How many investments has Startup Dunedin Distiller made?

Startup Dunedin Distiller has 33 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.

What stage does Startup Dunedin Distiller invest at?

Startup Dunedin Distiller invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.

What sectors does Startup Dunedin Distiller focus on?

Startup Dunedin Distiller focuses on Sector Agnostic.

Where is Startup Dunedin Distiller located?

Startup Dunedin Distiller is headquartered in Dunedin, NZ.

Who does Startup Dunedin Distiller co-invest with?

Startup Dunedin Distiller most often shares deals with Aura Ventures, Antler, NZVC, among 8 tracked co-investors.

Startup Dunedin Distiller

Accelerator

Dunedin · Pre-Seed–Seed · 13 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Startup Dunedin exists to make Dunedin the most entrepreneurial small city by supporting anyone who aspires to start a company locally. Rather than deploying capital, it focuses on easing the startup journey through connections, capability development, and community building. Its values center founders, embrace ideas from anyone and anywhere, and treat both success and failure as parts of innovation. It is a publicly funded ecosystem initiative of the Grow Dunedin Partnership, backed by the Dunedin City Council, the University of Otago, and Otago Polytechnic.

Invests inSector AgnosticNew Zealand

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

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Stage

Pre-Seed–Seed

Dunedin, NZ

Instruments

Grants

Last 12 months

1 investment

Portfolio companies

Team · 13 people

from the firm's website

Amie Taua· Chair· New Zealandin

Angela Davis· Deputy Chair· Dunedin, Otago, New Zealandin

Angela Davis is the founder and strategy leader at Collective Strategy Ltd, where she works with purpose-led organizations to develop and implement strategies through facilitation and stakeholder engagement. Her client base includes local government bodies, universities, libraries, and nonprofit organizations across New Zealand, with particular experience in the public sector. Davis specializes in strategy development, facilitation, environmental scanning, and team engagement across organizations ranging from single-day strategy sprints to full organizational roadmaps.

Benoit Auvray· Startup Coach· Dunedin, Otago, New Zealandin

Cait Stewart· Community Facilitator· Dunedin, Otago, New Zealandin

David Thomson· Trustee· San Mateo, California, United Statesin 𝕏

David Thomson is the founder and CEO of Inevitable, where he develops reasoning systems for product strategy and decision-making through the SignalPattern platform. With over two decades of experience in AI, product strategy, and design, he has previously scaled a globally ranked product and design firm, built AI-native SaaS platforms, and led initiatives that contributed to over $100M in revenue and $50B+ in enterprise value. His current work focuses on developing cognitive and causal platforms operating at the decision-making layer.

Grace Esterman· Programme Lead· Dunedin, Otago, New Zealandin

Jamie Reidie· Trustee· New Zealandin

Jamie Reidie is a partner at Polson Higgs, providing advisory, accounting, tax, and business support services to clients. Reidie supports startup businesses in Dunedin, serving as a trustee of Startup Dunedin and participating in its programs, and holds the position of Chair at THETA, the Theatre in Health Education Trust.

Mark Cartwright· Trustee· Dunedin, Otago, New Zealandin

Mark Cartwright serves as Deputy Executive Director of Industry Training and Innovation at Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga. He holds an Executive Master of Business Administration and has senior leadership experience across the education, management, and construction sectors, including managing teams across multiple sites. His core competencies include coaching and training delivery, business development, and change management.

McKenzie Chamberlain· Communications Lead· Dunedin, Otago, New Zealandin

McKenzie Chamberlain is the Communications Lead at Startup Dunedin, where she manages marketing strategy, content creation, and community engagement for the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. Previously, she founded Outstand Brands, a marketing business focused on social media management and digital marketing, and has held roles in digital marketing, sales, and creative content production across law, retail, and nonprofit sectors.

Pete Lead· Pitch coach / Host & Producer· Melbourne, Victoria, Australiain

Pitch coach who hosts and produces the 'Before the Pitch' series for Startup Dunedin.

Rachel Butler· General Manager· New Zealandin

Scott Mason· Trustee· Dunedin, Otago, New Zealandin

Scott Mason is a professional director and council member at Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga with 40 years of experience in California public practice. He currently serves on advisory boards across multiple industries and holds roles as a trustee of StartUp Dunedin Trust, co-founder of Mainland Angel Investors, and mentor/director/investor in technology startups. Mason holds degrees in Commerce and Arts from Otago University and a Graduate Diploma in Dispute Resolution from Massey University, and is a qualified mediator through AMINZ.

Wade Pearson· Trustee· New Zealandin

Wade Pearson is an associate at Avid.legal who provides corporate and commercial legal services to businesses throughout New Zealand, with particular focus on the technology and game development sectors. Based in Dunedin, he works across contract law, investment, intellectual property, and innovation matters. Pearson chairs Startup Dunedin and contributes legal commentary to the Otago Daily Times.

What they invest in

from 18 of 33 portfolio companies

SaaS ×6Consumer ×4Healthtech ×4Digital Health ×3AgTech ×2AI & Machine Learning ×2Circular Economy ×2FoodTech ×2

HQs:New Zealand×13

Who they back

founder profiles across 9 portfolio companies

67%

solo founders

6 of 9 mapped founding teams

Founding team size:solo founder×62 founders×23 founders×1

Portfolio companies · 33 tracked

alumni founders can tell you what the program is really like

Aftergameaftergame.co in

Aftergame is a platform for tabletop gaming enthusiasts to log game results, track their collections, and find other players at events and meetups.

B2B MarketplacesConsumerGamingSocialWellington, NZ

John Brent in Eric Poulin in Chalene Scott in

Cheekyteacheekytea.co.nz

Cheeky produces non-carbonated iced tea-based ready-to-drink beverages with low sugar and low-calorie formulation for consumers in New Zealand.

ConsumerFoodTechNew Zealand, NZ

Oli

Chivecharitieschivecharities.nz

Chive Charities operates a platform that represents charities in New Zealand, aiming to present each charity in a clear and consistent way with information that is easy to find.

Impact & Social Good

CompanyHQcompanyhq.co.nz in 𝕏

CompanyHQ operates a software platform aimed at supporting business governance and administration, with legally reviewed content made available to users.

Cloud ComputingEnterprise SoftwareGovTechLegalTechSaaS

Chris Hopkins in Greg Chiles(CFO)inLiam Donald(Chief Technical Officer (CTO))Ash Evans(Head of Development)Tobias Hopkins(Head of Marketing)Rosie Clark(Head of Legal)

Coralconecoralcone.com

CoralCone manufactures menstrual cups made from medical-grade silicone in New Zealand for menstruators seeking a reusable, eco-friendly alternative to disposable period products.

Circular EconomyConsumerFemTechDunedin, NZ

Yvette Shum(Founder)

Coursespycoursespy.com

CoursesSpy appears to be an educational platform that provides campus-specific course information for university students.

EdTech

Cue Gocue-go.co.nz in

Cue-Go is a New Zealand-based retailer of professional production equipment including lighting, audio, video, and effects gear.

Retail TechPalmerston North, NZ

DiBSdibsnz.com

DiBS provides a multi-purpose booking and management system for shared spaces, with features for room reservations, access control, machine monitoring, and community voting.

PropTechSaaS

Elixirelixir.nz

Elixir is a cloud-based practice management system for private medical specialists, covering patient communications, appointment scheduling, lab results, notes, and invoicing.

Digital HealthHealthtechSaaS

Co-investorsInnovacom Maelstrom Mysten Labs Shima Capital SQUARE ENIX

Ingenumingenum.co.nz in

Ingenum is a veterinary data science company that applies artificial intelligence and epidemiological expertise to surveillance and disease detection in agriculture and biosecurity.

AgTechAI & Machine LearningHealthtechNew Zealand, NZ

Dr Tom Brownlie(Founder)

Jeenksgroupjeenksgroup.com

Jeenks Group develops agritech solutions for managing the health of stored grain, actively monitoring conditions and keeping grain in motion to reduce spoilage from moisture, pests, and temperature changes.

AgTechHardwareIoTDunedin, NZ

Kaffelogickaffelogic.com 𝕏

Kaffelogic develops and manufactures home coffee roasting machines, serving coffee enthusiasts globally.

ConsumerFoodTechHardwareDunedin, NZ

Chris Hilder(Founder & Technical Director)inJohn Robson(Co-Founder & Sales Director)

Next Farmnext-farm.co.nz

Central platform for on-farm monitoring, control and autonomous environmental responses.

Co-investorsPacific Channel

Oniworkoutoniworkout.co.nz

ONI Workout develops software for personal trainers and fitness professionals to manage and scale their businesses.

Future of WorkSaaSSports TechWellness & Fitness

Papernotfoilpapernotfoil.com

Paper Not Foil makes reusable and degradable hair foils made from stone paper, used by hairstylists as an alternative to standard aluminium foils.

Circular EconomyDirect to ConsumerE-commerce

Amanda Buckingham(Founder)

Real Wellth Healthrealwellth.health

RealWellth offers a "Doctor-Coach" care model that pairs integrative and functional medicine practitioners with health coaches to provide whole-person care.

Digital HealthHealthtechWellness & Fitness

Sahhasahha.ai in 𝕏

Sahha provides behavioral archetypes derived from smartphone and wearable data, generating stable human-readable labels about users' sleep, exercise, and mental wellness patterns for personalization and segmentation.

AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureDigital HealthHealthtechSaaS

Aleksander Dahlberg(Founder)Douglas Macdonald(Founder)

Co-investorsAntler Aura Ventures Gandel Invest NZVC R/GA Ventures Supermoon Capital +2 more

Scannablescannable.ioMar 2026

Scannable provides a platform for tracking equipment records and product traceability, giving safety teams and equipment owners centralized, up-to-date information on every piece of kit without manual data entry.

Advanced ManufacturingIoTSaaSWanaka

GENE DOWER(Executive Officer, Director)

Co-investorsAura Ventures NZ Growth Capital Partners

Skillzeaskillzea.net

Skillzea operates gig work groups connecting people with local one-off jobs in New Zealand, organized by city (Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill).

Future of WorkMarketplaces

Laura Bradley(Founder)in

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

AbalrohealthBaasistechBreinchildFirebugHeybarnLuniNutriblocksnzPlacetrackPureisolationSod MediaSpirenzSplitTrackabusWinely

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Sahha Raises $1.2M to Scale Health and Wearable Data Engagement API | Sahha

Sahha · sahha.ai · Jul 21, 2025

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Startup Dunedin Distiller made?: Startup Dunedin Distiller has 33 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
What stage does Startup Dunedin Distiller invest at?: Startup Dunedin Distiller invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
What sectors does Startup Dunedin Distiller focus on?: Startup Dunedin Distiller focuses on Sector Agnostic.
Where is Startup Dunedin Distiller located?: Startup Dunedin Distiller is headquartered in Dunedin, NZ.
Who does Startup Dunedin Distiller co-invest with?: Startup Dunedin Distiller most often shares deals with Aura Ventures, Antler, NZVC, among 8 tracked co-investors.

Images

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