Christchurch is now at the forefront of new technology and business innovation thanks to a mentoring programme that’s now been running for 10 years.
The Ministry of Awesome was formed after the Canterbury earthquakes to inspire and to help rebuild the broken city.
It started with ‘coffee and jam sessions’ in 2012, where investors, founders, corporates and students come together to discuss their ideas.
Since 2019, the Ministry has helped 114 start-ups and generated 215 highly skilled jobs. It has also raised $40m to get projects going.
Ministry of Awesome chief executive Marian Johnson said they’ve helped transform Christchurch into a city brewing with innovation.
"Five years ago this was not happening at all," she said.
"We knew that if we were going to have this incredible vision of this knowledge-based economy it had to come from start-ups and innovators who were here otherwise it just wasn't going to happen."
Christchurch has jumped 168 places to 228 for the top start-up ecosystems in the world, according the Start-up Blink Global Ecosystem Ranking 2022.
"Christchurch surpassed Wellington to become the second highest ranked city in New Zealand (behind Auckland)," the report said.
"It also shifted up five spots in regional ranking, to take 6th place in the Australia and Oceania category."
Nathan Taylor got help from the Ministry of Awesome to help launch an online tool called ‘Partly’, which manages car parts around the world.
He said he had access to mentors and investors who helped with the overall direction of what he was trying to achieve.
Taylor said in 18 months the company has grown to be worth more than $50m.
Former Christchurch mayor Lianne Dalziel said with disaster comes opportunity.
"You just need to be open to it and I think Ministry of Awesome really opened the doors to the full extent of the opportunity that was available," said Dalziel.
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