Kaicycle Incorporated

What Kaicycle Incorporated does

Kaicycle Incorporated is a registered New Zealand charity (CC58759) and community-led non-profit founded in 2015 in Wellington, operating an urban farm at 5 Hospital Road, Newtown, alongside a secondary growing hub at Pukehinau Flats (Pukehīnau Kai) in Aro Valley. The organisation combines food scrap collection services with urban regenerative farming, collecting organic waste from Wellington offices and apartments via e-bikes and processing it through manual hot composting (thermophilic temperatures above 55°C over 5-8 months) into biodiverse compost using added coffee chaff and beneficial microbes. Production methods follow the Hua Parakore Māori-led organic verification framework, no-dig principles, poly-cropping, and forest-garden design.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid of recurring subscriptions (household drop-off hubs at NZ$22.50/month; organisational e-bike collection contracts), one-time sales of living compost, seed raising mix, and seasonal produce via the CoShop online platform, sliding-scale and private workshop fees, corporate team experiences, and — most critically — donations, bequests, and grants from bodies such as Wellington City Council and the Ministry of Social Development. The customer base spans Wellington households, offices, schools and educational groups, corporate teams, community housing residents, and food-insecure community recipients of donated kai.

Operational scale in 2025 included 104 organisational subscribers, 100 household subscribers, diversion of 32+ tonnes of food scraps from landfill, production of 20,000L of compost, donation of 307.6kg of produce to community groups, and 726 tamariki/rangatahi visiting for educational experiences across 17 workshops and 143 volunteer sessions. The 8-person team is supported by 1,300+ volunteer hours annually. The organisation recently pivoted away from a HotRot mechanical composting pilot (shut down in 2025 due to consent, cost, and customer-growth challenges) and is pursuing a 'scaling out' strategy of additional smaller manual composting hubs rather than centralised mechanisation.

Name

Kaicycle Incorporated

Legal name

Kaicycle Incorporated

Website

https://kaicycle.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kaicycle Incorporated is a Wellington-based registered NZ charity that runs e-bike food scrap collection and manual hot composting, combined with an urban farm using Hua Parakore regenerative practices, serving Wellington households, offices, schools, and community groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Composting and Urban Farming Services

NAICS

Compost Manufacturing (325315), Waste Collection (56211)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Curbside Organics Programs (Municipal/Franchise) (BPALAEAF)

Keywords

• Food scrap collection
• Community composting
• Urban farming services
• Organic compost production
• Regenerative agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Newtown, Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Food Scrap Collection Services: Subscription-based food scrap collection service for Wellington organizations (offices and apartments) and household drop-off hub subscriptions. Generates income to support composting operations.
2. Compost Sales: Sale of living, biologically active compost made from food scraps. Prices from NZ$15.00 for 20L. Discounts for staff, volunteers, Community Services Card holders, and subscribers.
3. Seed Raising Mix Sales: High performance seed raising mix made from fine-grade Kaicycle compost sifted and mixed with vermiculite. Prices from NZ$20.00 for 10L.
4. Produce Sales: Newtown-grown organic produce sold through CoShop online platform at Hauora Kai Central Park pick-up location.
5. Workshop Fees: Public workshops with sliding scale pricing ($5-$40) and private workshop bookings for groups starting at $250.
6. Team Experiences: Corporate and group team building experiences at urban farm with pricing based on group size and duration.
7. Donations and Grants: Reliant on donations, bequests, and grants to fund urban farm, education programmes, and community engagement. Registered charity (CC58759) eligible for tax credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Kaicycle operates an urban farm and community composting service in Wellington, New Zealand. It collects food scraps from offices, apartments, and households using e-bikes, processes them via manual hot composting (5-8 month thermophilic cycle) into living, biodiverse compost, and sells compost, seed raising mix, and organic produce. It also delivers educational workshops, farm visits, and corporate team experiences.

Product overview

Kaicycle Incorporated operates as an urban farm and community composting organization in Wellington, New Zealand. The core offering combines food scrap collection services (office/organisation e-bike collection and household drop-off hub subscriptions) with urban farming operations that produce and sell organic vegetables. Key products include living compost and seed raising mix made from collected food scraps, alongside educational services including workshops, farm visits, team experiences, and volunteer sessions. Produce donations form a significant community engagement component. The organization recently piloted a food rescue program and operates a secondary growing hub (Pukehīnau Kai Growing Hub) in partnership with Te Toi Mahana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Te Ngae'e o Rau 'īnau: Pukehīnau Kai growing hub - a community food garden established at Pukehīnau Flats in Aro Valley in partnership with Te Toi Mahana, focused on feeding residents and local communities experiencing food insecurity.

Products and services

• Food Scrap Collection Service Subscription food scrap collection service for Wellington organisations (offices and apartments) using e-bikes. Diverts nearly one tonne of food scraps from landfill per week. As of 2025, 104 organisations are subscribed, including 13 new joiners that year. RNZ is the largest contributor at 2,300 litres in 2025.
• Household Food Waste Drop-off Subscription
• Living Compost Soil-tested, biologically active compost made from food scraps collected by e-bike. Contains worms, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Sold in 20L (NZ$15) and 40L (NZ$25) sizes. Discounts for staff, volunteers, Community Services Card holders, subscribers, and purchases over 200 litres.
• Seed Raising Mix High performance seed raising mix made from fine-grade Kaicycle compost sifted to remove woody chunks and mixed with vermiculite for drainage and aeration. Contains bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. Sold in 10L (NZ$20) and 20L (NZ$25) sizes.
• Urban Farm Produce Newtown-grown organic vegetables and herbs sold through the local kai co-op CoShop online platform. Available range varies seasonally, including silverbeet, potatoes, broad beans, parsley, spring onions, mint, sage, and edible flowers. Weekly ordering Saturday 2pm to Monday 8pm, with Thursday collection at Hauora Kai Central Park.
• Educational Workshops 1-2 hour gardening and sustainability workshops including Soil Health 101, Growing Kai From Seed, Composting 101, Growing Micro-greens, Regenerative Gardening 101, and Introduction to Seed Saving. Delivered at the farm or on-site for groups. Public workshops use sliding scale pricing (NZ$5-$40). Private group bookings start at $250. 17 educational workshops were run in 2025.
• Farm Educational Visits Educational farm visits for preschool through adult learners. Includes farm tours, age-appropriate practical learning experiences, and educational talks on regenerative growing and Hua Parakore principles. 726 tamariki and rangatahi visited in 2025 for educational experiences.
• Team Experiences Corporate team building experiences at the urban farm including farm tour, workshop of choice, mahi māra work, herbal tea, tea & coffee, and cake. Hosts groups of 5-30 people for 2-4 hours. Pricing based on group size and duration.
• 10 Year Anniversary Tea Towel Limited edition 10-year anniversary tea towel printed on organic cotton from Little Yellow Bird, featuring the kai-cycle infinity loop design by local artist Elise Grangier. Sold for $25 to support Kaicycle's climate justice mahi.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32+ tonnes of food scraps diverted from landfill annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Compassion Soup Kitchen Te Kīhini Hupa o PūarohacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly produce donations to support thousands of free meals provided monthly. Kai grown at Kaicycle farm donated to help feed Wellingtoners experiencing food insecurity.
• Te Whare Hapori o ngā Puna Waiora | Newtown Community CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly produce donations for Quick Kai meals cooked by young people and Free Soup Fridays. Supports community food security in Newtown.
• Te Toi MahanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity housing provider partnership for Pukehīnau Kai growing hub. Kaicycle provides coordination, training, and support for tenant community gardens.
• CoShopcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal kai co-op online platform where Kaicycle sells produce. Customers order online and collect weekly at Central Park location.
• Seeds to FeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Local Food Week events and activities. Joint community events celebrating local food and food sovereignty.
• Wellington TimebankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteers can earn timecredits for volunteer hours that can be traded for services from other Timebank community members.
• Frank's Coffee NewtownminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue pilot participant. Donates surplus pastries, pies, and fruit that would otherwise go to compost bins. Pilot with Wellington City Council Waste Minimisation Fund.
• Te Whaea National Dance & Drama CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue pilot participant. Part of Wellington City Council funded trial to rescue edible food before composting.
• Utilities DisputesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood rescue pilot participant. Donated large quantities of surplus fruit for redistribution to volunteers and community.
• For the Love of BeesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRan Earthworkers 101 course with support from Wellington City Council. Staff attended for regenerative urban farming education.
• Coffee SuprememinorOthersDonates coffee chaff used as carbon material in composting process to absorb excess moisture.
• L'AffareminorOthersDonates coffee chaff used as carbon material in composting process to absorb excess moisture.
• Garage ProjectminorOthersProvides reused grain sacks for compost packaging. Supports circular economy approach by closing the loop on packaging.
• Te Waka Kai OracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Māori Organics Authority facilitating Hua Parakore framework certification. Kaicycle pursuing verification under this Māori-led organic growing system.
• Papawhakaritorito TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for Hua Parakore growing principles and journey at Pukehīnau Kai growing hub.
• Taranaki WhānuicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMana Whenua who gifted the name Te Ngae'e o Rau 'īnau to the Pukehīnau Kai growing hub. Traditional custodians of the land.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kaibosh: Wellington-based food rescue charity redistributing surplus food to community groups; comparable to Kaicycle's food rescue pilot as a Wellington not-for-profit addressing upstream food waste with strong council alignment.
• City Farm (at CERES): Inner-Melbourne urban farm and community composting site delivering education tours, workshops, and food-scrap processing; comparable to Kaicycle as an urban-farm-plus-community-composting hybrid with education and volunteer-led operations.
• Xtreme Zero Waste: Raglan, NZ-based community-led zero waste and resource recovery centre running composting, reuse, and education programs; comparable as a community-rooted waste diversion operator with strong volunteer engagement in a small New Zealand town.
• Bokashi (Ecotas / Bokashi Australia): Bokashi composting system brand active across Australia and New Zealand enabling household food waste fermentation; comparable as a community-distributed composting methodology and product brand operating in the same home and household food-waste space.

Regional players

• Sustainability Trust: Wellington-based environmental NGO running home energy and waste-minimisation programmes with council and community funding; comparable as a regional not-for-profit working on waste reduction and community sustainability education.

Broad incumbents

• Tumbleweed Garden Products: Established Australian supplier of composting systems (bins, worm farms, bokashi kits) and soil products; comparable as a broader-incumbent brand in the home composting products category overlapping with Kaicycle's retail compost offering.

Others

• Seeds to Feeds: Wellington community food initiatives partner of Kaicycle running local food events; comparable as an adjacent community/regenerative-agriculture local-food-system operator in the Wellington network.
• For the Love of Bees: Wellington regenerative urban farming and bee education organisation that delivers courses (e.g., Earthworkers 101) attended by Kaicycle staff; comparable as a Wellington-based regenerative-agriculture education partner in adjacent ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Compost Crusader: Subscription-based urban food scrap collection and composting service in Australia serving households and businesses; comparable as a subscription-driven food-scrap collection model targeting similar urban sustainability-motivated customer segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KaicycleWgtn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kaicyclewgtn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Kaicycle Incorporated