The Factory NZ

31/05/2026

Congratulations to our very own Colin “Coal” Groves on being appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours.

This recognition reflects Coal’s outstanding contribution to business, philanthropy, and sport over many years. His leadership, generosity, and commitment to helping others succeed have made a lasting impact across New Zealand.

As Chair of The Factory, Coal brings wisdom, integrity, and a genuine passion for supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening our innovation ecosystem. We are incredibly fortunate to benefit from his guidance and leadership.

On behalf of everyone at The Factory, congratulations Coal on this well-deserved honour.

27/05/2026

A few weeks later and we’re still thinking about the energy in the room from the third Manawatū Innovation Showcase 💡

So many good conversations and reminders that there are some seriously exciting things happening across our region right now 🚀

Huge thanks to our speakers for sharing their stories, lessons, ideas and honesty with us 🙌
🎤 Kemp Reweti, Pūhoro STEMM Academy
🎤 Nancy Taneja, Toyota New Zealand
🎤 Shane Telfer, Captivate Technology
🎤 Guy Phillips, Firecrest Systems
🎤 Ellen Young, Real Worlders
🎤 Villi Tosi, Culture360°
🎤 Matthew June, HANK
🎤 Mac Williams, Swiggin'
🎤 Mrinali Kumar, EatKinda

And a massive shoutout to the partners and supporters who helped make the night happen 🤝

TechStep | Palmerston North City Council | Manawatū District Council | Blacksheepdesign | CEDA - Central Economic Development Agency | Firecrest Systems | The Lighthouse | Momentum | Central Energy Trust | Sprout Agritech | Palmy Venues + Events

One of the highlights of the evening was announcing the Innovate Grant recipients, these are mirco grants for entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey 🚀

Big congratulations to:
🏆 Kathleen White, creating a postpartum supplement powder drink.
🏆 Shiloh Dyer, building an AI platform to improve, measure and track students reasoning capabilities.
🏆 Harry Bristow, creating a next-generation functional energy brand, replacing traditional drinks and pre-workouts with fast-acting, use-case driven caffeine pouches.
🏆 Shumin Zhou, building a platform that gives families real-time visibility into the care their loved one receives at home, by letting carers log visits instantly via a QR code with no app or account required.
🏆 Mac Williams, automating the process of feeding orphan lambs.

Thanks to everyone who came along, asked questions, made connections, helped behind the scenes, or simply showed up and backed the founders. We’re pretty lucky to have this community, and already looking forward to the next one ✨

26/05/2026

We’re part way through today’s Governance for Growth Workshop at The Factory, delivered in partnership with Angel Association New Zealand 🪽

It’s been fantastic to see a room full of founders, directors, trustees, and future directors from across the region coming together to learn more about governance, boards, and building stronger businesses ✨

A big thank you to our facilitators, Debra Hall and Greg Sitters, for sharing their experience and leading such valuable discussions throughout the day.

And thanks to everyone attending and contributing to the conversations so far 🌟

Manawatū

19/05/2026

Good governance can make a real difference when you’re growing a business.

Next week, we’re hosting the Governance for Growth Workshop at The Factory in partnership with Angel Association New Zealand.

This practical, hands-on workshop is designed for founders, SME leaders, and anyone thinking about setting up a board or stepping into a director role. You’ll learn what good governance looks like in practice, including the role of boards, directors’ legal responsibilities, and how to run effective meetings.

📅 Tuesday, 26 May
🕙 10:00am to 4:30pm (Lunch included)
📍 The Factory, 21 Dairy Farm Road, Palmerston North
🎟️ $50 + GST (individual) | $100 + GST (group of three)

If you want to build a stronger business and make better decisions as you grow, this workshop is a great place to start.

👉 Register here: https://app.glueup.com/event/aanz-2026-governance-for-growth-palmerston-north-163128/

Entrepreneurship

30/04/2026

🚀 One week to go!

The countdown is on for the Manawatū Innovation Showcase 2026 and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve got an exceptional line-up of speakers ready to inspire, and we’ll also be announcing the winners of the Innovate Grants on the night 👀

📅 Thursday, 7 May 2026
⏰ 5:30pm - 7:30pm
📍 Palmy Conference + Function Centre

This event wouldn’t be possible without the support of our amazing partners: TechStep, The Lighthouse, Sprout Agritech, Blacksheepdesign, Firecrest, Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA), Palmerston North City Council, Manawatū District Council, and Central Energy Trust 🙌

🎟️ Don’t miss out, secure your spot now:

Register on Humanitix - Manawatū Innovation Showcase hosted by The Factory. Palmy Conference + Function Centre, 354 Main Street, Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand. Thursday 7th May 2026. Find event information.

23/04/2026

Just a quick reminder that applications for the Innovate Grants close at the end of the day on 27 April 2026. There’s still time to get your application in.
If you’ve been thinking about applying, this is your nudge to go for it 🚀

👉 Apply here: https://thefactorynz.co.nz/innovate-grants

13/04/2026

A few moments from past Innovation Showcases 📸

Big ideas 💡
Great people 🤝
Real momentum ⚡️

It all comes together in one room.

The Manawatū Innovation Showcase is back. If you want to see what’s being built, meet the people behind it, and be part of the energy, this is the one to be at 👀

Whether you’re building, backing, or just keen to be in the mix, come through.
🎟️ Free to attend, register here 👉 https://events.humanitix.com/manawatu-innovation-showcase-2026

Let’s fill the room 🔥

Thanks to our amazing partners for making this possible 🙏 TechStep, Palmerston North City Council, Manawatū District Council, Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA), Sprout Agritech, The Lighthouse, Firecrest, Blacksheepdesign & Central Energy Trust

07/04/2026

Got something you’ve been wanting to build? Or in the early stages of building?

Innovate Grants are now open and we’re here to back founders who are ready to take the next step. Whether your testing an idea or growing something that’s already underway, this is about helping you move forward 🚀

Apply for up to $5,000 in non-dilutive funding to test, validate, and start building a concept with genuine potential to scale beyond our region 🌱

These grants are contestable, with shortlisted applicants pitching to a panel before winners are announced at the Manawatū Innovation Showcase on 7 May 2026: https://events.humanitix.com/manawatu-innovation-showcase-2026

Learn more and apply here 👉 https://thefactorynz.co.nz/innovate-grants

Applications close: 27 April 2026.

Central Economic Development Agency (CEDA) | |

30/03/2026

🚀 The Manawatū Innovation Showcase is back!

Join us for a fast-paced evening of startups, new tech, and great conversations with the region's innovation community.

📍 Palmy Conference + Function Centre
⏰ 7 May 2026 | 5:30pm
🎟️ Free (but you need to register)

Grab your spot 👉 https://events.humanitix.com/manawatu-innovation-showcase-2026

Come see what's being built right here in the Manawatū 👀

Made possible thanks to our amazing partners TechStep, Firecrest Systems, Central Energy Trust, Sprout Agritech, CEDA - Central Economic Development Agency, The Lighthouse, Blacksheepdesign, Palmerston North City Council & Manawatū District Council ⭐️

06/03/2026

Running a startup means wearing a lot of hats. Automation helps.

Startups working with The Factory can access 1 year free of the Make Teams Plan, including up to 480,000 operations.

Make helps founders automate workflows, connect apps, and even integrate AI into everyday processes so you can spend less time on repetitive work and more time building your company.

To access the perk, select The Factory NZ as your investor during sign-up.

See this and other perks available to founders working with us
https://thefactorynz.co.nz/perks-and-resources