The first stage in our process is germination.
During germination, potential ventures are assessed for:
FOCUS |
FORM |
FIT |
| How could your work impact our focus areas? | How might you trade as a social enterprise? | How can we help you right now? |
| Does your work fit within our focus areas (consumption & waste, land & ecosystems, transport, housing, energy)? What will materially change as a result of your work? What’s the potential for scaling your work or replicating it elsewhere? What are the benefits / positive impacts of your work? |
How will your initiative be financially self-sustaining? How do you intend to incorporate enterprise to finance your work? What successes have you had so far? |
What is the difference you want us to make for your venture? How able are we, right now, to provide the support that will make that difference? How ready are you for that support? Are we the best organisation to provide support for you at the moment? |
For more context about how we assess new opportunities, check out this blog post about Focus, Form and Fit.
Ideas that pass this initial assessment are then explored in more detail.
We spend time with the entrepreneur or team, and look into the venture idea and proposed business model. We do this by completing a social lean canvas – a tool we’ve developed with partners to describe, align and de-risk social enterprises.
We may also offer some fixed term support as a way of starting our relationship and getting to know each other better.
If we determine that there is a good fit for both parties, then together we draw up investment terms, undertake appropriate due diligence and propose an investment model to the Hikurangi trustees.
Once a proposal has been accepted by our board, we draw up a formal contract before progressing to the incubation stage.
