Introduction

Innovation, Vision, Daring… three values at the heart of our world famous Kiwi entrepreneurial spirit.

Join us online here and on social media each week day from 16 November to 26 November, as we celebrate stories of innovation and entrepreneurship from around New Zealand.

Kicking off as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, each day we’ll be taking a “virtual” roadshow to meet the entrepreneurs and organisations helping drive New Zealand forward in 2020.

Brave-hearted business owners, sizzling startups, and inspiring innovators – be inspired with the Innovation Nation 2020 Showcase!

From the Editor

A note from Richard Liew

Like many things entrepreneurial, Innovation Nation started as an idea for which there was no blueprint.

Two years, many re-imaginings, nine regions, a global pandemic and some 80 awesome businesses later, I am delighted to present you with Innovation Nation 2020.

After what can only be described as a very challenging year, affecting so many businesses, business owners and employees, take heart knowing that the Kiwi entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. As they say, innovation never sleeps.

My sincerest thanks go out to my team, our awesome partners at MYOB, Microsoft and Chorus who encouraged us to make it happen, and most of all to the amazing entrepreneurs and members of our innovation ecosystem who stepped up to take part.

Your visions, courage and creations in the face of uncertainty and adversity are truly inspiring. Kia kaha Aotearoa!

Supporters

Innovation Nation is made with help of the following organisations. Click to learn about their services for entrepreneurs.

Follow Innovation Nation

Learn more about each region and view their Innovation Nation stories below

Innovation happens in all industries in businesses of all sizes. The businesses and stories we’ve featured this year range from “solopreneurs”, to startups and social enterprises, to established organisations innovating and reinventing their markets.

Most importantly, innovation is continuing to happen right across New Zealand and as you’ll see from the businesses featured, it’s sometimes found in the most surprising of places and in the most challenging of circumstances.

Follow us on social media

It’s easy to follow our stories from each of the different regions each day. Just like or follow us on your favourite social media below and be inspired with some of the fascinating entrepreneurial stories happening around New Zealand this year.

See all the stories

Click to see the stories from each region each day

Editor's Top 10 Picks

Our favourite innovation stories of 2020 as selected by the Editor

A global pandemic, a month long “work, play, pray and stay” at home lockdown, toilet paper hoarding, universal wage subsidy support, closed borders, tourist-free towns, Be Kind, #BLM, an NZ election, a US election, no sports or gigs, not-quite-negative interest rates, burgeoning sharemarkets, out of control property prices… Periods of sheer disbelief interspersed with reflection, gratitude and joy…

In what we can only describe as the “weirdest” year in our recent memories, thank goodness for all the awesome and inspiring stories of resilience, resourcefulness, optimism and innovation that we’ve had the pleasure of seeing this year. To all the entrepreneurs we’ve featured in 2020, thankyou on behalf of all the team here at NZ Entrepreneur – it’s been a real privilege to help tell your stories!

Thanks also to all of you, our readers, fellow entrepreneurs and amazing leaders, mentors and supporters of what we call the NZ innovation ecosystem – your support, input and enthusiasm for our work makes it all worthwhile.

A snapshot of Kiwi innovation in 2020

With so many interesting and inspiring Innovation Nation stories to choose from it was a tough job narrowing our Editor’s Picks down to just one story from each region (in fact we had to sneak in one more because we just couldn’t choose!)

From fixing stinky underarms, to cutting edge tech; from the kitchen table, to the cloud; from first time entrepreneurs to seasoned campaigners – we are sure you will be just as inspired by the Kiwi entrepreneurs and social change-makers below as we were.

Our goal with this selection is to present what we believe to be a really great snapshot of innovation and entrepreneurship in New Zealand in 2020. Of course, with COVID playing such a big part this year, there were customer and product pivots abound, some of which you can read about in the stories below.

Acknowledgements

Innovation Nation is an NZ Entrepreneur Magazine and Startup NZ initiative.

Editorial Team

Richard Liew, Editor
Erin Westover, PR Manager
Michael Botur, Journalist
Hannah McCreery, Journalist
Jodi Olsson, Graphic Designer

Contact details

Richard Liew, Editor, NZ Entrepreneur Magazine Ltd
Email richardl@nzentrepreneur.co.nz

Corporate Supporters

MYOB
Microsoft NZ
Chorus

Ecosystem Partners

Global Entrepreneurship Network NZ
Collectively NZ
Startup Dunedin
ChristchurchNZ
Startup Queenstown Lakes
WellingtonNZ
CEDA
Business Hawke’s Bay
Venture Taranaki
Venture Centre
Soda Inc
ATEED
StatsNZ

The Editor would like to acknowledge the following individuals

Emma McMulkin, Vitor Cabrera, Luke Henshall, Pascale Hyboud-Peron, Jo Allum, Luke Ball, Terry Shubkin, Sandy Geyer, Candice Baker, Colart Miles, Boyd Warren, Carolyn Neville, Brenda Newth, Pam Ford, Erin Wansbrough, David Perks, Linda Stewart, Michelle Jordan, Rachel Butler, Dave Moskovitz, Marwan Jamal, Katherine Blaney, Olivia Wensley, James Burns, Dylan Gowan, James Weir.

Copyright NZ Entrepreneur Magazine Ltd 2020