Good Things Are Happening

Signs of Hope In Aotearoa

🌿 Good News Aotearoa – Edition 14th August 2025

Even in weeks when the headlines seem weighed down with worry, there’s another current running quietly through Aotearoa. One of people building, innovating, creating and caring. The stories don’t always lead the news, but they’re shaping the future in ways that matter. Over the past week, from fintech breakthroughs to age-friendly housing, from youth-led community projects to new life for our arts scene, there’s been plenty to feel encouraged about.

Kiwi ingenuity drawing serious investment

A home-grown fintech start-up, founded by brothers Andy and Dave McLeish, has just secured a $20 million commitment from a KiwiSaver fund for its “anti-bank” savings app. It’s a bold pitch - give New Zealanders an alternative to traditional banks, with tools designed to make saving easier and more rewarding. Big investments in local fintech aren’t just about balance sheets – they signal trust in our ability to build technology here that can hold its own on the world stage.

Meanwhile, in healthtech, Auckland University spin-out Luminoma is raising capital to bring its skin-cancer detection device closer to market. Early detection saves lives and if this device succeeds, it could change outcomes for thousands of Kiwis and potentially export to the world. It’s a reminder that some of our best innovation starts in university labs and grows into companies that create skilled jobs and solve real problems.

Down south, Christchurch-based transport-technology firm Connexionz has clawed its way back into the black after a challenging year. It’s the sort of turnaround story SMEs know all too well – keeping steady through rough water, trimming where needed and finding the right customers. Add to that NZX-listed Black Pearl Group raising $15 million for a strategic acquisition and you’ve got a week that shows real confidence in New Zealand companies with ambition.

Community projects with national resonance

It’s not only in the boardrooms and capital-raise announcements where good things are happening. In Rangiora, an Abbeyfield “flatting for older people” home has taken a step closer, with Waimakariri District Council offering land for the project. Abbeyfield’s model – self-contained units with shared spaces and support – is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s a response to isolation, affordability and the desire for independence that so many older people share.

Porirua City Council has opened new rounds of funding for youth-led initiatives and waste-minimisation projects. Grants of up to $30,000 are on the table for ideas that tackle local challenges with fresh thinking. It’s a direct investment in young people as problem-solvers and a nod to the fact that innovation doesn’t only happen in tech parks – sometimes it starts in a school hall or a community shed.

Age Concern Wellington has put out a call for community support, highlighting the growing needs of older residents. While appeals like this might sound like a reminder of the challenges we face, they also show the generosity and connection that still runs deep here. Every volunteer hour or donated dollar becomes part of a quiet network of care.

Arts and culture - small funds, big impact

Creative industries often run on tight margins and small injections of support can make the difference between a show going ahead or being shelved. Franklin Local Board in South Auckland has opened arts micro-grants for community-led projects right through to June 2026 – a practical way to keep local stages, galleries and workshops alive and accessible.

In Auckland, Q Theatre has launched a “Season Support” fund to reduce the financial risk of staging productions. For small companies and independent artists, that risk often decides whether new work gets seen. This kind of backing doesn’t just help artists – it flows to lighting techs, set builders, caterers and the dozens of small businesses orbiting the arts.

Down in Ōtautahi Christchurch, CoCA Toi Moroki is calling for proposals, with an applicant workshop to help more people put their best foot forward. Giving artists a platform is one thing, but giving them the skills to make the most of it is another and both matter.

Celebrating culture, sharing markets

From Friday, cities across the country will light up for the Indian Independence Day festival. Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton, and Whangārei will host “The World and Us” – four days of cultural performances, food and shared stories. Events like this are more than a calendar highlight – they create spaces where communities connect, trade links are built, and local food and craft vendors can thrive alongside the celebrations.

A small shift that helps every shopper

Finally, the Commerce Commission’s latest findings show that competitive pricing among Asian supermarkets is helping keep grocery costs down. It might seem a small thing, but in a time when every household is watching the food bill, more competition in the aisles is good news worth noting. It’s also a reminder that the businesses shaping our economy aren’t always in corporate towers – sometimes they’re in the local shopping strip, run by families who’ve been serving their neighbourhoods for decades.

Looking at the bigger picture

Put together, these stories tell us something important. Investment is flowing into New Zealand ideas and companies. Communities are stepping up with practical solutions to social challenges. Arts and culture are being recognised as both vital to our wellbeing and as economic drivers. Cultural festivals are bringing people together in ways that strengthen both our social fabric and our local economies and even in the weekly shop, competition is quietly shifting the equation in favour of consumers.

None of these wins erase the challenges we face – and they’re not meant to. But they do show that even in tough times, people are finding ways to create, adapt and support one another. If you zoom out, the view can look grim. Zoom in and you see individuals, organisations and businesses making choices that add up to something better.

Maybe the real good news is this - Aotearoa is full of people who haven’t given up on building a country that works, in large and small ways, for those who call it home. And that’s a story worth hearing every week.

If you’d like a confidential, free of charge, free of obligation conversation about your business, here’s how to get me.

📞 Phone +64 275 665 682
✉️ Email john.luxton@regenerationhq.co.nz
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