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Over the past week, our managing partner, Brent Ogilvie has been in the US meeting with more than 100 potential Active Investor Plus (AIP) resident investors considering a move to New Zealand. Here are his observations.
What struck me most was not just the billions of dollars of capital these “golden visa” AIP investors are ready to deploy, but the calibre of the people themselves. They’re individuals and families who bring deep entrepreneurial, commercial, and investment expertise.
Their backgrounds are as diverse as they are impressive. From young digital entrepreneurs who have already exited their ventures, to founder families of industrial and services businesses more than a century old, these investors represent a wave of knowledge, networks, and capability that can complement New Zealand’s strengths.
We should welcome them with open arms and as a Kiwi, I was proud to learn from these investors that we already are. Time and again, these investors told me stories of how welcoming New Zealanders had been - from getting out the tractor to pull out a marooned rental vehicle on a back road that became a "track', to Kiwis simply greeting visitors on the street, without any other motive then to say hello.
Yet there has historically been a challenge. Whilst Pacific Channel’s returns position us amongst the top VC managers globally, there has often been a perceived or actual hurdle for international investors wanting to invest into Antipodean funds and our portfolio of high-growth ventures.
The catalytic role of the Golden Visa
New Zealand’s “golden visa” AIP programme has provided the necessary catalyst. For the first time, these investors can both establish a home base in New Zealand and invest in ventures that grow our economy. This combination is powerful: lifestyle and impact reinforcing one another.
While initially many are investing in private credit funds for their perceived lower risk profile, venture capital is also getting a healthy allocation. As this grows, our ability to fund companies beyond seed and Series A - into the larger rounds historically led by offshore funds - will be improved.
- For founders and management, this means there’s less pressure to relocate offshore in search of capital, and there’s a greater chance of scaling globally while keeping core teams and IP in New Zealand.
- For investors, it means the ability to participate in more of the value creation journey - rather than seeing early stakes diluted when offshore funds step into lead the bigger rounds.
- And for New Zealand as a whole, it means more high-growth companies staying here, creating skilled jobs, paying taxeslocally, and building capability that compounds over time.
In short, expanding our pool of venture capital will allowus to retain ownership, talent, and economic benefit in New Zealand, while still connecting our ventures to the global markets they must ultimately serve.
Beyond capital - people who will enrich New Zealand society
Just as significant are the interests and skills these investors bring with them.
Among those I met were people engaged in medical research, composing classical music, coaching high-performance teams, and even astrophysics. These are individuals who can enhance New Zealand not just economically, but culturally and intellectually.
A collective effort
I was also impressed by how effectively New Zealand presented itself. Even if we might have had competing interests, our diplomatic teams, Invest NZ representatives, and private sector delegates worked togetherto showcase the opportunity that is New Zealand.
For Pacific Channel - and for the wider venture, private equity, and credit industries - this is only the beginning. With the right structures and continued collaboration, AIP and golden visa investors can help unlock a step change in how we finance innovation and grow companies from NewZealand to the world.
