What Movac does

Movac is a New Zealand-based venture capital firm founded in 1998 that invests in early- and growth-stage technology companies through a series of fund vehicles, currently spanning Emerge Fund 4, Fund 5 (NZ$230m), the NZ$200m Growth Fund 6 closed in 2023, and Growth Fund 7, which opened in 2025 targeting NZ$150-NZ$200m with potential oversubscription to NZ$250m. Across its history the firm has executed 53 investments, made more than NZ$412m of equity commitments, and reports top-decile or top-quartile global cash-on-cash returns.

The firm operates a two-sided model. On the supply side it raises capital from institutional and individual limited partners including the NZ Super Fund, Generate KiwiSaver (which has committed more than NZ$100m to local VC), Fisher Funds, the New Zealand Growth Capital Partners, the Government Superannuation Fund, iwi entities, family offices and high-net-worth investors; Mark Vivian has led the fundraising of more than NZ$900m across Movac funds over nearly two decades. On the deployment side Movac invests from first acceleration cheques through to Series B across software, deeptech, hardware, SaaS, fintech, medtech and cleantech, preferring to lead rounds, take board seats, and reserve significant capital for follow-ons. Notable historical and current holdings include PowerbyProxi (acquired by Apple), Vend (acquired by Lightspeed for ~NZ$500m), Timely (acquired by EverCommerce), Crimson Education (NZ$1b+ valuation post the 2024 NZ$67m Series D), LawVu (US$400m valuation), Re-Leased (US$7.5b rent roll managed), Hnry, Auror, Dawn Aerospace, Avasa, and AutoGrab (A$230m valuation post the 2026 A$80m Series B co-led with Octopus Ventures).

Beyond capital, Movac layers a portfolio-support product surface on its investments: Operating Chapters in Engineering, Customer Success, Sales & Marketing and Execution; an annual Movac Camp for CEOs; HireWire for senior tech talent matching; a Library of playbooks including "Hiring Technical Talent"; the OnBoard governance-training program (partnered with external provider OnBoard); capital-strategy support covering bridging, acquisition, PE and IPO pathways; and Office Hours including an Underrepresented Founder track. The firm has offices in Auckland and Wellington, a team of approximately 11-50 (with roughly 12 named professionals), and earns revenue through traditional VC mechanics: management fees on committed capital plus carried interest (approximately 20% of fund profits) on realised exits.

Name

Movac

Legal name

Movac

Website

https://movac.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Movac is a New Zealand venture capital firm founded in 1998 that invests in early- and growth-stage technology companies through multiple fund vehicles, serving New Zealand institutional LPs and technology founders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital / Private Equity Investing

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Financial Investment Activities (5239)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Early-stage technology funding
• Growth equity funds
• Portfolio company support
• New Zealand technology investment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Management fees: Traditional VC management fee structure charged on committed capital to cover fund operations and team.
2. Carried interest (carry): Performance-based carried interest (approximately 20% of profits), aligning Movac's interests with investors and portfolio company success.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Movac is a New Zealand venture capital firm that raises and manages funds (Emerge early-stage, Fund 5, Growth Fund 6, Growth Fund 7) investing in New Zealand technology companies from pre-seed/seed through Series B, with significant follow-on capital reserved. Portfolio companies receive capital alongside an operating-partner platform including Engineering, Customer Success, Sales & Marketing and Execution Chapters, HireWire talent matching, and governance support through the OnBoard partnership.

Product overview

Movac is New Zealand's most experienced venture capital firm, founded in 1998, offering a suite of investment funds across different lifecycle stages including Emerge (early-stage), Fund 5, Growth Fund 6, and Growth Fund 7 (growth-stage). The firm's portfolio companies gain access to Movac's ecosystem of support programs including Operating Chapters (Engineering, Customer Success, Sales & Marketing, Execution), Movac Camp, Office Hours, HireWire talent matching, Library resources, and OnBoard governance training. Movac positions itself as a full-lifecycle technology investor that is high-touch and high-conviction, bringing Kiwi capital and global talent to grow portfolio businesses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Movac Growth Fund 7: Current fund targeting $150m-$200m with potential for oversubscription to $250m, focusing on Series A and B rounds in high-growth NZ technology companies.
• Movac Growth Fund 6
• Movac Fund 5
• Movac Emerge Fund 4

Products and services

• Movac Fund 5 Movac's fifth venture capital fund investing in early-to-growth-stage New Zealand technology companies across software, deeptech and hardware. Has deployed capital into companies including Mint Innovation, Dawn Aerospace, Tectrax, Miruku, Alimetry, Auror, Evnex, Open and Tradify.
• Movac Growth Fund 6 A $200 million growth-stage investment fund targeting Kiwi technology companies with experienced teams, proven product-market fit and scalable business models. Targets businesses with the vision, strategy and business model to exceed $100M in sales.
• Movac Growth Fund 7 Currently open Movac fund focused on a concentrated portfolio of New Zealand technology companies, with the majority of initial investments in Series A and B rounds. Target fund size: minimum $150M, target $150M-$200M with potential to oversubscribe to $250M.
• Movac Emerge Fund Early-stage investment fund (previously Emerge 4) for exceptional teams solving tough problems in big markets. Invests from the first acceleration round onwards.
• Operating Chapters (Engineering, Customer Success, Sales & Marketing, Execution) Hyper-growth clubs for portfolio company operators including Engineering Chapter, Customer Success Chapter, Sales & Marketing Chapter, and Execution Chapter. Features core curriculum workshops and peer-to-peer sessions led by Operating Partners and globally sourced leaders.
• Movac Camp Annual CEO camp gathering Movac CEOs, team members and select leaders, designed around an annual theme to feed the CEO-team-business flywheel, focusing on grounding, connecting and strengthening portfolio leaders through shared experiences.
• Underrepresented Founder Office Hours 20-minute sessions with members of the investment team to discuss go-to-market strategies, capital strategy, and provide insight on how investment opportunities are assessed. Targeted at underrepresented founders.
• HireWire Service connecting senior technology leaders with portfolio hiring teams. Senior tech leaders can submit their details to be matched with portfolio companies looking for talent.
• Library Resource access for portfolio companies including Movac Playbooks (such as 'Hiring Technical Talent'), operator club recordings and partner perks.
• OnBoard Program Partnership-driven program with OnBoard to build a pipeline of tomorrow's start-up directors. Designed for tech operators seeking to begin their governance journey and directors wanting to increase diversity of thought in the boardroom.
• Follow-on Investment and Capital Strategy Support Capital strategy development support for portfolio companies covering bridging, acquisitions, IPO, and private equity and venture capital investment guidance. Significant capital is reserved by Movac for follow-on rounds in portfolio companies.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top decile or top quartile globally based on cash returned to investors

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• JATO DynamicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026AutoGrab (Movac portfolio company) entered into an exclusive strategic partnership with JATO Dynamics to support its international expansion into UK and Europe. The partnership leverages JATO's automotive data capabilities to enhance AutoGrab's market intelligence offerings for UK insurers.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Icehouse Ventures: New Zealand's other leading early-stage tech VC. Icehouse Ventures co-invests with Movac in portfolio companies like Hnry and Re-Leased, and both raise capital from overlapping KiwiSaver and institutional LPs — making them the most direct comparable.
• NZ Growth Capital Partners: Government-backed NZ venture capital fund-of-funds and direct investor. They invest as an LP in Movac's funds and also compete at the deal level, making them both a partner and a partial competitor in the NZ tech ecosystem.
• Global From Day One (GD1): New Zealand early-stage VC focused on Kiwi founders building globally from day one. GD1 overlaps with Movac at the early/seed stage and shares a similar 'global Kiwi' thesis, making it a direct comparable for origination and talent.
• Hillfarrance Venture Capital: Auckland-based seed-stage VC investing in NZ technology companies. Hillfarrance operates in the same origination channels as Movac's Emerge fund and is a natural peer at the early end of the lifecycle.
• Phase One Ventures: Early-stage NZ VC supporting founders from pre-seed onwards. Phase One overlaps with Movac's Emerge Fund and is one of the closest comparables in the early-stage Kiwi tech market.
• Pacific Channel: NZ deeptech and science commercialisation VC. Movac has a similar deeptech emphasis (Dawn Aerospace, Tectrax, Alimetry, Avasa), making Pacific Channel a direct peer in the deeptech sub-segment of the NZ market.

Broad incumbents

• Blackbird Ventures: Australia's largest and most prominent early-stage tech VC. Blackbird is a relevant comparable for Movac's growth and Series A/B activity given the deep ANZ tech investment corridor, though it operates at significantly larger fund scale.
• Square Peg Capital: Major ANZ growth-stage VC. Square Peg's later-stage activity is a useful benchmark for Movac's Growth Fund 6/7 trajectory, particularly as Movac portfolio companies (e.g., Crimson, LawVu) approach scale.

Emerging players

• Octopus Ventures: UK-based venture firm that co-led AutoGrab's A$80M Series B with Movac. Octopus provides international co-investment reach for Movac portfolio companies, making it both a partner and a structurally comparable growth-stage VC.

Regional players

• Movac Programs (peer-as-platform): Australian early-stage VC with a focus on NZ and ANZ-cross-border deals. Folklore is a regional peer in the early-stage ANZ market and a credible co-investment counterpart for Movac on trans-Tasman opportunities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/movac
• Xx.com/movac_vc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments74 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Movac