Tupu is an eight-week accelerator designed for Māori founders with high-growth startups, providing the tools, mentorship, and support necessary to become investment-ready and scale into global markets. Each year, the program selects 10 founder teams to guide them in transforming their startups into scalable ventures. This initiative is delivered through a partnership between Sprout Agritech and Tapuwae Roa, co-funded by MBIE, all united by a shared vision of advancing Māori entrepreneurship.
Program Structure and Delivery
• Program Duration: The accelerator is delivered over an eight-week period.
• Program Format: It includes four in-person wānanga, weekly online hui, and dedicated one-on-one coaching sessions.
• Core Focus: The curriculum concentrates on the essential elements of scaling startups and raising capital.
• Final Showcase: The program culminates in a final in-person showcase where founders present their pakihi to an audience of whānau, partners, and investors.
Program Modules
• Wānanga tuatahi - Where to play: Participants focus on understanding the needs and demands of their target customers, market size, and key pain points. Activities include customer validation and market sizing techniques to define the core value proposition and work towards product-market fit.
• Wānanga tuarua - How to win: This module centers on building the startup to meet the identified market opportunity. It covers commercialisation approaches, revenue generation, business models, and establishing processes for scaling and sustainability.
• Wānanga tuatoru - Raising capital: Founders explore the process of raising capital, including investor requirements, navigating due diligence, financial modelling, valuation, and creating investor collateral.
• Wānanga tuawhā - The pitch: The final wānanga integrates all program lessons to prepare founders for the Tupu Showcase, providing an opportunity to pitch their startup live to business leaders, investors, and supporters.
Ideal Candidate Profile
The Tupu program is designed for Māori founders building innovative, scalable startups with the potential for growth beyond local markets.
• A strong fit for the program may be a pakihi that: Is developing a product, technology, or innovation-led solution; has the potential to scale nationally or globally; is building something that can grow beyond the founder’s time and labour; and has ambitions to raise investment or expand into new markets.
• The program may not be a suitable fit for a pakihi that: Provides consultancy or freelance services; provides trades or contractor-based work; is a localised retail or hospitality venture; or can only scale primarily by adding more labour.
Key Program Benefits
• Costs: No fee to participate; travel and accommodation for in-person wānanga are covered for up to two participants.
• Mentorship and Community: Gain access to experienced founders, mentors, dedicated coaches, and a community of ambitious Māori founders.
• Skill Development: Develop essential skills to build scalable business models, strengthen revenue strategies, and establish robust commercial foundations.
• Market Insight: Dive deep into understanding market demand and customer needs to refine product–market fit.
• Investment Readiness: Prepare to navigate investor relationships, financial modelling, and pitching with confidence to succeed within the venture capital ecosystem.
Key Dates and Program Outline
• Applications open: 24 February (Online)
• Applications close: 23 March (Online)
• Panel interviews for shortlisted teams: 9 – 10 April (Online)
• Mihi whakatau and Wānanga tuatahi: 8 – 9 May (Tāmaki Makaurau)
• Weekly wānanga and coaching: 11 May – 2 June (Online)
• Wānanga tuarua: 29 – 31 May (Tāmaki Makaurau)
• Wānanga tuatoru: 19 – 20 June (Tāmaki Makaurau)
• Wānanga tuawhā: 1 – 2 July (Tāmaki Makaurau)
• Final Showcase: 2 July (Tāmaki Makaurau)
The Tupu Accelerator serves as a transformative platform for Māori entrepreneurship in Aotearoa, equipping founders with the skills and confidence to scale their operations and elevate their startups to new heights. The program is structured to prepare pakihi Māori for global aspirations and has demonstrated a significant positive impact on participating ventures. The application period runs from February 24 to March 23, with shortlisted applicants invited to present to an online panel between April 9-10. Following this, ten startup teams will be selected to join the accelerator, commencing with the first wānanga on May 8-9.