Airwallex, the Australian-founded leading financial platform for modern businesses, today announced that it is launching Airwallex for Startups in New Zealand, to help Kiwi startups to accelerate their growth. 

The initiative – which includes practical resources, networking and content opportunities, exclusive product offers from Airwallex and others within the startup ecosystem, and the opportunity to win an NZD $10,000 Business Acceleration Grant – has been created to empower the next generation of Kiwi entrepreneurs to scale faster and more efficiently. 

Free and open to registered businesses with 2-100 employees, Airwallex for Startups will support businesses with tips and tools to manage their money more effectively from the beginning of their business journey.

Joining the program gives startups access to the following for their first six months:

• NZD $50K free FX for your next capital raise – that’s $0 fees and 0% margin on your first $50k in FX conversions, and;

• 1% cashback on international transactions made using Airwallex cards.

In addition, founders will have access to guidance and exclusive perks from a variety of ecosystem partners on everything from employee share option plans and insurance, to accounting software and compliance tools. 

Taylor Fox-Smith, Head of Airwallex for Startups at Airwallex ANZ, said the program has been designed to educate and unlock growth opportunities for founders. 

“As an Aussie-born, global fintech, we have an important role to play in supporting our neighbouring Kiwi startups as they navigate the founders’ journey. Having already worked with tech powerhourses like Auror and Tracksuit, we also believe in deep community connections with enablers like Creative HQ,” said Fox-Smith. 

“Mastering financial foundations is essential to any business’s success. We will bring together the experts – including established founders and finance leaders – to share practical guidance so businesses can thrive with a community around them.”

The Airwallex for Startups program launched in Hong Kong in September 2023, and has expanded to Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. To date, more than 2,000 startups have joined the program.

Airwallex is bolstering its product suite in New Zealand, with the imminent arrival of physical cards and payment acceptance to sit alongside existing FX, global accounts and virtual company and employee cards. 

New Zealand recently made the top 20 ranking worldwide for the first time in the 2023 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) with seven APAC ecosystems making the top 30, highlighting how important it is to nurture Kiwi businesses.