone:

WellyForge 2 will be on Weds 30th July, 6 - 8pm at Undercurrent. Along with Neil Butler, founder of Optimation who won the Spark Best Hi-Tech Product for the Public Good at the 2025 NZ Hi-Tech awards, the other main speaker will be from OpenStar Technologies, your run-of-the-mill Wellington nuclear fusion company. Tickets are limited and live now. 

We’re also attempting to pull together the mayoral candidates for Wellington City on August 20th for WellyForge 3 - we have a few questions around economic prosperity and how they see science & tech playing into that ;-) Keep that evening free, they need come earn a WellyForge mug each.

Also, we know the lists below are getting messy - there’s so much going on - we’ll redesign for next week.

Rule #1 - Celebrate the Wins

Wellington Gold Awards 2025 is done & dusted - expect to see some of these sci-tech companies talking at WellyForge in the near future: Roady (find cool things to do, based at the Vic incubator) won Emerging Gold; UUanafit custom bra system (from Vic Design school) won Innovation Gold; Silverstripe won Technology Gold; Goodnature (based by the Basin) won Global Gold & the Supreme Award for their toxin-free pest traps:

• The Post article “Goodnature wins top gong at The Post Gold Awards”

• The Gold Awards “Class of 2025” review

• Hall of Fame, winners since 1999

Got a win? Tell us!!

Rule #2 - Know What’s Going On

Weds 9th July, 5.30-7.30pm, Start Up Wellington, Start Up Match at THE ATOM “five founder pitches. Matched with talent. A night of speed-dating with hustle!” - tickets and details here

Weds 9th July, 6-7pm, Hydrogen Bonding in Ionic Liquids, Professor Patricia Hunt, Vic Uni at the Royal Society in Thorndon. Ionic Liquids are being explored for use in energy, tech devices and health.

Weds 9th July, 6pm, Friends of Figma Wellington host online Jon Bell (Principial Product Designer, Xero and Wellington based) talking about “The Future Favours the Curious”

Friday 11th July, 5-6.30pm, Founder Meet Up organized by the Atom (part of Vic Uni) at Southern Cross every other Friday, contact Entrepreneur in Residence, Adiraj Gupta 

Monday 14th July, 8-9am, Weekly Founder Mentoring at the Atom hosted by Adiraj Gupta

Tues 15th July, 12-2pm, AngelHQ Investment Lunch (members & guests only)

Weds 16th July, 12-1pm, Weekly Founder Support Drop-in Hour at the Atom

Thurs 17th July, 5.30pm, Hutt Valley Innovation Talk Series, talks include Glen Cameron & Steve Cowper talking about biometrics and identity; David Morrison talking about “How to Do a Good Job with AI”

Friday 25th July, Biotech & Beers, venue TBC

Weds 30th July, 12 noon, Deep Tech Network Lunch hosted by the MacDiarmid Institute at the new offices of Advemto.

Weds 30th July, 6-8pm, WellyForge 2 at Undercurrent on Tory Street, main speakers will be Neil Butler, founder of Optimation and Hi-Tech Award winner and one of the top execs at OpenStar Technologies. Get tickets here.

Thurs 31st July, 12.30pm, Hutt Valley Science Community Meeting

Thurs 31st July, 4.30-7pm, Wellington Start Up Collective at CreativeHQ, come along for lots of non-advice.

Friday 1st Aug, 4.30pm at Dockside, Talent Army’s 10th Anniversary Party

Mon Aug 11th Quantum & Infrastructure Events in Wellington with Dr Cathy Foley (invite only, organized by Zahra Champion), she’s also running an online Quantum 101 seminar on Monday 14th July, 11am.

Weds Aug 13th, NZ Energy Excellence Awards in Wellington

Aug 27th-30th, RustForge is in Wellington run by Tim McNamara with plenty of Wellington speakers, including OpenStar, who are using Rust to “design a superconducting magnet powerful enough to lift an aircraft carrier”.

Nov 19th-21st, Synbio (synthetic biology) is in Wellington, organized by Mark Calcott from Vic Uni.

Fri Nov 21st, 6pm. 2degrees Wellington Regional Business Excellence Awards 2025

Got an event coming up? Tell us!!

Have we got a wrong day or time? Tell us!!

Rule #3 - Understand the Wider Environment

• NZTech’s take on the nationwide AI strategy released today (Weds 9th). Also, read the Govt media release and the full AI Strategy document from Dr Shane Reti, and the national AI Ecosystem map (we need that for Wellington!)

• “To get some wind in our sails, start with local pride”, from Simon Arcus, CEO of Business Central NZ in the Post talking about getting Wellington going again, and that includes innovation and businesses.

• Andrew Butel reminiscing about the early days of incubators in Wellington (and offering desks to rent now in a great space).

• The new research organizations were established on 1st July, link to the press release from Shane Ret:

  “Science, innovation and technology are the engine rooms of a productive economy and our Government is committed to powering up our scientists and innovators to deliver for New Zealanders,” says Dr Reti. 

  “From today, six Crown Research Institutes will merge to form two new entities: the Bioeconomy Science Institute and the Earth Science Institute. Meanwhile, ESR will refocus its mission to become the Public Health and Forensic Science Institute.

• Sir Peter Jackson and Ngai Tahu working with a US biotech to bring back the moa, article in the Post - be interesting to get that work presented to us.

Reminders:

• 2degrees Wellington Regional Business Excellence Awards 2025 now open (to 12th September)

• CreativeHQ are seeking applications for a Fintech Accelerator in August

• SummerOfTech are looking for employers read to help junior talent

Got other stuff? Tell us!!

Rule #4 - Use the Community

• AngelHQ for contacting the local angel community

• ADI Clinics in Wellington (Angelic Drop-In)

• Atom at Victoria is for any unfunded Founders in Wellington (Students, Early Stage, Idea Stage) all welcome, contact Entrepreneur in Residence, Adiraj Gupta

• Glean Report for a full rundown of Wellington events including humanities

• Kapiti Start-Up Network Meet-Ups (every 2 weeks)

• LabMates for scientists of any career stage to connect & collaborate

• MacDiarmid Institute invites companies with R&D challenges to present to their Science Advisory Panels for science matchmaking

• Morgo for NZ entrepreneurs (run from Wellington by Jenny Morel)

• Start-Up Coaching (Free, via CreativeHQ)

• Start-Up Wellington (the people behind Start-Up Weekend)

• Taiawa Wellington Tech Hub (WCC/Vic, over near Beehive)

• Virtual CXO’s for your start-up, you can filter under each role for Wellington

• Wellington NZ Business Support

• Wellington Start Up Collective to meet non-advising fellow start-up nuts

• WhatFoundersWant useful stuff from Wellington-based Lane Litz

Got other links? Tell us!!

WellyForge