Asia New Zealand Foundation

What Asia New Zealand Foundation does

Asia New Zealand Foundation (Te Whītau Tūhono) is a Wellington-headquartered non-profit organization, founded in 1994 and funded primarily by the New Zealand government, that builds New Zealand's people-to-people capability with Asia. It operates a portfolio of nine programme verticals — Arts, Business, Internships, Sports, Media, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Research, and Track II — delivered through grants (up to $5,000 per project), multi-month internships in Asian host organizations, residencies, sector-specific delegations, and convening events. Target beneficiaries are secondary and tertiary students, early-career journalists, sports leaders, entrepreneurs, and emerging professionals across New Zealand; participants receive all programming free of charge.

The Foundation's underlying technology is a conventional content and community platform rather than a software product. Its primary digital assets are the asianz.org.nz website, the Asia Media Centre (asiamediacentre.org.nz) news platform, the Asia in Focus analysis publication, and a Monthly Quiz hosted on Riddle.com, supported by Vimeo-hosted video content. There is no API, SDK, or proprietary AI/ML capability; the data flywheel rests on the 29-year longitudinal 'Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples' survey and a 20-year-old Leadership Network alumni database. Distribution is direct-to-participant across three domestic offices (Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch), with programme execution extending to roughly 11 Asian markets.

The business model is government grant-funded non-profit operations. The Foundation does not charge participants; it delivers the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and monetizes its role through programme funding, research commissions, and grants rather than fees. Customer segments are non-paying (students, journalists, sportspeople, entrepreneurs) while partner segments are paying or in-kind host organizations (Sport Singapore, ACICIS, East-West Center, Young Enterprise Trust). Headcount of 11–50 and a three-office footprint constrain scale but support breadth across nine verticals.

Name

Asia New Zealand Foundation

Legal name

Asia New Zealand Foundation

Website

https://asianz.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Asia New Zealand Foundation (Te Whītau Tūhono) is a Wellington-based non-profit, founded in 1994 and government-funded, that provides New Zealand students, journalists, entrepreneurs, sports leaders, and emerging professionals with grants, internships, fellowships, and Asia delegations to build NZ–Asia capability.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Relations and Asia Capability Non-Profit Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB)

Keywords

• Asia relations programmes
• Leadership development
• Cultural exchange grants
• International internships
• Asia research insights

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Operations (Government Funded): The Asia New Zealand Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides programmes free of charge to participants. The Foundation is New Zealand's leading provider of Asia insights and experiences, funded primarily through government support to equip New Zealanders to excel in Asia.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Asia New Zealand Foundation is a non-profit foundation that provides grants, internships, residencies and sector-specific delegations to equip New Zealanders to engage with Asia. It operates programmes across business, arts, sports, media, entrepreneurship, leadership, research, and Track II policy dialogues, supplemented by commissioned research and the Asia Media Centre news platform. All programmes are provided free of charge to participants, funded primarily through New Zealand government support.

Product overview

The Asia New Zealand Foundation operates as a multi-programme organization providing grants, internships, residencies, delegations, research, and educational resources to equip New Zealanders to excel in Asia. The portfolio includes the Leadership Network (a professional development network for emerging Kiwi leaders), the Entrepreneurship Programme (supporting NZ-Asia business connections), a Media Programme (with travel grants, internships, and fellowships through the Asia Media Centre), a Sports Programme (with the Sports Leaders Fund, Sport Singapore Internship, and Sports Connector Programme), Foundation Research Grants (up to $5,000 for Asia-related research), and Asia Business Internships. Supporting resources include the Asia Media Centre (news platform), Asia in Focus (expert analysis), and a Monthly Quiz. The Foundation does not operate a unified software product but delivers services through programmes, grants, and events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leadership Network A global network of young New Zealand professionals at the forefront of strengthening New Zealand's relationship with Asia. The Network equips New Zealand's best and brightest to thrive in Asia through connections, knowledge, and confidence-building, providing access to delegations, hui, and professional development events (including Asia trips and the annual Rethinking Leadership Hui).
• Sports Leaders Fund A grant programme that enables New Zealand sports leaders to travel to Asia to deepen their understanding of the region's sporting landscape, enhance cultural awareness, and establish meaningful connections with regional sports counterparts. Past recipients have used the fund to study esports and active gaming in Singapore.
• Sport Singapore Internship A three-month internship programme giving young New Zealanders the opportunity to intern at Sport Singapore, Singapore's lead agency tasked with developing sports culture. Interns gain hands-on experience across sporting activities and initiatives while immersing themselves in Singapore's diversity.
• Sports Connector Programme A programme that brings Asia-based sports professionals and thought leaders to Aotearoa New Zealand to engage with local counterparts and share insights at national forums and conferences.
• Media Travel Grants A grant programme that provides New Zealand journalists with funding to travel independently to Asia to research and prepare stories, administered by the Foundation's Asia Media Centre.
• ACICIS Journalism Professional Practicum An internship-style practicum sponsored by the Foundation that supports New Zealand journalism students and recent graduates to attend the Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies Journalism Professional Practicum in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Foundation sponsors one or two NZ participants each year.
• Jefferson Fellowship A three-week reporting and study tour enabling news media to enhance public understanding of cultures, issues, and trends in the Indo-Pacific region. The Foundation selects and funds NZ participants who travel to Hawai'i, Tokyo, and Seoul as part of the broader East-West Center programme.
• Media Internships A programme that supports New Zealand journalism graduates and early-career journalists to intern at news organisations in Asia, administered by the Foundation's Asia Media Centre.
• Entrepreneurship Programme A Foundation programme that supports emerging New Zealand entrepreneurs to build connections and facilitate business relationships in Asia, and supports Asian entrepreneurs to build connections in New Zealand. Includes the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) delivered on behalf of NZ's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
• Asia Media Centre An online media platform operated by the Foundation that provides news from Asia and supports the Foundation's media programme with travel grants, internships, and fellowships for journalists.
• Asia in Focus Expert analysis publication on Asia and New Zealand-Asia relations, providing insights to support and inform public conversations about New Zealand's relationships with the region.
• Foundation Research Grants Grants of up to $5,000 supporting contemporary and forward-thinking postgraduate and academic research projects or programmes relating to Asia.
• Asia Business Internships A Foundation internship programme providing young New Zealanders the opportunity to intern with respected companies and organisations throughout Asia across business, sport, media, engineering, legal and arts backgrounds.
• Track II A Foundation programme for building networks and dialogue between New Zealand and Asian counterparts on policy and strategic issues through unofficial Track II channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80 young entrepreneurs annually reached through Entrepreneurs in Action programme
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East-West CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Jefferson Fellowship programme - three-week reporting and study tour enabling news media to enhance public understanding of cultures, issues, and trends in the Indo-Pacific region. Foundation selects and funds NZ participants who travel to Hawai'i, Tokyo, and Seoul.
• Mystery Creek Field DaysminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Largest agricultural event in Southern Hemisphere where Foundation brings ten young Indian agribusiness entrepreneurs and business leaders to NZ to attend field days and make industry connections.
• Young Enterprise TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Annual partnership for Entrepreneurs in Action (EIA) event bringing together 80 high school students from around NZ. Foundation's Leadership Network members mentor teams, providing entrepreneurial skills development including problem solving, innovative thinking and teamwork.
• ACICIS (Australian Consortium for In-Country Indonesian Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation sponsors one or two ACICIS journalism interns each year to help next generation of Kiwi journalists develop awareness and understanding of Indonesia and wider region through the Journalism Professional Practicum in Jakarta.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation delivers ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) on behalf of NZ's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, supporting emerging tech entrepreneurs from Southeast Asia to visit NZ and build industry connections.
• Sport SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-month internship programme at Singapore's national sports agency. Interns gain hands-on experience across sporting activities and initiatives led by Sport Singapore, while immersing themselves in Singapore's diversity.
• Asia Media CentrecoreOthersDedicated media platform at https://www.asiamediacentre.org.nz/ providing news from Asia, operated by the Foundation as part of its media programme to help NZ journalists cover Asia stories.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Goethe-Institut: Germany's cultural institute operating globally to promote German language and culture through grants, exchanges, and events. Comparable to Asia New Zealand Foundation as a national-branded cultural relations body, though much larger and older.
• British Council: The UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, delivering programmes, grants, fellowships, and English-language support worldwide. A larger, broader peer to Asia New Zealand Foundation's mandate of building cross-border cultural and educational ties.
• Confucius Institute (Hanban/Chinese International Education Foundation): Global network of Chinese language and culture centres affiliated with the Chinese government. Comparable as a national-branded soft-power institution promoting Asia engagement through language, culture, and educational exchange, though with vastly greater scale and state backing.
• Alliance Française: Global network promoting French language and culture, funded by the French government and operating cultural and educational programmes worldwide. Functions as a national-branded cultural relations body analogous to Asia New Zealand Foundation, though France-focused.

Direct peers

• Korea Foundation: South Korea's national foundation promoting international cultural exchange and public diplomacy, including grants, fellowships, and exchange programmes. Closely matches the Asia New Zealand Foundation's grantmaking, fellowships, and people-to-people mandate for Asia engagement.
• Asia Society: Leading educational organisation dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among the peoples, leaders, and institutions of Asia and the West. Comparable peer as a non-profit facilitating business, policy, arts, and education programmes connecting Asia and Western audiences.
• East-West Center: US-based institution fostering relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. Direct peer given the Jefferson Fellowship partnership and shared focus on Indo-Pacific dialogue, journalism fellowships, and policy exchange.
• Japan Foundation: Japan's official government-affiliated foundation running cultural, intellectual, and language exchange programmes abroad. Directly comparable to Asia New Zealand Foundation as a national-branded entity dedicated to building people-to-people and institutional links with Asia.

Regional players

• New Zealand-Indonesia Institute: Another small NZ-based non-profit focused on building NZ-Indonesia relations through education, internship, and cultural programmes. Comparable as a domestic peer with a single-country Asia focus, providing a useful scale benchmark.
• New Zealand Council for Educational Research: NZ-based independent educational research organisation conducting research and providing resources to support education. Comparable as a NZ non-profit producing research outputs and education-focused programmes, though with a domestic rather than Asia focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/showcase/8535656
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asia-new-zealand-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Asia New Zealand Foundation