2025年新西兰科技生态系统报告（英）_31页_8mb

New Zealand Tech Ecosystem Summary (2025 Report)

Core Content Overview

The New Zealand tech ecosystem is experiencing significant growth and is becoming a major contributor to the national economy. Despite relatively low levels of venture capital (VC) investment compared to OECD peers, the ecosystem has grown 6.1x in value since 2019, outperforming regional and global benchmarks. This growth is attributed to the capital efficiency of local startups and their strong track record in delivering both financial and societal returns.

Key Highlights

• Total Tech Value: New Zealand's tech sector has generated NZ$129B in value, with NZ$124B of this value being VC-backed.
• Top Companies: Approximately 77% of the total value is generated by the three biggest VC-backed companies.
• Ecosystem Growth: The ecosystem has grown faster than peer countries, even though it started from a lower base in 2019.
• Per Capita Value: New Zealand has generated NZ$24K worth of VC-backed value per capita, outperforming countries like Australia and Belgium.
• Unicorns and Exits: The country currently has 8 unicorns or US$1B+ exits, though many have received limited local investment and/or have limited presence in New Zealand.
• VC Investment Trends: In 2024, New Zealand startups raised NZ$643M, with FNZ's NZ$773M Growth Equity VC round in April 2025 contributing significantly to this growth. 2025 has already seen the second highest year in history for VC investment.
• Investor Activity: Icehouse Ventures has been the most active investor in New Zealand since 2019, with a 100-point activity index. Domestic investors dominate early-stage funding, while foreign investment leads in breakout and late-stage rounds.
• Regional Focus: Auckland remains the most funded city in New Zealand, with a concentration of VC investment.
• Industry Trends: Fintech has been the most funded industry since 2024, followed by enterprise software, AI, robotics, and energy and security tech.
• Exit Activity: 2025 is on track for the third highest number of VC-backed exits to date. Notable exits include QUANTIFI PHOTONICS® (NZ$214M), Robotics Plus (Undisclosed), and Learning platform (NZ$270M).

Ecosystem Outlook

• Potential for Growth: Scaling VC funding and the number of VC-backed startups to levels comparable with global peers could be transformational for New Zealand's economy.
• Capability Building: Continued focus on capability building, capital formation, and connectedness will be crucial for sustaining growth.
• University Contributions: Over 70 New Zealand universities have produced spinouts with a combined enterprise value of NZ$2.2B and over 800 jobs.
• Data Transparency: A dedicated open-access data platform has been launched to provide transparency, analysis, and insights into the tech ecosystem, accessible to anyone interested in the sector.

Methodology & Definitions

• Startup Definition: Companies founded since 1990 designed to grow fast. They are generally VC-investable businesses.
• Unicorn Definition: Startups that have reached a US$1B valuation or exit.
• VC Investment Stages:
  • Early Stage: (pre-seed, seed, series A) and all rounds under NZ$15M.
  • Breakout Stage: Rounds between NZ$15M–NZ$40M, and those labeled Series B and C.
  • Late Stage: Rounds labeled Series C, Late VC, and/or NZ$40M+.
• Data Source: The data is sourced from Dealroom.co, a global startup and VC intelligence platform. It includes information from public sources, user-submitted data, and data engineering. All data is verified and curated with extensive manual checks.

Peer Comparison

• Global Rankings: New Zealand is ranked #9 globally in terms of the number of decacorns (companies valued at US$10B+), despite raising less than $10B in VC since 2000.
• OECD Comparison: New Zealand's VC-backed enterprise value per capita is higher than many OECD countries, highlighting its efficiency in generating value with limited investment.

Summary

New Zealand's tech ecosystem is a highly efficient and growing sector that has demonstrated strong performance relative to its size. The VC-backed startups are driving innovation, job creation, and export revenue. With continued investment and support, the ecosystem has the potential to scale further and match global benchmarks. The role of universities in producing high-value spinouts and the availability of data transparency tools are also key factors contributing to the ecosystem's success.