Creative HQ Fintech Lab 2027

About

A hybrid three-month accelerator for early-stage fintech founders, offering coaching, regulatory and investor connections, and a Fintech Festival showcase; applications for the 2027 cohort are open until 22 November.

Benefits

• 🧑🏫Coaching and Workshops
  Weekly 1:1 time with a startup coach and workshops covering regulation, legal, payments, security, customer discovery, sales, brand and pitching
• 🤝Mentorship and Networks
  Matched mentors, direct introductions to industry leaders, regulators and investors, and a lifelong founder network from the cohort and alumni community
• 💰Investment Readiness
  One-on-one investor meetings early in the programme to learn what investors are looking for and build a capital strategy
• 🏛️ Regulatory Support
  Meetings and workshops on compliance, disclosure and licensing, with connections to key ecosystem players such as the Financial Markets Authority and NZ Fintech Fund
• 🌐Hybrid Delivery
  Wellington teams work from Creative HQ, Auckland teams from GridAKL, and everyone else joins remotely; the programme comes together in person three times
• 🎉Fintech Festival
  The programme includes a Fintech Festival in June, with dates to be announced
• 🆓Cost
  The official page states it is free to take part and no equity is required, subject to the overseas-participant fee/equity condition

Eligibility Criteria

• Startup Stage
• Mandatory requirement of early-stage to pre-scale fintech ventures
• Readiness
• Mandatory requirement of a clear problem definition, early customer insights and a working concept or MVP
• Problem Focus
• Mandatory requirement of solving real financial problems in New Zealand or globally
• In-Person Attendance
• Mandatory requirement that overseas applicants must be able to attend key dates in person
• Funding Not Required
• Preferred, and prior funding or investment is not required
• Cohort Diversity and Impact
• Preferred, and teams that contribute diversity to the cohort and show social, environmental or cultural impact are favoured
• Selection Criteria
• Selection criteria include problem/solution fit, large scalable market, team skills and experience, diversity contribution, and impact/catalytic potential

Participation Commitments

• Fees and Equity
• For New Zealand-funded participation, the official page states it is free to take part and no equity is required; overseas startups may be asked to pay either a programme participation fee or equity because the programme is funded by the New Zealand Government
• Travel
• Participants are required to travel for the kick-off and closing events in Wellington; overseas applicants must be able to attend key dates in person
• Time Commitment
• Participants are expected to be working full-time on their startup to make the most of the programme

Target Sector

Financial Services

Target Location

New Zealand and global/overseas applicants; the official page welcomes early-stage fintech founders solving real financial problems in New Zealand or globally. Overseas startups are welcome but must be able to attend key dates in person.