Tech and Innovation
To support a diverse economy, we need to focus on both established core industries and emerging sectors.
Kāpiti is a growing destination choice for Tech businesses, using its connected communities to support innovative thinking.
The Kāpiti Tech sector features a wide range of innovative Tech companies including Startups, Creative Tech, Cyber-Security, IT Service Providers, Software, and Hardware companies.
The Kāpiti Coast is also home to a broad range of tech professionals along with supportive, successful entrepreneurs, connected nationally and internationally. The tech community is keen to collaborate and drive forward thinking projects and business initiatives that have the potential to reshape the business landscape.
Two forward-thinking tech entrepreneurs have created one of the world’s first hotel experience platforms, with Kāpiti Coast as their remote business base.
Altitude, co-founded by Anthony Radich and Ella Blake, is a state-of-the-art hospitality software platform currently used in Aotearoa, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, and Scotland. With a seven-person development team in Vietnam and partners across the globe, the start-up is set only to scale.
"I started building websites when I was 15 and have developed solutions for all kinds of customers
over the years, from government agencies to investors wanting an app." says Anthony, 34, who launched Altitude in 2019. One of those customers was a hotel where Ella was working. They needed a tech replacement across several systems, so we built an app for tablets in all the hotel rooms, which meant every room was paperless.”
ThinkTech Kāpiti unites the local Tech sector to spark big ideas and bold conversations
ThinkTech Kāpiti, part of TechWeek 2025, brought fresh energy and momentum to the district – drawing together over 120 founders, tech professionals, students, and ecosystem supporters – to Southward Car Museum to explore the tech insights from a regional lens.
From ethical AI and cyber threats to startup funding in smaller centres and building connected communities, the day offered a curated mix of real-world insights and emerging ideas. Karyn Andreassend (Programme Lead) and Ella Blake, (Tech Cluster Coordinator) designed the event with the local Tech Cluster in mind.
“The Tech Cluster shared that they would love to have a local conference. We were really grateful to have many so many tech leaders agree to share their insights. The energy in the room was fantastic, as was the collaboration.”
Attendees and participants reflected that the event was set apart by its strong sense of purpose and place. Rather than a generic tech conference, ThinkTech Kāpiti felt grounded – delivering high-value conversations that reflected both local challenges and global opportunities. Many described it as one of the most useful and energising tech events they’d attended – celebrated for its authenticity, calibre of speakers, and space for honest, values-driven discussion.
The event featured a powerhouse lineup of speakers – leaders and innovators at the forefront of technology, community development, and business growth.
Among the standout moments were Pera Barrett’s (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga) powerful kōrero on staying true to your values while using tech as a tool to scale impact, and Ōtaki local, Diana Minnèe’s guidance on using AI to enable smarter business operations.
The event also marked the launch of Kāpiti’s first tech internship programme, developed with input from local tech founders and delivered in partnership with Summer of Tech.
Scott Houston, Tech Entrepreneur shared “we are really starting to walk the talk of Kāpiti being a technology hub, not just for Wellington but all of New Zealand. We have an unprecedented level of investment coming into this district in the next few years which will make the Kāpiti Coast the place to be for innovators and big thinkers”.
ThinkTech Kāpiti proved that regional Aotearoa has a vital role to play in shaping the future of tech – and the appetite for collaboration, innovation and bold thinking is only growing.
“The event featured a powerhouse lineup of speakers – leaders and innovators at the forefront of technology, community development, and business growth.”
Join the KāpitiTech Cluster and connect with like-minded businesses.
A Tech Cluster has been established to support this diverse group connect, collaborate, and share knowledge. The cluster is all about celebrating new, emerging and established Tech companies based on the Coast.
Being a cluster member means you will be invited to regular networking events, capability building workshops, opportunities for shared storytelling and marketing and channels for better business collaboration.
See some of our members listed below. We meet regularly in-person and online.
To join the conversation online, join KāpitiTech on LinkedIn.
Discover Exciting Events in Our District
Our district is proud to host a wide array of business events designed to foster growth, collaboration, and success.
Are you keen to be part of the innovation and tech cluster? Reach out here and our Tech and Innovation portfolio lead will be in touch.
Karyn Andreassend
Get in touch
