Ko wai mātou

Te Kōara empowers Māori innovation by connecting researchers, students and hapori Māori with expert guidance, investment and support to transform Māori-led ideas into impactful commercial opportunities. It recognises the potential of Māori to significantly enrich Aotearoa New Zealand's innovation and commercialisation environments through their research, ideas and mātauranga. By connecting Māori researchers, students and innovators with expert commercialisation guidance, a wide-ranging support network, and connection to follow-through investment, the rōpū facilitates the transformation of Māori-led ideas into successful commercial ventures.

We are one of three programmes stewarded by The Lighthouse, which is dedicated to illuminating commercialisation pathways across Aotearoa New Zealand’s science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.

As a partner in the government’s Commercialisation Partner Network (CPN) and supported by UniServices, we play a national role in increasing commercial outcomes from publicly funded research. Established by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the CPN strengthens New Zealand’s ability to turn ideas into real-world impact by linking tertiary institutes, investors, and commercialisation experts.

As we are also accredited to make formal investment decisions for the PreSeed Accelerator Fund (PSAF), Te Kōara is able to ignite and fuel Māori innovation. This fund provides crucial early-stage capital, helping promising student and tertiary-born tech move from concept to market at pace. Together with the CPN, our role with PSAF ensures that world-class, fast-moving ideas can rapidly translate into commercial success - creating new ventures, products, and industries that benefit Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy and society.