New Zealand fintech startups have already made a big impact in Australia, from Xero to more recent entrants like Hnry.
In a sign that the attack on Kiwis will increase, the New Zealand Prime Minister said, Jacinda Arderncrossed The Ditch this week and led a trade mission to Melbourne and Sydney.
Ardern, who had just returned from Europe with a freshly inked free trade agreement, arrived in Australia with a 31-strong delegation representing the NZ technology and business sectors looking to reinvigorate the trans-Tasman band and let the world know that New Zealand is open for business.
The Kiwi startups in tow include the online investment platform Sharsies† cogo which produces carbon management products, and banqer a financial literacy platform, with the industry excited about its prospects amid global turmoil.
The trade mission to Australia is clearly part of the New Zealand government’s post-pandemic ‘reconnecting’ plan to promote the country as responsive, reliable and open for business. New Zealand’s pandemic response also led some markets to refer to it as “isolated, unknown, unprepared and closed†
And it’s a doubling of Ardern’s previous trade mission to the US, which presented New Zealand as a great place to live and work.
But the visit also comes at a time when many of the top tech companies in New Zealand Australia are taking a giant leap forward and heading straight into the lucrative US market.
Kiwi App Developer MEAis one of the tech companies that has done so, partnering with retail giants like Walgreens and CVS and succeeding in the US with top-of-the-line apps like Print photos now†
Likewise, Kiwi edu-tech company kamiNamed one of the Most Influential Companies of 2022 by Time Magazine, has achieved success in the US market.
MEA Executive Director Rod Macfarlane said Kiwi tech companies are not slowing down when it comes to seeking success in international markets.
“New Zealand is brimming with innovative companies willing to go the extra mile for customers – at home and abroad,” he said.
The Kiwi tech sector faces similar challenges to Australia, with the pandemic put pressure on the search for talent† The government’s response is to release work visa changes such as a “green list‘ of professions eligible for accelerated residence visas, including technical, health and IT workers, with all categories of work visas open for applications as of last Monday, July 4.
The trade mission will conclude on Friday when Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ardern hold their annual meeting before both leaders fly to Fiji for the Pacific Islands Forum.