The Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF) was a community of innovators, entrepreneurs
and investors committed to Aotearoa New Zealand as a basecamp for global impact.
From 2016 to 2026, EHF connected people, ideas and investment in service of a simple belief:

Meaningful solutions to the world’s hardest challenges can be built from here.

About the Edmund Hillary Fellowship

Our story

EHF was founded in 2016 to give life to the Global Impact Visa, a New Zealand Government programme designed to attract global changemakers to Aotearoa. Over the decade that followed, more than 500 Fellows from 50+ nationalities joined the Fellowship, building businesses, backing ventures, and putting down roots across the country.

The Global Impact Visa

The Global Impact Visa (GIV) was a pathway for talented entrepreneurs, investors and changemakers to settle in New Zealand and contribute to its future. EHF was created to support GIV recipients: helping them build deep connections with New Zealand communities, businesses and opportunities, and to create positive impact from here to the world.

Our Values

EHF was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, in honour of his values: humility, perseverance, tenacious leadership and service. The Fellowship was founded on a commitment to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi, expressed through its kawa and tikanga.