Wakatū

What Wakatū does

Wakatū Incorporation is a Māori incorporation founded in 1977 and headquartered in Nelson, New Zealand, owned by 4,570+ shareholders (10,442,592 shares) who descend from Ngāti Koata, Ngāti Rārua, Ngāti Tama and Te Ātiawa. The organisation operates under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 and is governed by a 500-year intergenerational plan called Te Pae Tawhiti, which structures all commercial and cultural activity around five pillars: whānau, pūtea, ngākau hihiko, papa whenua, and taiao. Wakatū holds 1,393.72 hectares of land across 752 leases in the Nelson/Tasman region, representing 70% of total assets and managed through its Whenua division.

Wakatū runs three commercial business units: Kono NZ LP (food and beverage — wine via Tohu Wines and Kono Wines, pipfruit and kiwifruit, hops via Hop Federation, and formerly seafood before the 2023 sale of Kono Seafood to Talley's Ltd); Whenua (commercial and residential property leasing, residential and agricultural land holdings); and AuOra (consumer health and wellbeing products developed from natural resources of Wakatū whenua). The cultural arm, Manaaki, runs educational programmes, wānanga, scholarships and whānau development. Operating geography spans the Nelson/Tasman region domestically with international export markets for Kono's premium food and beverage products, including a 2023 push into Southeast Asia (Singapore, Thailand).

The business model is multi-stream: F&B production and export (hardware/wholesale sales through Kono), recurring commercial and agricultural property leases (Whenua), consumer health product sales (AuOra), and grant/community-funded cultural programmes (Manaaki). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; consumer products are sold via the Kono Store and wholesale channels, commercial property terms are negotiated directly, and revenue from the 4,570+ shareholders is derived from dividends tied to a non-dilutable share structure. GTM motion is hybrid: B2B export and property leasing alongside direct-to-consumer retail at Kono Store and consumer sales of AuOra health products, with owner/whānau engagement handled through an Owners' Portal, AGMs, wānanga, and Hui-ā-Motu roadshows. Wakatū employs 501-1,000 people and has 501-1,000 employees per firmographic data, with a corporate services restructure completed in mid-2023 following the seafood divestiture.

Name

Wakatū

Legal name

Wakatū Incorporation

Website

https://wakatu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Wakatū Incorporation is a Māori-owned organisation in Nelson, New Zealand, operating food and beverage production (Kono), commercial property management (Whenua, 70% of assets), and consumer health products (AuOra) for international export markets, commercial tenants, and 4,570+ Māori shareholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Māori Food, Beverage and Land Management

NAICS

Fruit and Tree Nut Farming (1113)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Ethnic Groceries & Shelf-Stable Foods Wholesale (AFAIAIAA)

Keywords

• Premium wine production
• Pipfruit and hops export
• Māori land management
• Commercial property leasing
• Natural health products

Headquarters

HQ city

Nelson

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Production and Export: Kono NZ LP produces and exports premium wine, pipfruit, hops, and related food and beverage products. This includes Kono Horticulture, Kono Wines, Hop Federation, and Tohu wines. Revenue comes from domestic wholesale and international export markets.
2. Commercial and Residential Property: Whenua division manages commercial properties in the Nelson CBD and residential/agricultural land holdings. This represents 70% of Wakatū's assets, covering 1393.72 hectares across 752 leases.
3. Health and Wellbeing Products: AuOra develops consumer-focused health-solutions products using active ingredients obtained from natural resources of Wakatū.
4. Manaaki Cultural Programmes: Charitable and cultural activities including educational programmes, wānanga, scholarships, and whānau development programmes.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wakatū is a Māori incorporation that produces and exports premium food and beverage products (wine, pipfruit, hops) through its Kono division, manages 1,393.72 hectares of commercial, residential, and agricultural land via its Whenua division, and develops consumer-focused natural health and wellbeing products under the AuOra brand. Operations are governed by a 500-year intergenerational plan (Te Pae Tawhiti) and tikanga-led regenerative agriculture practices.

Product overview

Wakatū Incorporation is a Māori-owned organisation that operates multiple business units across food, beverage, property, and wellbeing sectors. The company operates through three main sub-brands: Kono (food and beverage), Whenua (land management), and AuOra (health solutions). Kono encompasses wine production, horticulture, hop growing, and formerly seafood. Whenua manages the significant land assets where 70% of Wakatū's assets are held. AuOra focuses on health and wellbeing solutions derived from natural resources. The company also maintains cultural development activities through its Manaaki programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kono: Food and beverage producer and exporter of premium wine, pipfruit and hops
• Whenua
• AuOra
• Manaaki

Products and services

• Kono
• Whenua
• AuOra
• Kono Wines
• Hop Federation
• Kono Horticulture
• Tohu Wines
• Manaaki Cultural and Whānau Development Programmes

Quantifiable outcome

• Supreme Court victory 2017 establishing Crown fiduciary duties for Nelson Tenths Reserves
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wai Māori (Wai Ora Fund)minorOthers · 13 September 2024Funding provider for wetland restoration project at 188 Staples Street, Motueka. Secured funding enables restoration of 24 hectares of culturally and ecologically significant land.
• Para KoreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2023National Māori organisation committed to reduction and removal of waste. Wakatū signed Memorandum of Understanding with Para Kore for waste reduction programme supporting zero waste targets.
• Talley's LtdcoreOthers · 26 April 2023Acquired Kono Seafood assets including Marlborough-based mussel processing operations. Employed around 300 staff across Blenheim, Golden Bay, and Havelock. Sale completed 22 May 2023. Talley's committed to retaining staff in the region.
• Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau TūhonominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Organised ground-breaking delegation of Māori food and beverage entrepreneurs to Singapore and Thailand, including market exploration and THAIFEX trade show attendance.
• Te TaumataminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Supported Asia trade delegation for Māori food and beverage entrepreneurs, providing expertise in trade and export for young Māori business leaders.
• Lemvig Klimatorium (Denmark)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022Central Denmark region engaged since 2017. Wakatū, Lemvig, and Nelson City Council received EU City to City Collaboration funding for climate resilience exchange and partnership.
• electionz.comcoreOthersElection management services company appointed to manage end-to-end delivery of Wakatū Board elections, ensuring fair, transparent, and secure voting processes including online and postal voting.
• Whakarewa | Ngāti Rārua Ātiawa Iwi TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPotential collaboration on wetland restoration project. Adjacent land ownership could expand restoration efforts to more than 70 hectares, amplifying environmental and cultural outcomes.
• Te Here-ā-Nuku Working GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by kaumātua Rore Stafford, working to resolve Nelson Tenths litigation against the Crown and pursue return of customary lands.
• Massey University (Riddet Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leaders of MBIE Endeavour project 'Kai anamata mō Aotearoa' developing computational model of food systems and supporting Māori-led research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Parininihi ki Waitotara Incorporation: Parininihi ki Waitotara is a Taranaki-based Māori incorporation operating dairy, commercial property, and aquaculture assets. It is a structurally comparable Māori incorporation under the same Te Ture Whenua Māori Act framework, sharing governance, asset stewardship, and commercial-whānau dual mandate dynamics with Wakatū.
• Mr Apple: Mr Apple is a large New Zealand apple grower-exporter with significant Hawke's Bay operations. It is a direct competitor in the same pipfruit export category as Kono Horticulture, serving similar international retail and wholesale customers.
• NZ Hops Limited: NZ Hops is a cooperative of New Zealand hop growers based in the same Tasman region as Hop Federation. It is a direct peer in the hop cultivation and supply category, selling into the same craft brewing customers globally.
• T&G Global: T&G Global is one of New Zealand's largest pipfruit growers and exporters (Jazz, Envy, Pacific Rose brands), operating globally from similar Nelson/Tasman-adjacent growing regions. It directly competes with Kono Horticulture in apple production and export, sharing similar customer channels and supply chain dynamics.
• Ngāi Tahu Holdings: Ngāi Tahu Holdings is the largest South Island Māori incorporation, with a comparable diversified portfolio spanning property, food and beverage, tourism, and environmental assets. It is the closest structural and operational analogue to Wakatū's iwi-incorporation model, including the same Te Ture Whenua Māori Act governance framework.
• Bostock New Zealand: Bostock NZ is one of New Zealand's largest organic apple growers, operating across Hawke's Bay and the wider region. It is a direct competitor to Kono Horticulture in the premium and organic apple export category.
• Villa Maria Estate: Villa Maria is one of New Zealand's most awarded premium wine producers with strong export presence. It is a direct competitive peer to Tohu Wines and Kono Wines in the premium New Zealand wine category for both domestic and international customers.

Emerging players

• Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua: Tūhoe Te Uru Taumatua is the Tūhoe iwi commercial entity operating forestry, property, and emerging food and beverage ventures. It is a smaller-scale but structurally analogous Māori incorporation peer, focused on intergenerational whenua stewardship and tikanga-led commercial development.

Broad incumbents

• Pernod Ricard New Zealand: Pernod Ricard NZ (parent of Montana and Brancott Estate) is the largest wine producer in New Zealand. It competes with Kono Wines and Tohu Wines in domestic and international markets, though as a global spirits and wine conglomerate it operates across a much wider portfolio.
• Delegat Group: Delegat Group owns Oyster Bay and Barossa Valley Estate, making it one of New Zealand's largest dedicated wine producers listed on the NZX. It competes with Kono Wines and Tohu Wines in the New Zealand wine export category, though at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Wakatu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Wakatū