Top 5 Payments Angel Investors in New Zealand in May 2026

Nas, byname of Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, also called Nasty Nas, (born September 14, 1973, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.), American rapper and songwriter who became a dominant voice in 1990s East Coast hip-hop. Nas built a reputation as an expressive chronicler of inner-city street life.Nasir Jones, the son of a jazz musician, grew up in public housingin Queens, New York. He dropped out of school in the eighth grade and searched for a creative outlet, finally settling on hip-hop. His breakthrough came in 1992, when his song “Half Time” (credited to Nasty Nas) appeared on the sound track to the film Zebrahead. Columbia Records soon signed him to a contract. His debut recording as Nas, Illmatic (1994), drew widespread acclaim for its poetic narration of hard-edged inner-city life.The more pop-oriented approach of It Was Written (1996) helped that album reach an even wider audience than its predecessor but ignited a recurring tension in Nas’s career between the appetite of the pop audience and the demands of hip-hop purists. He maintained his commercial appeal with I Am... (1999), although by that time he had also become embroiled in a public feud with fellow rapper Jay-Z over which of the two was the preeminent voice in East Coast hip-hop. The schism inspired Stillmatic (2001), which many fans considered a return to form. The two rappers publicly settled their differences in 2005, and shortly thereafter Nas signed with Def Jam, of which Jay-Z was president at the time.Nas’s penchant for provocation marked Hip Hop Is Dead (2006) and an untitled follow-up (2008), while Life Is Good (2012) struck an introspective tone. He also notably collaborated with reggae musician Damian Marley (the youngest son of Bob Marley) on the album Distant Relatives (2010).Nas also made occasional film appearances, notably in Belly (1998), a crime drama in which he starred opposite rapper DMX, and Black Nativity (2013), an adaptation of Langston Hughes’s gospel play.

Investment focus

E-Commerce, Internet, Mobile
Seed, Series A, Series B
United States, Canada, Brazil

Portfolio highlights

Magic Spoon — Magic Spoon cereal is high-protein, low-sugar, keto-friendly, and gluten-free. Available in Cocoa, Frosted, Fruity, Blueberry, Peanut Butter, and Cinnamon.
Everyrealm — Leaders in metaverse innovation and development.
Altered State Machine — Altered State Machine, aims to be a platform and protocol which any developer can build on it; can create, own, and compete with AI-based agents (bots) and upgrade and train their AI, buy, and sell them as NFTs. This will bring an evolution for NFTS.

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Hykeem Jamaal Carter

Investment focus

Computer, Software, Blockchain
Seed
New Zealand

Portfolio highlights

Altered State Machine — Altered State Machine, aims to be a platform and protocol which any developer can build on it; can create, own, and compete with AI-based agents (bots) and upgrade and train their AI, buy, and sell them as NFTs. This will bring an evolution for NFTS.

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Phil Quist is currently working at Creative Artists Agency and is the Founder of PQ Selects. He is also an Investor at Connect Ventures and a Board Member at Forbes. Prior to that, he was an Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley. Phil attended Southern Methodist University.

Investment focus

Hotel, Travel, Content
Seed, Equity Crowdfunding
United States, Germany, New Zealand

Portfolio highlights

Gumroad — Gumroad is a powerful, but simple, e-commerce platform. We make it easy to earn your first dollar online by selling digital products, memberships and more.
The Plug Drink — The Plug Drink is made with 100% natural ingredients. Bounce-back faster than ever.
Altered State Machine — Altered State Machine, aims to be a platform and protocol which any developer can build on it; can create, own, and compete with AI-based agents (bots) and upgrade and train their AI, buy, and sell them as NFTs. This will bring an evolution for NFTS.

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Chris Adelsbach - Founding Partner @ Outrun Ventures

Investment focus

FinTech, Financial Services, Software
Seed, Pre-Seed, Series A
United Kingdom, United States, Ireland

Portfolio highlights

Bourn — Bourn's technology is designed to automate cash flow management, offering SMEs fast access to capital.
Capsa AI — Providing next-generation investors with a competitive edge.
Embed — The regulated Payments Platform unifying crypto and fiat rails. Fung has launched early beta. Sign up to secure your spot.

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