Building Innovation Growth through Global Talent
Franz Josef, Aotearoa NZ
5 June 2025
How Global Innovators Can Accelerate NZ’s Economic Future
Executive Summary
Aotearoa New Zealand has a narrow yet powerful opportunity to position itself as a globally recognised centre - or ‘basecamp’ - for innovation. To achieve this, it must strategically attract and retain high-impact innovators; individuals who create high impact ventures at the global frontier.
These are the leaders we need to get alongside our NZ founders and ventures as they prepare to go global: the experienced entrepreneurs and changemakers who can inspire global ambition and open fresh pathways to partnerships, capital, markets and growth opportunities. It is a gap in our ecosystem today: the deep human capital and global experience that will attract more offshore capital.
The Global Impact Visa (GIV) pilot programme - a partnership between Immigration NZ and the Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF) - proved that a bold, values-led model can attract world-class innovators and unlock disproportionate value for Aotearoa NZ. Now is the time to evolve that model into a public/private partnership that is flexible and mission-aligned, that welcomes and captures the imagination of world-class innovators. Success requires collaboration between the innovation and private sector, and globally connected intermediaries, with support from the Government. It requires NZ to intentionally build its innovation brand and profile.
New Zealand’s innovation system will thrive when we build an integrated pathway that welcomes global talent to not just start companies, but to plant roots, grow ecosystems, and lead globally significant ventures from New Zealand.
Key recommendations:
Restart the Global Impact Visa (GIVs): update design aligned to NZ needs.
Implement a refreshed public-private selection and oversight structure.
Invest in cultural induction, aftercare, and connections into the NZ ecosystem as core pillars to amplify impact - these are not optional extras.
Align with a long-term, future-focused vision for science and innovation.
Ensure ministerial and policy alignment around talent as a pillar of the innovation economy.
The Strategic Imperative
Global competition for innovation talent is intensifying, at a time of global political and financial disruption. New Zealand is well placed to attract talent - but we need to move fast.
Aotearoa NZ ranks highly for institutional trust and scientific capability, but lags in converting these inputs into globally scaled innovation outcomes. The 2024 Global Innovation Index ranks New Zealand 25th overall, but just 34th for outputs.
Our startup ecosystem has grown, but we lack critical mass. According to the Global Startup Genome Report1 New Zealand’s startup density is half that of our peers, and founders here raise less capital, more slowly. Fewer than 10 companies have reached NZ$100 million in revenue while based in New Zealand.
We must aim higher. Aotearoa NZ has the opportunity to attract a new wave of globally ambitious founders and innovators - people who choose to build the future from Aotearoa NZ because of its unique combination of values, livability, and potential.
Why Innovators Choose Aotearoa NZ
Aotearoa NZ offers strategic advantages that matter to globally mobile talent - and go deeper than lifestyle and security. These include:
A stable democracy with low corruption, ease of doing business, and regulatory agility.
Perceived geopolitical neutrality and trusted international alliances.
High-quality science and research infrastructure.
R&D costs that are globally competitive.
Ability to engage directly NZ leaders, policy makers and Government
Opportunities to co-develop regulatory frameworks and ‘sandboxes’ to test cutting-edge technologies with strong IP protection.
Unique regulations that allow early stage ventures to list on exchanges, and access capital at lower cost.
Aotearoa NZ’s approach to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and treaty settlements, and the potential for an authentic, values-based partnership.
World-class lifestyle and a reputation for values-driven leadership.
What Kind Of Talent Should Aotearoa NZ Target?
Serial entrepreneurs with global scaling experience, to found new ventures and support Kiwi founders.
Deep tech founders in AI, quantum physics, climate, aerospace, and biotech.
Investor operators with portfolio-driven capital and global market insights, who bring connections, skill and investment. This group is a complement to high net worth individuals who fit new investor visa categories.
Ecosystem builders who bring deep networks and catalyse communities, ventures and funding.
Tech executives ready to lead late stage scale ups from Aotearoa NZ.
Graduate researchers with commercial ambition and scientific depth.
Making It Work: Visa + Aftercare + Ecosystem
Aotearoa NZ needs to create an innovation and economic ‘flywheel’ - a compelling long-term strategic vision for our place in the world, underpinned by flexible visa pathways that attract and retain global talent.
This country already has a tested model and methodology for attraction, and a high value referral network with pent-up demand. The Global Impact Visa (GIV) pilot (2016–2023) was a public/private partnership to attract innovators, with 400 visas available to be taken up by December 2022. It was globally unique and has attracted interest from countries such as Japan and Korea.
In just two years (2021/22 - 2022/23) the GIV pilot achieved:
NZ$551.5 million raised for Kiwi businesses
NZ$136 million in direct investment
227+ new ventures launched
10,000+ hours of pro bono support to NZ businesses.
We propose reigniting the Global Impact Visa programme - here’s why.
High impact innovators are highly motivated self-starters who cannot neatly be boxed into existing visa criteria. We therefore propose a public/private partnership model that can flex to Aotearoa NZ’s needs over time.
Portfolio-Based Selection
Independent panels of domain experts assess alignment, ambition, and capabilities.
Diversity encouraged: new founders, serial entrepreneurs, systems designers, globally-connected innovation investors (who do not fit high net worth categories).
Simplified Entry
2-3 year work visa, self-funded, with no immediate in-market performance requirement.
Fast-track visa processing for families and collaborators.
Points-Based Pathway to Residency
Permanent residency contingent on verifiable contribution to NZ - ventures launched, jobs created, capital raised, exports generated.
Validate through independent review. EHF has a tested & robust model for this.
Lifecycle Integration - EHF has a proven model here that can be enhanced
Welcome and induction programme linking culture, communities, and ecosystem.
Introduction to te ao Māori and Treaty principles, and our values as a nation: this has been one of the most impactful parts of our Welcome Experience.
Regional ‘landing zones’ with tailored support (housing, banking, schools, workspaces).
Longitudinal tracking of impact.
Policy Alignment that addresses significant barriers
Address tax frictions (e.g. Foreign Investment Fund regime).
Enable primary home ownership for committed innovators.
Robust Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) policy settings for startups.
Strategically invest in critical innovation infrastructure to support high-growth sectors.
New Zealand’s Innovation Advantage
We have a chance to lead in sectors that reflect our scientific, geographic, and cultural strengths. These include:
Agritech, climate tech, and future food systems.
Space, aerospace and autonomous aviation.
Biotech, medtech, and digital health.
Advanced manufacturing and photonics.
Quantum and applied AI.
Policy and systems innovation (e.g. legal personhood for nature).
Next Steps: Policy and Partnership
To reignite this opportunity, we propose:
Restarting GIVs as an innovation/startup visa, with updated design parameters. This will complement the new investor visa categories, align with the Government’s growth priorities and build on learnings from the pilot programme.
A public-private governance and selection structure involving MBIE, ecosystem partners and the Edmund Hillary Fellowship.
Investment in induction and aftercare as core pillars, not optional extras. This accelerates migrant engagement and impact above and beyond visa requirements.
Ministerial and policy alignment around talent as a pillar of the innovation economy.
Conclusion
Aotearoa NZ’s future will be shaped by those who choose to build from here. With the right policy settings and partnerships, we can turn attraction into action - and global goodwill into world-changing ventures.
We’ve done it before. We can do it again. Let’s not leave this opportunity on the table.
Acknowledgements
Ngā mihi nui to the many Edmund Hillary Fellow and NZ innovation leaders that have contributed ideas, solutions and insights in discussions, roundtables and forums leading up to this paper.
For their direct input, special thanks to:
Mark Bregman: international investor and founder, Quidnet Ventures
Mohan Nair: international entrepreneur/investor, founder Emerge Inc.
Mike Taitoko: CEO and Co-founder, Takiwā NZ
Sid Sthalekar: international entrepreneur; Founder, Neighbourhoods
Amarit Charoenphan: ecosystem builder, investor, President NZ/Thai Chamber of Commerce
Bridget Unsworth: CE, Angel Association of NZ
About EHF
The Edmund Hillary Fellowship2 (EHF) is a powerful New Zealand-born network of global and local innovation leaders, honouring the legacy of Sir Edmund Hillary. It was set up in 2016 to deliver the Global Impact Visa programme, an innovative talent attraction pilot formed in partnership with Immigration NZ. Today more than 500+ innovators (Fellows) have gone through the programme including high impact leaders in aerospace, Web 3.0, AI, medtech and biotech and renewable energy. View our Fellow Directory.
EHF’s purpose is to partner with Aotearoa NZ to find and build solutions to our toughest challenges.
EHF has delivered a realised benefit 3of $111 for every $1 invested, creating access to international capital, networks and expertise. EHF is a social enterprise and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Hillary Institute.
1 https://startupgenome.com/reports/gser2023
2 The Edmund Hillary Fellowship (EHF) is a not-for-profit, limited liability company with charitable status.
3 Methodology is derived from NZTE’s Potential Direct Economic Impact model. Based on aggregate survey data from independent research conducted by Martin Jenkins and Curran Research Associates between 2017 and 2023. Excludes indirect economic and spillover impacts.
