- 45 events across five days – Auckland Startup Week brings the city’s innovation network together
- 100 days, 100 startups, 100 T-shirts - Mayor Wayne Brown putting Auckland’s innovators front and centre
- Big ideas meet big opportunities - founders, investors, researchers and international tech leaders connect in Auckland from 12–16 October
Auckland’s tech and startup scene is getting a five-day shot of adrenaline next week, and Mayor Wayne Brown is doing his bit in a rather unconventional uniform.
Since July, the Mayor has been wearing a different startup T-shirt every day as part of his 100 Days of Startups campaign, shining a spotlight on home-grown businesses as Auckland counts down to Auckland Startup Week.
Now in its second year, the week runs from 12–16 October, with 45 events across GridAKL in Wynyard Quarter and other venues around the city, up from 32 events last year.
And forget the traditional business conference.
With a theme of ‘rebellion’ this one comes with pitch battles, workshops, networking, demo days, a secret location networking dinner on steroids, a hackathon, international investors and an ambitious Mayor going all-in on startups.
The momentum is already attracting industry recognition, with Auckland Startup Week named a finalist in the Sector and Cluster Development category of the 2026 Economic Development New Zealand (EDNZ) Excellence Awards. The annual awards recognise achievements across New Zealand’s economic development sector, with this year’s winners to be announced in November.
Mayor Wayne Brown says Auckland has the talent and know-how and is well on its way to becoming a leading technology and innovation hub in the South Pacific.
“If it’s innovative, it’s in Auckland. We have hundreds of creative, risk-taking businesses here that can solve real problems. So, let’s nurture them and shout about them.
“At least one startup at GridAKL and throughout our innovation hubs could become New Zealand’s next billion-dollar business. That’s why Auckland Startup Week, and the Innovation & Technology Alliance, are so important in accelerating Auckland’s business growth.”
Auckland already accounts for 55 per cent of New Zealand’s $23.8 billion tech-sector contribution to GDP, while more than half of the country’s 200 largest globally focused technology export companies are based in Auckland.
The mayor says the opportunity now is to connect Auckland’s talent with the capital, expertise and international networks needed to scale up.
That is the thinking behind the Auckland Innovation & Technology Alliance, bringing together business, investors, researchers and government to help tackle barriers around capital, research, talent and scale.
Auckland Council’s General Manager Economic Development Pam Ford says Auckland Startup Week is about turning connections into opportunities.
“This is about getting the people with the big ideas into the same room as the people who can help make those ideas happen.
“Whether you’ve got a crazy idea scribbled on the back of a napkin, you’re looking for your first investor, or you’re ready to take your business offshore, there’s something here for you.”
The 2026 programme lets people build their own week, with four broad themes covering starting out, scaling up, collaboration and connection.
There are keynotes, workshops, pitch competitions, networking sessions and the Challengers’ Expo, where founders can put their businesses in front of investors and the wider innovation community.
International visitors include representatives from Innovate UK, Fukuoka in Japan and Ningbo in China, alongside investors and technology experts from Australia, the UK and the United States.
One such investor is international venture capital firm Bridgewest Ventures, who are hosting an event on the first day of Auckland Startup Week. The speaker lineup includes deep tech specialists in human health, planetary health and frontier technology.
Marissa Brindley, Head of Investment at Auckland Council’s Economic Development Office, leads Auckland Startup Week.
“With Auckland Startup Week we continue to enable and showcase Auckland as a tech savvy, future-focused place doing amazing stuff on the edge of the world. We can also better connect the startup ecosystem, bringing together founders, investors and enabling organisations, for the benefit of us all,” Brindley says.
The week opens with the Disruptors’ Dinner on 12 October at a secret Auckland location, designed to spark conversations and connections between founders, investors and supporters.
Mayor Brown will also host two events: Unfiltered Opportunities with Mayor Wayne Brown on 14 October, and The Mayor’s Fix It Showcase on 16 October, featuring winning ideas from the Mayor’s Hackathon.
And yes, there will probably be more T-shirts and the odd ping pong game!
Auckland Startup Week runs 12–16 October 2026. Most events are free and open to the public.
For the full programme and registration information, visit aucklandstartupweek.com