Tupu is a eight-week business accelerator that provides you with the tools, mentorship, and resources to grow.
Navigate the next stage of business growth
With access to expert mentors, dedicated coaches, and a supportive community of ambitious Māori founders, let Tupu unlock the potential of your pakihi as you gain essential skills in developing scalable business models, enhancing revenue generation strategies, and establishing robust commercial practices.
Dive deep into understanding market demands and customer needs to refine your product’s market fit, optimise your business model for sustainability, and navigate the complexities of investor relations, financial modelling, and persuasive pitching so that your pakihi thrives in the venture capital ecosystem.
E tū Tupuānuku, ko te one paraumu. Ringihia mai rā tō rahi ki te whenua haumako, kia puta ko te ora o Rongo. Koia!
Behold Tipuānuku, of the fertile soil. Spread your plenty across the land, reveal the bounty of Rongo. Indeed!
– Nā Rangi Mātāmua
In partnership with Tapuwae Roa and Sprout Agritech
United through the shared vision of driving Māori entrepreneurship forward, Sprout Agritech and Tapuwae Roa have partnered to deliver Tupu, an innovative business accelerator that is paving the way for pakihi Māori to to grow and become investment-ready, co-funded by Callaghan Innovation.
Key dates and programme outline
| Kaupapa | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Applications open | 24 February | Online |
| Applications close | 20 March | Online |
| Panel interviews for shortlisted teams |
10 – 11 April | Online |
| Mihi whakatau and Wānanga tuatahi |
1 – 3 May | Tāmaki Makaurau |
| 1 x weekly wānanga 1 x weekly coaching |
5 May – 22 June | Online |
| Wānanga tuarua | 29 – 31 May | Tāmaki Makaurau |
| Wānanga tuatoru | 24 – 25 June | Tāmaki Makaurau |
| Final Showcase | 26 June | Tāmaki Makaurau |
Preparing pakihi Māori for global aspirations
The Tupu Accelerator has proven to be a transformative force for Māori entrepreneurship within Aotearoa with a total Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 78.6%*. Recognising the positive influence of the programme on their ventures, many of our former Purapura (founders) believe the programme has significantly advanced their pakihi, providing them with the skills and confidence to scale their operations and elevate their startup to new heights.
*Results from responding Purapura in the 2024 Tapuwae Roa post-programme NPS survey
83%
of participating Purapura believe Tupu has had a positive impact on their pakihi
66%
of participating Purapura believe Tupu was a gamechanger for their pakihi
75%
of participating Purapura believe Tupu exposed key pātai for their pakihi
60%
of participating Purapura would recommend the Tupu Accelerator to other Purapura Māori
“Tupu is just the beginning of my journey, but the lessons and insights I have gained during this course has accelerated this start-up process in a way I could not have imagined”
– Purapura (2024 cohort)
Ō mātou pūkenga | Our coaches
Saara Tawha
Brittany Teei
Ian Musson
James Davis-Sigley
Kawepūrongo | News and updates
Te Taumata to promote Tupu Acceleractor Purapura on a global scale
Tapuwae Roa are pleased to see two of its Tupu Accelerator Purapura (founders) Hanna Ngatai and Maria Ngawati selected to represent wāhine Māori in tech on a global scale. In a world first, Te Taumata’s [...]
New report shares investment playbook for Māori founders
New research published by Tapuwae Roa this week has analysed New Zealand’s startup and venture capital ecosystem to steward Māori founders seeking capital investment. In a joint research endeavour between Tapuwae Roa, PwC, and New [...]
Shared vision brings Māori startups together
Highly contested business accelerator, Tupu, welcomed its inaugural cohort of Māori founders last week, kicking off its ten-week programme to drive sustainable growth for Māori businesses. Developed by Tapuwae Roa, in partnership with Sprout Agritech, [...]
