Top 15 Automotive Startup Investors in New Zealand in January 2026
A list of 15 angel investors and VC (Venture Capital) funds that invest in Automotive startups based in New zealand. We rank investors based on the number of investments they made in Automotive companies from New zealand. We update this investor list every month.Top 15 Automotive Startup Investors in New Zealand in January 2026
| Investor | Automotive New Zealand investments |
|---|---|
| Blackbird Ventures | 4 |
| I2BF Global Ventures | 2 |
| Akshay Kothari | 2 |
| Seven Peaks Ventures | 1 |
| Enterprise Angels | 1 |
| GD1 | 1 |
| Shasta Ventures | 1 |
| Square Peg Capital | 1 |
| K5 Global | 1 |
| Octopus Ventures | 1 |
| Hillfarrance Venture Capital | 1 |
| Icehouse Ventures | 1 |
| Connor Theilmann | 1 |
| Nuance Capital | 1 |
| Dylan Field | 1 |
Blackbird is a venture capital fund based in Australia and New Zealand. We invest in every type of technology from software to space, unified by the biggest of ambitions.
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Investment focus
- Software, Artificial Intelligence, SaaS
- Seed, Series A, Pre-Seed
- Australia, United States, New Zealand
Portfolio highlights
- Marloo — Marloo is an AI-assistant that empowers financial advisers to focus on building client relationships, instead of paperwork.
- Syenta — Syenta is transforming the electronics manufacturing sector. Our patented fabrication method enables the 3D printing of multi-material electronics with fewer steps and less waste.
- PsiQuantum — PsiQuantum is building the world's first useful quantum computer.
I2BF Global Ventures is an international venture capital firm with a global investment mandate. Established in 2005, I2BF Global Ventures has $400M+ under managment and it is currently investing from its fifth fund.The mission of I2BF Global Ventures is to seek out innovative and competitive companies across SaaS, Hardware Enabled B2B solutions(AI, IoT, AR, VR, robotics, RPA & automation), Digital Healthcare, and New Media, which it believes can lead the path to a brighter future. Since the first investment in 2006, I2BF Global Ventures has successfully backed 60+ startups and exited 12 companies.In keeping with its worldwide investment focus, I2BF Global Ventures retains a team of technology and sector experts in New York, London, and Los Angeles. This impressive team ensures a truly global venture capital strategy and a hands-on management approach.
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Investment focus
- Software, SaaS, Information Technology
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- United States, United Kingdom, Canada
Portfolio highlights
- Edeniq — Edeniq, Inc. is a leading biotechnology company that develops processes for producing and measuring cellulosic ethanol from corn kernel fiber through its Intellulose technology. Edeniq’s Intellulose requires zero capital investment and is easily integrated into existing ethanol production facilities. Edeniq was established in 2008 and isheadquartered in Visalia, Calif. with a field office in Omaha, Neb. More information can be found at www.edeniq.com.
- ACAL Energy — ACAL Energy is a developer of Fuel Cell systems, modules and consumable chemicals for a range of uses including stationary, residential and automotive applications requiring larger than 1 kW of power. Its innovative designs will deliver substantial cost savings in Fuel Cell systems and performance improvements in PEM ('Proton ExchangeMembrane') that will accelerate the adoption of PEM Fuel Cell technologies in key markets.
- Seren Photonics — Seren Photonics Ltd has developed a manufacturing procedure that greatly increases the intensity of light generated at the heart of a HBLED at negligable cost to the manufacturer. The technology has been applied to standard HBLED structures and so far has demonstrated between 100% to 900% increase in light generation compared to unprocessed diodes.The technology is based on the work of Dr Tao Wang and the EPSRC National III-V Centre attached to the School of Engineering, University of Sheffield.
Akshay Kothari is the co-founder of Pulse, a mobile application that allows you to read all your favorite content in one place. Pulse began as a class project in the Launchpad class at Stanford University, and has grown to over 30 million users today. It won the coveted Apple Design Award in 2011 and was inducted into the App Store Hall of Fame.Pulse was recently acquired by Linkedin for $90 million.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, Internet
- Seed, Series A, Pre-Seed
- United States, India, New Zealand
Portfolio highlights
- Julius AI — Julius is a powerful AI data analyst that helps you analyze and visualize your data. Chat with your data, create graphs, build forecasting models, and more.
- Wabi — The first personal software platform is arriving soon. Join the waitlist.
- Gimlet Labs — Gimlet Labs is an applied research lab focused on building high performance AI systems.
Seven Peaks Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund focused on data-driven enterprise software, digital health technologies, ML/AI, IoT, and cloud-based solutions.
Seven Peaks Ventures is located in Oregon and was founded by Dino Vendetti in 2013.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, SaaS
- Seed, Series A, Series B
- United States, New Zealand
Portfolio highlights
- Xembly — Make every day meaningful with Xembly, an automated chief of staff to handle the tasks that slow you down.
- Crowd Street — Diversify your portfolio with commercial real estate investments on the CrowdStreet platform. Start building wealth today.
- Prime Trust — Prime Trust powers innovation in the digital economy by providing fintech and digital asset innovators with financial infrastructure. Our API is customizable whether you're building a crypto exchange or expanding your business with digital assets.
Connecting startup business owners with angel investors to raise capital . Access a network of expertise and investment opportunities.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, Health Care
- Funding Round, Seed, Angel
- New Zealand, United States, United Kingdom
Portfolio highlights
- Emerge — Emerge is a financial management tool for businesses. It is a digital-only banking option designed to help Kiwi businesses operate more quickly, economically, and efficiently.
- Yabble — Yabble provides a platform that uses machine learning and natural language processing to help brands connect with more than 62 million consumers globally, and collect data in real-time. Using the solution, clients can build their own surveys and manage their own customer research communities.
- HealthNow — HealthNow provides accessible healthcare services that give you control of your health. Manage how you access care, when you need it.
GD1 is a Venture Capital firm that invests with high conviction in exciting technology companies originating from New Zealand. Our team is passionate about creating and growing global businesses, and our goal is to transform NZ made into the next generation of globally disruptive tech solutions.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, SaaS
- Seed, Series A, Pre-Seed
- New Zealand, United States, China
Portfolio highlights
- EarnOS — EarnOS is the fully remote company that provides Global Ad & Payments Platform powered by Web3.
- Auror — The platform for retailers focused on improving safety, productivity, and profitability. Auror is used by leading Loss Prevention teams in thousands of stores.
- Ivo — Ivo reduces the time, effort, and cost of negotiating agreements.
Shasta is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on enterprise technology like SaaS, cybersecurity, infrastructure, data intelligence & camera vision.
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Investment focus
- Software, Enterprise Software, SaaS
- Series A, Series B, Seed
- United States, Canada, New Zealand
Portfolio highlights
- Mocana — Mocana is a developer of cybersecurity software solutions that protect Internet of Things (IoT) devices, operational technology, mission-critical systems, and industrial infrastructure. The company's on-device cybersecurity software and lifecycle management platform enable manufacturers and industrial companies to build self-defending systemsthat are tamper-resistant. Its tightly integrated solutions help companies to minimize the risk of a cyber breach, comply with industry standards, and protect intellectual property by ensuring that devices and processes are trusted end-to-end, from device manufacturing to deployment. Unlike IT network security approaches, Mocana enables devices to protect themselves and prevent malware from being installed.It was established in 2002 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
- Fetch Robotics — Adapt to market shifts, enhance worker productivity and secure long-term growth with AMRs. Deploy, redeploy and optimize autonomous mobile robots with ease.
- Starship Technologies — The future of delivery - today!
Square Peg is a global investment firm on a mission to empower exceptional founders. With investing teams in Sydney, Melbourne, Tel Aviv, and Singapore, Square Peg invests in emerging technology companies across the internet economy.
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Investment focus
- Software, Artificial Intelligence, Information Technology
- Series A, Seed, Series B
- Australia, United States, Israel
Portfolio highlights
- Cuttable — Turn your existing content and products into agency-grade Meta ads in minutes. Cuttable's AI advertising platform combines decades of advertising expertise with cutting-edge technology to help ecommerce brands create high-performing ads at scale - without the agency price tag.
- Lorikeet — Lorikeet provides AI customer support. Lorikeet offer its customers responsive, personalized, and effective support as table stakes.
- Pintarnya — Situs penyedia lowongan kerja online untuk berbagai posisi, pendidikan dan pekerjaan dari lulusan SD hingga S1 Tersedia di seluruh indonesia.
K5 Global is a new media and financial services advisory and consulting firm. The company works with corporations, government entities, and start-ups, and is involved in a range of industries, including sports, technology, politics, and entertainment. K5 functions as a liaison for high-level startups and deal flow, connects influencers andcelebrities to entrepreneurs and brands, and incubates global business opportunities with A-list talent.
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Investment focus
- Software, Information Technology, SaaS
- Series A, Seed, Series B
- United States, Brazil, Israel
Portfolio highlights
- Quindar — Satellite Mission Management for startups. Operate faster than your competition.
- Instabase — Instabase combines the latest AI breakthroughs with industry expertise to create real business value for your business.
- Few and Far — Few and Far is the next-generation platform for experiences in Web3, including NFTs, DeFi, gaming, and more. They help NFT projects with launchpad services, minting tools, outbound marketing, and more. They offer creators the liquidity, ability to earn, and listings alongside the top collections on NEAR.
We provide venture capital investment for the people, ideas and industries that will change the world. Learn about what we do and the kind of founders we back.
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Investment focus
- Software, Health Care, Information Technology
- Series A, Seed, Series B
- United Kingdom, United States, Germany
Portfolio highlights
- Baselime — Use logs, metrics, distributed tracing and wide-events to detect, diagnose and resolve issues before they impact your users.
- Rekord — The AI-native platform to design, scale and monitor intelligent decision flows across underwriting, onboarding, compliance and fraud.
- Zendo Energy — Zendo Energy is dedicated to the mission of decarbonising computing power. The company aims to empower data centres to become smarter, more efficient, and prepared for the increasing future demand of computing by leveraging advanced software solutions. Their platform utilizes real-time analytics and predictive tools to optimise energy consumption,reduce emissions, and integrate renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, thereby supporting the transition to sustainable digital infrastructure. This mission addresses the urgent need to reduce the carbon footprint of data centres amid the exponential growth of AI and computing workloads globally
We exist to serve great entrepreneurs with honest advice and education, investment capital that is fair, and an open door to our international network and connections.
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Investment focus
- Animation, Information Technology, Software
- Seed, Pre-Seed, Funding Round
- New Zealand
Portfolio highlights
- Mobli — At Mobli we provide everything you need to build a great customer experience and optimise your mobility services with no long term commitments.
- Yabble — Yabble provides a platform that uses machine learning and natural language processing to help brands connect with more than 62 million consumers globally, and collect data in real-time. Using the solution, clients can build their own surveys and manage their own customer research communities.
- Space Rock Games — Space Rock Games is the developer behind Criminals Within - a cooperative-only action game set in a medieval fantasy kingdom. Sign up to receive exclusive development updates!
Icehouse Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm. We exist to back the world's bravest Kiwi founders, launching global companies from New Zealand.
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Investment focus
- Software, SaaS, Information Technology
- Seed, Series A, Funding Round
- New Zealand, United States, Australia
Portfolio highlights
- Aquila — We're powering the future by building and operating an infinitely scalable energy network.
- NextWork — Building the best online learning experience to switch careers and upskill. Join the waitlist today, we are waiting for you!
- Vertus Energy — We innovate to make fossil natural gas extinct.
Connor Theilmann is the Chief Business Officer at ServiceTitan. Previously he was an investor at Accel in Palo Alto. He attended The Wharton School for Accounting and Finance & the Penn Engineering School for Computer Science.
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Investment focus
- Software, SaaS, Information Technology
- Seed, Series A, Pre-Seed
- United States, Canada, Israel
Portfolio highlights
- Albiware — Award-winning platform loved by our customers and trusted by 1000s of restorers Worldwide. See how our restorers scale their business.
- APFusion — APFusion is a B2B automotive marketplace helping salvage yards increase sales.
- Albert Invent — 1000’s of scientists, technicians, and engineers across 30+ countries rely on Albert’s end-to-end Cloud Platform to accelerate the innovation of new materials. With Albert, R&D organizations get the data insights and tools needed to increase speed to market, automate regulatory compliance, and heighten the impact of new products.Built fromthe ground up for the chemical and material science industry, the Albert Platform connects R&D processes and creates a single data source of truth across the R&D organization. Augmented with AI, machine learning and a comprehensive materials database, key platform functionality includes inventory, worksheets, workflows, tasks, and more. www.albertinvent.com
Nuance Capital is a venture capital fund.
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Investment focus
- AgTech, Security, Software
- Seed, Series A, Series B
- New Zealand, United States
Portfolio highlights
- Kry10 — Kry10 is a safe operating system for SDMs.It makes the transition to an intelligent, cloud-connected, and adaptively driven future possible for automobiles, electricity grids, satellites, and medical equipment.
- Easy Crypto — The world's favourite place to buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. Delivery in less than 2 minutes, easiest order process, and we're open 24/7.
- Zenno Astronautics — Zenno Astronautics hardware and software products ensure satellite missions are effectively managed, guaranteeing maximum economic returns and responsible use of space.
Dylan Field is the CEO and co-founder of Figma, a design and prototyping platform for teams that build products together. With the support of the Thiel Fellowship, Dylan dropped out of Brown University to start Figma with his TA, Evan Wallace. They built Figma on the web in the hopes of breaking down the barriers around the siloed design process.Dylan champions open, accessible design and believes such tools must evolve for a cloud-based, collaborative world.
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Investment focus
- Software, Artificial Intelligence, Internet
- Seed, Series A, Series B
- United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand
Portfolio highlights
- Huxe — Huxe enables users to explore subjects in depth by automatically generating podcasts featuring multiple AI hosts who discuss, analyze, and clarify key points on any chosen topic.
- PlayerZero — PlayerZero delivers an AI-powered platform that helps engineering teams resolve software defects, predict future issues, and accelerate overall development quality. The platform integrates telemetry, user sessions, support tickets, and code repositories to trace problems directly to specific lines of code. It supports proactive detection ofregressions, anomaly monitoring, and context-aware documentation using natural language queries. PlayerZero enables automated defect resolution agents and predictive analysis engines grounded in live user behavior and historical commit data. The system emphasizes data privacy by masking sensitive information in the browser and allowing clients to use their own secure storage for session data.
- Revel — Software for our most daring hardware endeavours.
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