Kia ora
Last week was a strong reminder of the energy building across New Zealand’s fintech ecosystem, with two well-attended partner events bringing the community together. Creative HQ’s Fintech Festival in Wellington celebrated the founders graduating from Fintech Lab ’26 and reinforced how important accelerators are in backing early-stage fintechs. In Auckland, a Blockchain Forum New Zealand/FinTech New Zealand session on digital assets, hosted by KPMG New Zealand, attracted strong interest, with Adam Bird and Craig Tapping (Mastering the Markets), Rupert Carlyon (Kōura Wealth), Yury Malanchuk (Sharesies), and Trevor Topfer (Blockchain Forum New Zealand) sharing grounded perspectives. With 60+ attendees, it was a clear sign there’s real appetite for thoughtful, practical conversation about where the sector is heading.
The Fintech Festival also highlighted how quickly the market is evolving. Of 16 initial applicants, 12 completed the 12‑week programme, spanning social impact, SMB and back-end business tools, and AI-enabled solutions. A standout theme was the willingness of founders to pivot significantly during the programme (particularly in AI) which is exactly what strong accelerators should enable: sharper propositions and better alignment with genuine market demand.
And if this newsletter is written through a lens of opportunity, I’d call out one vertical in particular: social impact. Three companies stood out to me as having both a clear market need and compelling long-term commercial potential: Nashrr (Halal, interest‑free lending), Fundsorter (helping community organisations prepare and submit funding applications), and Tākoha (a kaupapa Māori whānau asset management tool supporting stewardship of Māori land and related assets). I wish all of them well and look forward to seeing them become the next fintech scale-ups we’re proudly talking about.
Creative HQ Fintech Festival
The Creative HQ Fintech Festival celebrated the Fintech Lab ’26 graduating founders and showcased the importance of accelerators in supporting early-stage fintechs, including the ability to test, learn, and pivot fast (especially in AI). The festival also reinforced the sector’s call for stronger government-backed infrastructure, including digital identity.
FinTechNZ has partnered with Creative HQ over the past few years, and our relationship there has been one contributor to our decision to move Hui Taumata to Wellington. This reflects three clear goals: supporting the accelerator programme, strengthening links with the government, and building closer ties with the Wellington fintech community, particularly the scale-up ecosystem. View more.
Regulatory Updates
Australia news; Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging
In NZ, the question of what to do about surcharging remains unresolved, with policy effectively on hold amid coalition disagreement. However, in Australia, the RBA is proposing to end card surcharging from 1 October 2026, lower interchange fee caps (including foreign cards), and increase fee transparency for businesses. →
From resilience to sustainable growth
Read KPMG’s latest Specialist Lenders Insights report. →
Onboarding ramp for the Fintech Sandbox
The FMA has signalled a more mature sandbox, moving beyond exemptions to deeper engagement. →
UK FCA sets Open Finance direction
We’re watching closely as the roadmap signals how smart data could unlock more personalised services and better SME lending outcomes. Read the roadmap →
Reflections from our Hui
Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing a series of short reflections from our FinTechNZ Hui Taumata, including keynote highlights, speaker clips, and follow-on commentary that’s surfaced since the event.
First up is Rich Tong, CEO of TNE.ai, with a practical perspective on what’s changing and what it means for Aotearoa’s fintech ecosystem.
Watch the clip →
(members only content)
Community Noticeboard
Digital assets in focus
Hosted by KPMG New Zealand, our Blockchain Forum NZ x FinTechNZ session drew 60+ attendees for a practical discussion on what’s happening now in digital assets, and what’s next. Thanks to Adam Bird & Craig Tapping, Rupert Carlyon, Yury Malanchuk, and Trevor Topfer.
Breaking into Singapore’s payments market?
The Singapore FinTech Association’s Front Door Welcome Pack is a practical guide to the regulatory landscape. Ideal for fintechs entering or scaling in Singapore.
Celebrating excellence in ethical and impact investment
Attend Mindful Money’s Conference and Awards on Wednesday 18 June in Auckland. →
Tech and Innovation Manifesto 2026
Tech New Zealand’s election-year manifesto backs fintech priorities; open banking, smarter regulation, stronger cybersecurity, and pathways to scale globally from Aotearoa. View here. →
Coming soon: our FinTechNZ Hui Taumata Insights Forum report captures the key themes and actionable takeaways to help our ecosystem accelerate fintech innovation in Aotearoa.
Ngā mihi nui,
Jason Roberts
Executive Director, FinTech New Zealand
Read full news here: What’s shaping finance in Aotearoa New Zealand right now