Catalyst IT
Catalyst IT is a Wellington-headquartered open source technology services firm with 251–500 employees, delivering professional services, managed cloud (Cove), and AI solutions across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the UK. It primarily serves NZ central and local government, education, healthcare, transport, and cultural heritage sectors, holding All-of-Government Cloud Framework status and ISO 27001 certification.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Catalyst IT does
Catalyst IT Limited is a privately held New Zealand open source technology services firm founded in 1997 and headquartered in Wellington, with 251–500 employees and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Australia (Sydney), Canada (Vancouver), and the United Kingdom (London). The company delivers a portfolio of open source platforms and adjacent professional services organised into managed learning technology (Moodle, Tōtara, Mahara, Catalyst Workplace Essentials), content management (Silverstripe/Catalyst Starter, Drupal), library and cultural heritage collections (Koha, DSpace, VuFind, Islandora — under the Rōpū kohinga team), sovereign cloud infrastructure via its sister company Catalyst Cloud and the Cove managed platform, and an emerging AI practice through the AI Discovery Lab offering sovereign AI Safety Zones for open source LLMs.
The firm's revenue is generated through quote-based professional services contracts (software engineering, cloud services, strategy/consulting, experience & design, and training workshops), managed cloud and hosting subscriptions on the Cove platform, and lower-priced SME subscription products such as Catalyst Workplace Essentials. GTM is predominantly consultative direct sales to NZ central and local government, tertiary and primary education, healthcare, transport & logistics, energy & utilities, and cultural heritage clients, supplemented by Tier 2 supplier status on the Government Digital Marketplace and open source community engagement via conferences (KohaCon, LIANZA, Moodle events). Notable customers include the Ministry of Education (800,000+ students on Cove), NZCER, University of Canterbury, Monash, AUT, DIA, NZTA, NZ Post, Orion, and the National Open University of Nigeria (600,000 learners).
Catalyst IT operates multi-region sovereign cloud infrastructure certified to ISO 27001 and PCI-DSS v4, holds All-of-Government Cloud Framework status with 100% NZ-located infrastructure, is Toitū Net Carbon Zero certified, and positions digital sovereignty, open source, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership as core operating principles. The business has been built organically across roughly three decades with at least one disclosed acquisition (Open Query in 2018) and a 2020 Callaghan Innovation R&D grant, suggesting a founder/management-controlled capital structure with no disclosed external equity capital.
Catalyst IT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Catalyst IT
- Legal name
- Catalyst IT Limited
- Website
- https://catalyst.net.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Catalyst IT is a Wellington-headquartered open source technology services firm with 251–500 employees, delivering professional services, managed cloud (Cove), and AI solutions across New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the UK. It primarily serves NZ central and local government, education, healthcare, transport, and cultural heritage sectors, holding All-of-Government Cloud Framework status and ISO 27001 certification.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Catalyst IT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Open Source IT Services and Managed Cloud
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210), Other Computer Related Services (541519)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- IT Program/Project Management (PMO) & Delivery Assurance (BPAEAAAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industry/Domain Analytics Solutions & Accelerators (BPAEAHAK), Model Hosting, Serving & Inference Platforms (HDAAACAB), ITSM Platform Implementation & Administration (ServiceNow/JSM/BMC/etc.) (BPAEAJAC), Backup & DR Software Implementation & Managed Platforms (BPAEALAI)
Keywords
Where Catalyst IT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices4 records
Markets served
Catalyst IT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Professional Services - Software Engineering: Custom software development, system integrations, legacy modernisation, and new product development. Consultative engagement model with project-based and retainer arrangements.
- Managed Cloud Services: Fully managed cloud platform (Cove) with auto-scaling, high availability, geo-redundancy and disaster recovery. Subscription-based pricing with predictable costs.
- Training and Workshops: Expert-led workshops and training in open source software, web accessibility, Kubernetes, Docker, and development practices. Both in-person and remote delivery.
- IT Consulting: Strategy and consulting services including open source strategy, digital sovereignty, cloud migration, and independent reviews.
- Cloud Platform Subscription: Cove cloud platform providing infrastructure with fixed NZD pricing, auto-scaling, and options for Catalyst Cloud, AWS, or Azure hosting.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Catalyst Workplace Essentials - Complete training solutions for small organisations |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise and Government Services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Catalyst IT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Catalyst IT fundamentally delivers open source technology solutions and managed services to enterprise and government clients, with a portfolio spanning custom software engineering, managed cloud hosting on sovereign NZ infrastructure (Cove/Catalyst Cloud), learning technology platforms (Moodle, Tūtara, Mahara), content management (Silverstripe, Drupal), library and collections systems (Koha, DSpace, VuFind, Islandora), and AI solutions delivered through an AI Discovery Lab with contained NZ-hosted LLMs. Services are delivered via direct consultative sales, project-based and retainer engagements, with training workshops and government marketplace offerings rounding out the proposition.
Product overview
Catalyst IT is an open source technology partner based in New Zealand with over 25 years of experience. The company operates a portfolio of open source platforms and professional services organised into three main areas: Open Source Platforms (learning technology, content management, library/collections management, and cloud infrastructure), Professional Services (software engineering, cloud services, strategy and consulting, experience and design, and training), and AI solutions. The learning technology portfolio includes Moodle, Tōtara, Mahara, and Moodle Workplace for LMS/ePortfolio needs, alongside Catalyst Workplace Essentials for SME organisations. Content management is served through Silverstripe (including the Catalyst Starter distribution) and Drupal. Library and archive solutions include Koha, DSpace, VuFind, and Islandora. The Cove cloud platform provides managed infrastructure with data sovereignty options. AI Discovery Lab delivers AI Safety Zones for NZ-hosted LLM access and responsible AI adoption support. All offerings are built on open source foundations with no vendor lock-in.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cove: Catalyst's fully managed cloud platform with auto-scaling, high availability, geo-redundancy and disaster recovery
- Rōpū kohinga
- Catalyst Cloud
- Catalyst Starter
Products and services
- Cove Cloud Platform A secure, fully managed cloud platform providing auto-scaling, high availability, geographic redundancy, disaster recovery, and NZ-based data residency. Supports hosting on Catalyst Cloud, AWS, or Azure for organisations needing sovereign or hybrid cloud infrastructure.
- AI Discovery Lab An AI solutions practice offering AI Safety Zones (self-contained NZ-hosted environments for open source LLMs), AI strategy and consulting, R&D support, and bias/misalignment guidance for responsible AI adoption by NZ organisations.
- Koha Library Management System A community-driven open source library management system used by 20,000+ libraries globally for catalogue management, inventory, reporting, and multi-language support (40+ languages), with Catalyst as a long-standing contributor and release manager.
- Rōpū kohinga Library and Cultural Heritage Solutions A specialised team and service bundle at Catalyst supporting Koha (library management), DSpace (digital repository), VuFind (discovery), and Islandora (digital asset management) for libraries, archives, and cultural institutions across NZ and beyond.
- RiskScape Geospatial Risk Modelling Platform An award-winning open source geospatial risk modelling platform developed with GNS Science and NIWA for modelling natural hazard impacts (floods, earthquakes, cyclones, landslides) across New Zealand and the Pacific.
- Software Engineering Services Custom software development, complex system integrations, legacy modernisation, and new product development with automated testing, code review, and security-conscious engineering practices, delivered to enterprise and government clients on project and retainer bases.
- Cloud Services and Infrastructure Cloud migration, modernisation, management, and automation services including Kubernetes orchestration, infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD pipelines, and training, supporting Cove, Catalyst Cloud, AWS, and Azure.
- Strategy and IT Consulting IT consulting covering open source strategy, digital sovereignty, hybrid and multi-cloud planning, independent reviews, and application management for government and enterprise clients.
- Experience and Design Services UX research, user testing, information architecture, visual design, web accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA), and digital experience review services spanning business analysis, UX, and design disciplines.
- Training and Workshops Expert-led workshops covering web accessibility, Koha, Docker, Kubernetes, WCAG fundamentals, and custom capability uplift programmes delivered in-person and remotely across Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% system availability achieved for 600,000 learners at National Open University of Nigeria
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Catalyst IT
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Catalyst IT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability10 records
Feature4 records
Catalyst IT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN)coreMoodle Premium Certified Partner providing hosted services for 600,000 learners, achieving 100% system availability since migration in 2018.
- MoodlecorePremium Certified Moodle Partner with award-winning status. Catalyst has worked with Moodle since 2004 and remains part of its global success, helping local institutions achieve their own successes with the LMS.
- TōtaracoreAuthorised partner for Tōtara Suite - the platform uniting learning, performance, and engagement. Extensive implementation experience across government and enterprise clients.
- Koha CommunitycoreActive contributor to Koha library management system - submitting code enhancements, release management, maintenance roles, and facilitating KohaCon conferences. 15+ years of dedicated support.
- Catalyst CloudcoreSister company providing NZ-owned cloud infrastructure. Only All-of-Government Cloud Framework provider with 100% NZ-based infrastructure. Holds ISO 27001, PCI-DSS certifications.
- DSpacecoreDigital repository software partner for storing and sharing digital materials. Specialising in implementation, hosting, and support.
- IslandoracoreDigital archive and curation platform partner for preserving digital collections. Implemented for institutions like University of Canterbury's QuakeStudies.
- VuFindcoreDiscovery layer partner for harvesting metadata from multiple systems and providing unified search across collections.
- MaharacoreEPortfolio platform partner designed for lifelong learning. Kristina Hoeppner serves as Mahara Project Lead.
- Digital Inclusion Alliance AotearoaminorPartnership supporting digital inclusion initiatives in New Zealand.
- NZCERcoreLong-term partnership building and maintaining the Progressive Achievement Tests platform used by two-thirds of NZ schools for over a decade.
- GNS Science and NIWAcoreDevelopment partnership for RiskScape - award-winning geospatial risk modelling platform since 2018 for modelling natural hazard impacts.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Catalyst IT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Instructure: Instructure is the global vendor behind Canvas, the leading proprietary learning management system widely used in higher education. It serves the same education buyer and overlaps with Catalyst's Tōtara and Moodle engagements at the product-versus-integrator level.
- Accenture: Accenture is a global systems integrator and consulting leader with significant NZ presence, delivering cloud migration, custom software, and digital transformation to government and enterprise. It competes with Catalyst IT on larger enterprise and cross-border public-sector mandates where scale and breadth are deciding factors.
- DXC Technology: DXC Technology is a global IT services provider delivering cloud, applications, and workplace modernisation to public sector and enterprise clients. It overlaps Catalyst IT's managed services and application modernisation offerings across NZ/AU and competes on large government framework deals.
- Slalom: Slalom is a global technology and business transformation consultancy with a strong open-source and cloud practice. It targets the same mid-market enterprise and public-sector clients as Catalyst IT but at significantly larger scale and broader capability breadth.
- Cognizant: Cognizant is a global IT services and digital transformation firm serving enterprise and public-sector clients across cloud, data, and custom software. It competes indirectly with Catalyst on large-scale modernisation and managed services programmes in regulated industries where Catalyst also operates.
Direct peers
- Datacom: Datacom is the largest New Zealand-headquartered IT services firm, delivering cloud, managed services, software engineering, and government digital transformation. It is Catalyst IT's most direct competitor for NZ central and local government, education, and enterprise clients, with overlapping cloud (Datacom Cloud) and consulting capabilities.
- Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy specialising in custom software engineering, open source platforms, and cloud modernisation. Thoughtworks is a closely comparable peer given Catalyst IT's open-source-first delivery model, complex-systems integration focus, and similar consultative GTM to enterprise and public-sector clients.
- Open LMS: Open LMS is a global Moodle Premium Certified Partner providing hosted and managed learning management solutions to education and enterprise. It directly competes with Catalyst IT's Moodle practice for the same LMS customer base and the same Moodle-partner economics.
- Revera: Revera is a New Zealand-owned cloud and managed services provider serving government and enterprise with sovereign NZ data centre infrastructure. It directly overlaps Catalyst on managed cloud, All-of-Government procurement, and regulated NZ public-sector workloads.
Regional players
- Spark Digital: Spark Digital is the technology services arm of Spark NZ, offering cloud, managed services, data, and digital transformation to NZ government and enterprise. It competes with Catalyst IT across NZ sovereign cloud and large public-sector digital programmes, leveraging Spark's telco parent for scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Catalyst IT social profiles
Digital presenceCatalyst IT compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Catalyst IT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Catalyst IT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Catalyst IT subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Catalyst IT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Catalyst IT M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Catalyst IT
What does Catalyst IT do?
Catalyst IT fundamentally delivers open source technology solutions and managed services to enterprise and government clients, with a portfolio spanning custom software engineering, managed cloud hosting on sovereign NZ infrastructure (Cove/Catalyst Cloud), learning technology platforms (Moodle, Tūtara, Mahara), content management (Silverstripe, Drupal), library and collections systems (Koha, DSpace, VuFind, Islandora), and AI solutions delivered through an AI Discovery Lab with contained NZ-hosted LLMs. Services are delivered via direct consultative sales, project-based and retainer engagements, with training workshops and government marketplace offerings rounding out the proposition.
Is Catalyst IT a public or private company?
Catalyst IT is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Catalyst IT founded?
Catalyst IT was founded in 1997. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Catalyst IT based?
Catalyst IT is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Catalyst IT make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Professional Services - Software Engineering is the primary driver. The others are managed Cloud Services, training and Workshops, IT Consulting and cloud Platform Subscription.
Who are Catalyst IT's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Instructure, Accenture, DXC Technology, Slalom and Cognizant. Direct peers are Datacom, Thoughtworks, Open LMS and Revera. Spark Digital is listed as a regional player.
Does Catalyst IT have an API?
No public API is recorded for Catalyst IT.
What industry is Catalyst IT in?
Catalyst IT's product category is Open Source IT Services and Managed Cloud. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAEAAAO, IT Program/Project Management (PMO) & Delivery Assurance, with a secondary code of BPAEAHAK, Industry/Domain Analytics Solutions & Accelerators. Its NAICS code is 5415 and its SIC code is 7371.