NZVC Portfolio Day 2025

Tuesday, October 21, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

Startups. Investors. Big ideas.

Auckland Startup Week

NZVC Portfolio Day 2025 is proud to be part of Auckland Startup Week, a celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and the vibrant startup ecosystem in Aotearoa. Taking place in the heart of Auckland, this event brings together founders, investors, and tech leaders to showcase the next generation of high-growth New Zealand startups. From October 20–24, we’re partnering with top ecosystem players across the region to celebrate and elevate local innovation.

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🗓️ Agenda

Tuesday, 21st October

As one of the key events during Auckland Startup Week 2025, Portfolio Day is your chance to meet early-stage companies, hear their pitches, and connect with the people shaping the future of tech in the region. Whether you're an investor looking for your next opportunity or a startup enthusiast exploring what’s next — this is the event you won't want to miss.

9:30 AM – 10:00 AM

Registration & Welcome Reception

Coffee, tea, and light snacks
Informal networking
Check-in at registration desk

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Opening Remarks

10:15 AM – 11:00 AM

Opening Panel

From Edge to Epicenter: Building the ANZ Innovation Ecosystem

Janine Grainger / Easycrypto
Jovan Pavlicevic / Emerge
Philip Fierlinger / Upstock
James Pinner / NZ Growth Capital Partners

11:00 AM – 11:45 AM

Human Enhancement

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

Sovereign Tech

Lane Rettig / Near Foundation

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Networking Lunch

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Robotics & Real-World Automation

Zheng (Robin) Han / Hillbot

2:15 PM – 3:00 PM

Service-as-a-Software

3:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Networking Break

3:30 PM – 5 PM

TechMates Live Interview

Brad Feld / Foundry

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Drinks & Networking

Speakers

Meet the visionary founders, investors, and innovators shaping the future of tech across Aotearoa and beyond. From AI to climate, crypto to robotics — our keynote speakers bring bold ideas, global experience, and local insight to the stage.

Mark Pavlyukovskyy

General Partner at NZVC

A serial entrepreneur who exited his first company, Piper, after raising $15M from top-tier investors. Mark arrived in New Zealand as an Edmund Hillary Fellow just before the 2020 lockdown and saw an opportunity to empower Kiwi founders with global ambition.
Hendrik Remigereau

General Partner at NZVC

Hendrik's venture journey began in Europe, leading the expansion of Founders Intelligence before its acquisition by Accenture. At Merantix, he helped build Europe's leading AI venture studio and co-founded AI House Davos. Now based in Australia, he's passionate about scaling ANZ startups globally.
Janine Grainger

Co-Founder & CEO at Easycrypto

She co-founded Easycrypto, which is New Zealand's leading cryptocurrency trading platform, established in 2017. She is a member of the Executive Council for FinTechNZ and recognised as a Women of Web3 Top 10 Changemaker, the Blockchain NZ Stand-Out Individual and Entrepreneur of the Year, and winner of the 2023 IBM Hi-Tech Awards for Inspiring Individual.
Jovan Pavlicevic

Co-Founder at Emerge

Jovan leads Emerge, a VC fund backing New Zealand’s most ambitious early-stage startups. With deep ties to the Kiwi tech ecosystem, he brings global capital and hands-on support to founders. Previously in San Francisco and Singapore, he now champions NZ innovation on the world stage.
Lane Rettig

Head of Research at NEAR Foundation

Lane is an early contributor to Ethereum and founding team member at NEAR Foundation, where he supports the growth of decentralized protocols. With a background in tech and policy, Lane focuses on building open, inclusive systems that empower communities across the blockchain ecosystem.
Brad Feld

Co-Founder of Foundry

Brad is a legendary early-stage investor and author, best known for co-founding Foundry and Techstars. With 30+ years in venture capital, he’s supported hundreds of startups globally. Brad is also a thought leader in startup ecosystems, mental health for founders, and the future of innovation.
Zheng (Robin) Han

CEO of Hillbot

Robotics innovator based in Palo Alto. With a background in AI and automation, he leads cutting-edge developments in service robotics. Robin studied at Beihang University and has over 500 professional connections on LinkedIn, contributing to a global robotics ecosystem.
Philip Fierlinger

Co-founder of Upstock, Xero

Design and product leader with 25+ years shaping digital experiences. A co-founder of Xero and now Co-CEO of Upstock, he’s helped build iconic brands and advised top startups across product, growth, and strategy.
James Pinner

Chief Investment Officer at NZ Growth Capital Partners

Corporate finance expert with global experience across early-stage to multinational companies. A Fellow of the ICAEW and member of the NZ Institute of Directors, he has led deals in tech, biotech, energy, real estate and more.

Inspiring Keynotes & Panels

Hear from global venture capital experts and successful founders about the future of innovation and startup ecosystems.

Meet Our Incredible Portfolio Founders

Connect directly with the entrepreneurs shaping the future of technology and business in ANZ.

Networking Opportunities

Build relationships with top investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders driving the next wave of innovation

📍 Location

Join us on October 21st, 2025, at Pipiri Lane, Auckland, for an exclusive event showcasing the most promising startups in ANZ.

NZVC is proud to support the next generation of New Zealand founders through capital, community, and visibility.

By hosting events like Portfolio Day during Auckland Startup Week, we help amplify the stories of ambitious local entrepreneurs to a broader national and global audience.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this exciting day—apply today!

Register here

Portfolio Day 2025 during Auckland Startup Week in Auckland, New Zealand

FAQ

We’ve gathered the most common queries about the event, from what to expect on the day to who should attend. Whether you're an investor, founder, or ecosystem supporter, this FAQ will help you get the most out of your experience.

Looking Back: Portfolio Day 2022

Our first Portfolio Day in 2022 set the foundation for what has now become one of the key investor–startup meetups in New Zealand. Hosted in central Auckland, the event brought together 15 early-stage startups from across Aotearoa to pitch their ideas, share their growth stories, and connect with leading VCs, angels, and ecosystem builders.

From AI-powered recruitment to climate tech and medtech innovations, the diversity of ideas presented during the 2022 event highlighted the incredible depth of talent emerging from the New Zealand startup scene. Over 120 attendees joined the event, including investors from Icehouse Ventures, GD1, Hillfarrance, and international firms looking to invest in the next generation of Kiwi founders.

The success of Portfolio Day 2022 proved that there is real momentum behind the early-stage startup ecosystem in Aotearoa. Several of the startups who pitched that day went on to raise follow-on rounds, hire their first teams, and secure partnerships with local corporates.

If you're curious, you can revisit highlights from the 2022 event here.

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