Māori entrepreneurs unite through business accelerator

Tupu Accelerator Welcomes Inaugural Cohort of Māori Founders

Last week, the highly contested business accelerator, Tupu, welcomed its inaugural cohort of Māori founders, marking the beginning of a ten-week programme aimed at driving sustainable growth for Māori businesses.

Developed by Tapuwae Roa in partnership with Sprout Agritech, Tupu received over 300 applications from aspiring pakihi Māori (Māori businesses) and onboarded eleven teams for the accelerator programme.

Te Pūoho Kātene, Kaihautū of Tapuwae Roa, expressed his excitement at the overwhelming response to Tupu, stating, “It was an honor to receive so many applications from rakahinonga (Māori entrepreneurs) across the motu who have bold aspirations to take their pakihi to the next level.”

The selected teams participated in a two-day wānanga to pitch their businesses for selection, with successful applicants officially onboarded as Purapura (Māori founders) at the accelerator’s inaugural launch last Friday.

Over the next ten weeks, the accelerator will provide coaching, mentorship, and resources to help the Purapura grow their businesses from grassroots to global, culminating in a capstone showcase.

Timmy Smith, founder of Toi Tī, hopes to create an innovative herbal tea offering from waste streams of traditional horticultural and viticultural production with the support of Tupu Accelerator.

Fellow Purapura, Daniel Carson, CEO of Mīti, emphasized Tupu’s focus on impact, stating, “We are surrounded by a cohort that shares our values of balancing people, planet, and profit. We are honored to be selected and excited to continue the mahi.”

Hanna Ngatai, founder of Taurus Concrete, expressed her excitement to join the Tupu cohort, highlighting the unique atmosphere of shared vision among Māori entrepreneurs in the programme.

The Tupu Accelerator is set to play a crucial role in driving the growth of Māori businesses and fostering a koha-driven economy for Māori entrepreneurs.