‘It’s easy to get caught up with a program and feel like you have to move to a city and be taken out of the ecosystem that you’re thriving in. Startup Aotearoa creates a bridge, connecting national-level support with founders where they already are.’

 

So says Benji Pritchard, Head of Startups & Partnerships at The Factory, startup founder, and - since 2024 -  one of our Startup Aotearoa coaches. We sat down with Benji to talk about the importance of regional support, the advice he gives founders, and where he hopes the future of Aotearoa’s startup ecosystem will go.

 

Hey Benji, it’s great to chat with you. To kick off, what drew you to being a startup coach? Why is it important to you?

I’ve been part of founding a few startups, and from there ended up working for Creative HQ. I’m from Palmerston North originally, so being able to move back up this way to my home roots and be more regionally focused was a big thing for me. 

 

That regional focus is so important, particularly at that grassroots level. What value does the Manawatu region bring to New Zealand - what have you got going on?!

We have an incredibly concentrated number of scientists here, due to our former three Crown Research Institutes, Massey University, and Fonterra’s research and development arm. We’ve got Sprout Agritech and Food HQ. Because we sit at the centre of that ecosystem, we see everything from research needing commercialisation through to sport-tech startups. We’re able to support a huge range of people - and help them to either succeed or fail fast. 

We also have an angel investment group - and it’s been amazing to see people who really want to invest back into the local economy and community. 

 

And when it comes to the Founders themselves - what kind of growth are you seeing between when you meet someone for that first session, through to their tenth? What’s their journey going to look like?

It totally depends on the stage they’re at and what they need - it’s highly bespoke, especially for research-based versus idea-stage founders. Often, we start by helping founders clarify what they’re building and what support they need. 

From there, we move into action: completing a lean canvas, identifying assumptions and gaps, and validating the idea. We also help facilitate relationships and connect founders with an ecosystem we’ve been part of for over 22 years.

 

Within all of these diverse journeys - is there one particular challenge that comes up the most?

There are common themes -  but I don’t know if challenge is the right word for it. Many founders arrive with an idea and immediately think, “I want capital.” That’s not always the best first step - often it’s better to hold onto equity and focus on traction and validation first. In New Zealand, especially, bootstrapping can be a powerful part of the journey. So we’re helping them to navigate that. 

 

We’re also commonly encouraging founders to have ambition - to know that just because they’re in New Zealand, it doesn’t mean they have to think small. And, really understanding that rather than thinking ‘how do I get from A to Z’, to actually think ‘how do I get from A to B within my means, then how do I reset and reevaluate what B to C is going to be?’. By the time you get to the end, it’s going to look completely different, but it’s taking them through a process we call possibility making framework, to help them really understand what is in their current means to achieve. 

 

Are there any standout moments where you’ve helped someone tackle a particular goal?

From the companies we’ve worked with, it’s been really cool seeing them either go from an idea to obtaining their first paid customer, or from an idea to raising capital - both of which we’ve seen happen through the Startup Aotearoa program. 

It’s equally cool to work with someone and see them go from having an idea to making a decision to not continue. As much as it can be looked at as not that good, from our perspective, that person has actually just been saved from spending the next 5 years of their life pushing something that may not go anywhere. 

 

To close us off - why do you think Startup Aotearoa works? Why should founders take advantage?

The programme works because it fulfils a need for a connected ecosystem. We’ve tried a lot of different things to structure our ecosystem, but an ecosystem that’s much more connected gives us the capability to double the number of startups across our country. 

As for why founders should take advantage, it’s an easy way to access help without risking your IP or giving anything away. The first thing you want to do to get an idea off the ground is usually just talk to some people and have a sounding board - your coach can give you the right tools and support to guide you, and to validate your idea.

There are a lot of programmes that are focused on a certain vertical or sector, but those that aren’t in a priority sector don’t necessarily get that support. It’s cool that long-term, Startup Aotearoa is building a framework where no one gets left behind, and they can receive that support at any stage and with any idea.