Latest News

The all-day October 14 Christchurch conference will feature several of NZ’s top women founders to inspire and connect with the next generation of women-led startups July 26, Christchurch: Women will start, shape, and build the future of Aotearoa industry, but change needs to come faster. That’s the rallying call for Electrify Aotearoa, an all-day national…

A rare opportunity to join the EPIC community. Due to one of our tenants growing we have a tenancy of 145sqm that may become available in late 2021. We are currently open to enquiries from tech focussed teams and entrepreneurs to become part of our thriving business hub.

The F2RP 2021 call for applications is now open until 30 July 2021 to support the attendance or the development of a France-related scientific project or event by a New Zealand-based researcher, student, institution, or association. Grants up to $10 000 will be awarded to support expenses. Eligibility ■     The proposal must be submitted by a…

It’s a region known for its breathtaking natural beauty and vilified primary industries. So where does Buller’s acclaimed innovation hub fit into it all? Michael Andrew went to find out. In May 2018, a Japanese businessman named Hiroki Koga stepped off a plane at Westport airport and blinked in the West Coast gloom. He’d left Tokyo three days…

Following the success of 2019’s Boma NZ Grow summit, Boma New Zealand presents E Tipu 2021, the food and fibre event of the year. Set to be Aotearoa’s ultimate agricultural forum, E Tipu brings together leaders who understand the primary sector from top to bottom, including guest speakers, exhibitors, and like-minded attendees with a focus…

The Ministry of Awesome and Canterbury electricity lines company, Orion, today launched a national competition calling for new ideas to reduce New Zealand’s carbon emissions. The Orion Energy Accelerator offers two Start-up Grants worth a combined $25,000 for people and start-up companies with ground-breaking energy innovations to be guided through a programme to validate and…

The transitional movement – Gap Filler, Greening the Rubble and so forth – made Christchurch globally famous. Will Harvie looks back at how it emerged. It’s hard to believe now that for a time the most famous building in Christchurch was made from 3000 blue shipping pallets, open to the sky. It lasted just 16…

After the earthquakes, Christchurch businesses were forced to take risks and work together to overcome shared challenges. That collaboration helped drive and fuel innovation in the city — something epitomised by the story of EPIC and its tenants.   Inside the high-ceilinged, wooden Enterprise Precinct and Innovation Campus (EPIC) building are hundreds of people working…

FoodStarter competition supersizes providing boost to supplier community in 2021 New World and Ministry of Awesome have started the search for New Zealand’s food and beverage product superstars, this year with an additional category for small suppliers and a supersized prize package which includes the priceless opportunity for the winners to range their products in…

Almost 3 years ago in September of 2017, Michelle Sharp, CEO of Kilmarnock Enterprises, was the first interviewee on a locally produced podcast that has since gained over 75,000 listeners. Last Monday, Seeds released its 200th episode.  Seeds is hosted by Steven Moe from Parry Field Lawyers. At its heart, the series is about telling…

Future strategist and business consultant Roger Dennis welcomes the supernodes. “There’s little point in trying to spin up something entirely new in a crisis, it’s much more logical to look for existing strengths and capabilities that you can support.”  Read more here

Information from ChristchurchNZ More Canterbury businesses will be able to access specialist support following the government’s announcement of an additional $40 million in advisory funding. Read the full article and find out more, including how to apply, here. The funding means small to medium businesses can access specialist advice and support across a number of…

PRESS RELEASE EMBARGOED UNTIL MONDAY, 29 JUNE 2020 Ōtautahi Christchurch aims to become the home of health tech innovation in New Zealand with the HealthTech Supernode Challenge, opening Monday 29 June. With a total prize pool across multiple categories valued at over $340,000, there are plenty of reasons to enter the HealthTech Supernode Challenge. This…

Extract from article published by Stuff on 13/06/2020. “One that comes to mind is a somewhat infamous meeting that the then minister Stephen Joyce gate-crashed back in 2012. Christchurch’s Central Development Unit had been given 100 days to prepare a “blueprint for action”. This saw a high-powered congregation of Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet,…

Grow Ō Tautahi, Christchurch’s very own Garden Festival, will return in 2021 – with dates locked-in for the free, three-day festival celebrating gardening, homegrown food, sustainability and education.  Organisers confirmed today the Festival will be held 12-14 March 2021 in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. The 2020 event was cancelled just days before it was due…

“EPIC Innovation features in the latest episode of the Starlifter.Dev Show! Benet Hitchcock chats with Jamie Hamilton, Creative Director at Meta Digital about making CD-ROMs, what’s changed in the Christchurch web scene over the years and how 2020 is shaping up.” https://www.starlifter.dev/meeting-meta-featuring-jamie-hamilton/ Benet ‘Dr’ Hitchcock Starlifter.NZ Internet | Audio Email: benet@starlifter.nz Mobile | Signal ::  +64…

The Award recognises inspiring Kiwis whose game-changing discoveries, research or inventions are driving our country forward. The three finalists for the first Trade Me New Zealand Innovator of the Year Award have been announced, and they’re all awesome! From developing world-leading wireless charging technology, to designing a machine that treats cancer, to using virtual reality…

source NZ Herald 13/2/20   Seven easy ways to keep safer online: 1. Use a different password for every service. 2. If you have trouble remembering dozens of different logons, InternetNZ’s inhouse security expert recommends investing in password manager software, like LastPass, which will auto-generate and auto-fill passwords for multiple websites. 3. The longer and…

source NZ Herald 15/2/20 Rocket Lab has been selected by NASA as the provider for a small satellite mission to the same lunar orbit targeted for Gateway. Gateway is an orbiting outpost that astronauts would visit before descending to the surface of the Moon in a landing system as part of NASA’s Artemis program. The…

  READY YOUR LAUGH-HOLE cos stuff just got way more buskery, frens! Mark 20-23 Feb in your everythings for Salty Buskers Club – an exciting day & night SALT District takeover with cheeky choices to choose from. It’s all here and at www.saltybuskers.club TELL EVERYONE! Venue The event is three days with daytime Buskers in…

Quirky science will help broach tough issues at Grow Ō Tautahi- March 20-22-FREE ENTRY-Christchurch Botanic Gardens  “Ever wanted to know if a cow is smiling? Or how you can make your car run on food waste from the rubbish dump?” Grow Ō Tautahi Science Ambassador Trevor Stuthridge is keen to share cool science alongside research…

The Government has pledged almost $2.2 million for pounamu and technology industries on the West Coast. Under Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau made the funding announcement at Waitangi Day commemorations in Hokitika on Thursday He said the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) would be giving $800,000 to Development West Coast for a Grey District Regional Digital Hub and an…

Startup Weekend Christchurch is back! Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th of May, 2020 at EPIC   Calling all budding entrepreneurs!  Come together to share ideas, form teams, build products, launch startups, and have an absolute blast at this high-energy 54-hour weekend for designers, developers, and business-focused (non-technical) participants. Don’t miss this chance to meet your future…

Farming by robot is no longer a fantasy, and it also could be a breakthrough for preserving our soil quality, a group of Kiwi entrepreneurs say. Christchurch’s Radius Robotics is developing a wheel-based robotic system which would direct drill seeds with a minimal footprint, irrigate, weed and collect data. Reducing the amount of land having…

Episode 8 with Lauren Peate (Multitudes) OUT NOW! This episode we wrap up our interviews from the Canterbury Tech Summit with Kris Herbert and Andy Poulsen chatting with Lauren Peate, CEO and co-founder of Multitudes, about her career to date and how to build an excellent culture inside organisations. Then Andy is joined in the…

    Look who’s hanging out with Markus at Espresso245. This beauty (the one that isn’t Markus) is for sale. Want it? Course you do, you pirate. Three more stonking big artworks also up for grabs. Exciting.   You need this artwork like the morning needs a coffee. Both available from Espresso245. The beautiful soul sister here…

There will be a series of Friday Lunch Time Music in the Little High Courtyard 🎶 The Ara Music Arts students, SALT district neighbours, will be performing between 12-2pm 🎷 It’s the perfect excuse to gather up right here

We think the area around St Asaph, Lichfield and Tuam Streets is the best urban neighbourhood in Christchurch. We are a friendly, creative and well connected community in a gritty, lively part of town including the Innovation Precinct, awesome hospitality and retail, with the South Frame and Rauora Park right on our door step. Apart…

  From Left to Right: David Snyder (Town Team Movement), Ethan Kent (Project for Public Spaces, PlacemakingX), Mike Percasky (SALT Collective Charitable Trust), Charles Landry (Creative Cities Index). The team behind the beating heart of Christchurch’s most innovative and edgy District has been recognised at a major international awards. Ōtākaro and SALT District were last…

  Christchurch aims to be at the centre of New Zealand’s burgeoning aerospace sector by 2025, according to the city’s aerospace strategic plan. Read the sector plan here. Read the summary here. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to develop the plan which sets out goals and actions for…

Kia Ora!! I hope things are going well for you and your teams as we get closer towards the end of 2019 – It’s been a big year for us at Vodafone xone, and I wanted to share some details about our new xone accelerator programme of which we have just opened applications! J The least important…

CHALLENGE PITCH FEST AND AWARDS EVENT ON OCTOBER 18 ChristchurchNZ and Airbus are pleased to announce the eight finalists in the New Zealand Aerospace Challenge 2019. The finalists are: Christ’s College Drones Technologies NZ Ltd Kea Aerospace Landpro Lincoln University NIWA Samplair Seequent New Zealand Aerospace Challenge 2019 Pitchfest About this Event Finalist Pitchfest-Book Here…

Google’s Maps app has got a new augmented reality or “Live View” feature, which should help solve a persistent annoyance: knowing which way to head when you’re following directions. You know the drill: a blue dot appears on the map on your smartphone’s screen – but it’s often hard to tell which way you’re supposed…

NZ Herald New Zealand’s interactive media and games sector could create a billion-dollar export industry by 2024, a new report outlining the sector reveals. Interactive Aotearoa, a report produced by the New Zealand Game Developers Association with support from NZTech, WeCreate and government agencies, identified interactive games as the greatest potential creator of new jobs…

The Smart Christchurch team is hosting the third annual Innovation Expo at the newly restored Christchurch Town Hall.  We are inviting exhibitors to showcase their innovative solutions to the Christchurch public, civic leaders, and other key people invited to attend. The outcomes for the Smart Christchurch Innovation Expo include: Demonstrate new approaches to solving persistent…

Want to meet and hear from Australian venture capitalists who have backed incredible Kiwi and Australian startups, as they demystify their investment and speak on how they identify, invest and work with startups? Join us for a special panel event – Australian VCs in New Zealand, on 3rd September in Christchurch. Spaces are limited, register for your ticket today:…

For the last three months ten early-stage businesses have been honing their concept, building their business proposition and are ready to showcase their sustainable tourism venture to the world. Come and see their concepts! When:    Tuesday 20 August, 5.30pm to 8pm Venue:   Christchurch Town Hall, James Hay Theatre, 86 Kilmore Street RSVP here Read more about Lightning Lab Tourism and the participating ventures here.

Concentrate is the only agency in Australia and New Zealand to reach HubSpot Diamond Partner and HubSpot Master Trainer status. Find out more here: https://hubs.ly/H0jX9Tx0 Diamonds are an agency’s best friend Concentrate is the first company in Australia and New Zealand to reach Diamond Partner and Master Trainerstatus for international software company HubSpot. That puts us in the…

Springfield in our home province of Canterbury used to be mostly famous for its giant donut (a homage to its cartoon namesake), but it has now hit the national consciousness as having the ‘’rudest café in New Zealand’. While the humble restaurant has generated a mountain of publicity, it’s not a marketing approach we would typically recommend. Here’s…

  In episode 2 of the EPIC podcast series journalist Kris Herbert interviews Sarah Heal, Director & co-founder of Information Leadership. We talk about their journey so far, their team, how they became Microsoft’s exclusive partner for information management in NZ and some of the interesting hiring decisions they’ve made. Following the interview, Andy Poulsen chats…