Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust, established in 2009 in Rotorua, New Zealand, receives, grows, and distributes the Ngāti Whakaue iwi's settlement funds from the Central North Island Forests Collective Settlement. It delivers governance training, marae grants, business development programmes, and cultural initiatives for iwi uri and six eligible marae.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersRotorua, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust does
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust is an iwi settlement trust established in 2009 and headquartered at 1204 Whakaue Street, Rotorua, New Zealand (with trust operations also conducted from Te Whare Koromatua o Whakaue at 1268 Arawa Street). The Trust was created to receive, grow, and distribute the Ngāti Whakaue tribe's settlement assets arising from the Central North Island Forests Collective Settlement. Its mandate is iwi-defined, governed by a board chaired by Hemi Rolleston, with Ngāti Whakaue Wāhine Toa serving as Manahautū (CEO) since July 2023. Underlying technology is administrative in nature (Squarespace website, email newsletter, social channels); there is no proprietary technology platform. Revenue and asset figures are not publicly disclosed.
The Trust's deliverable surface is a portfolio of initiatives, programmes, and grants rather than traditional products. It operates Marae Tautoko Grants (supporting six eligible Whakaue marae), Kaupapa/Hapori Grants, the Te Toki Ngao Tū Governance Wānanga (a tikanga-based governance training programme delivered in partnership with the Institute of Directors), Te Pae Mātai (a Board Observer Programme), RINGA RAUTIA (a business development course produced with Toi-Ohomai), the Whakaue Pakihi online marketplace for Māori businesses, Rangatahi Kaupapa (youth initiatives), and Whakaue Whakanuia (the annual cultural celebration held since 2014). The Trust's distribution pool for the financial year is NZD 440,000.
The business model is that of a non-profit iwi trust: settlement-derived assets generate returns that are distributed to beneficiaries (uri), hapū and marae through grants, training, and economic development programmes, rather than through commercial pricing. Distribution is anchored on marae and hui (Annual Hui, Mid-Year Hui, Marae Hui), with a complementary digital channel via Whakaue Pakihi. Strategic partners include Pukeroa Ōruawhata Trust, Ngāti Whakaue Education Endowment Trust, Toi-Ohomai, the Institute of Directors, and Scion (via the Chair's executive role). The Trust has executed a whenua repatriation transaction (purchase of Rainbow Springs land from Ngāi Tahu) and serves a closed beneficiary class of Ngāti Whakaue uri in the Rotorua, Bay of Plenty, and Maketū rohe.
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust
- Legal name
- Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust
- Website
- https://whakaue.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust, established in 2009 in Rotorua, New Zealand, receives, grows, and distributes the Ngāti Whakaue iwi's settlement funds from the Central North Island Forests Collective Settlement. It delivers governance training, marae grants, business development programmes, and cultural initiatives for iwi uri and six eligible marae.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Iwi Settlement Trust Management
- NAICS
- Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Family Office Trust & Fiduciary Services (FSAEAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF)
Keywords
Where Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rotorua
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust manages the Ngāti Whakaue tribe's settlement assets and reinvests returns through an annual Distribution Pool that funds marae support grants, hapori/kaupapa grants, governance training (Te Toki Ngao Tū), youth initiatives (Rangatahi Kaupapa), cultural celebrations (Whakaue Whakanuia), a Māori business development programme (Ringa Rautia) and an online marketplace (Whakaue Pakihi). It is a non-profit iwi trust, not a commercial product or service vendor.
Product overview
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust operates as a unified offering of initiatives, programmes, and grants rather than a traditional product platform. The Trust was established in 2009 to receive, grow and distribute the tribe's settlement funds from the Central North Island Forests Collective Settlement. The portfolio includes cultural celebration initiatives (Whakaue Whakanuia), governance training programmes (Te Toki Ngao Tū), youth initiatives (Rangatahi Kaupapa), an online marketplace for Māori businesses (Whakaue Pakihi), a business development programme (Ringa Rautia), and various grant programmes supporting marae sustainability and community projects.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Whakaue Whakanuia: Annual celebration of Ngāti Whakaue uniqueness - tikanga, reo and waiata - first held in 2014
- Te Toki Ngao Tū
- Ringa Rautia
- Whakaue Pakihi
- Te Pae Mātai
Products and services
- Whakaue Whakanuia Cultural celebration initiative that celebrates Ngāti Whakaue's uniqueness including tikanga, reo and waiata, strengthening connections between hapū, whānau and their marae. Supported by the Trust since 2014.
- Te Toki Ngao Tū — Ngāti Whakaue Governance Wānanga Governance training programme that upskills Ngāti Whakaue uri aspiring to a governance pathway. Includes sessions on Ngāti Whakaue governance history and a Governance Essentials Course delivered in partnership with the Institute of Directors.
- Ringa Rautia — Whakaue Business Development Programme Business development programme produced in partnership with Toi-Ohomai, designed to support Ngāti Whakaue business development and Māori entrepreneurs.
- Whakaue Pakihi online marketplace
Quantifiable outcome
- 16+ governance appointments secured by programme participants
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Pukeroa Ōruawhata TrustcoreSupporting partner in the Ngāti Whakaue Future Governors' Programme, providing expertise and resources for governance development initiatives within the iwi.
- Ngāti Whakaue Education Endowment TrustcoreSupporting partner in the Ngāti Whakaue Future Governors' Programme, contributing to the iwi's governance development ecosystem.
- Toi-OhomaiflagshipPartnership to produce RINGA RAUTIA - Whakaue Business Development Course, a programme supporting Ngāti Whakaue business development and Māori entrepreneurs.
- Institute of Directors (IoD)coreDelivers the Governance Essentials Course as part of the Ngāti Whakaue Governance Wānanga programme, providing recognized governance training to aspiring Ngāti Whakaue directors.
- ScionminorHemi Rolleston, Chair of Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust, serves as General Manager of Te Ao Māori and Science Services at Scion.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ngāti Tūwharetoa: Bay of Plenty / central North Island iwi with a settlement trust model that invests and distributes funds to hapū and uri. Operates in a similar geography and serves a comparable beneficiary base to Ngāti Whakaue.
- Tūhoe: Holds the Te Urewera settlement assets and runs iwi development programmes similar in function to Ngāti Whakaue's Te Toki Ngao Tū and Whakaue Pakihi initiatives. Comparable as a settlement-driven iwi organisation focused on capability building.
- Te Rarawa: Northland iwi with a settlement trust that invests and distributes assets to uri. Comparable in trust structure, beneficiary focus and iwi development programming model.
- Ngāti Porou: East Coast iwi with Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou managing settlement assets and a wide portfolio of iwi development programmes. Comparable in operating model and the breadth of cultural, governance and education initiatives.
- Ngāti Awa: Bay of Plenty iwi with a Post Settlement Governance Entity and iwi development programmes operating in close geographic proximity to Ngāti Whakaue. Directly comparable in structure and regional context.
- Waikato-Tainui: Manages the Waikato Raupatu Lands Settlement funds for Tainui iwi, investing and distributing settlement assets to uri. Highly comparable in mandate and structure to Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust.
- Ngāpuhi: Large Northland iwi with a settlement trust structure and iwi development programmes targeting uri. Comparable mandate to Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust in managing settlement-derived assets for iwi benefit.
Broad incumbents
- New Zealand Community Trust: One of New Zealand's largest grant-making community trusts, distributing funds from gaming machine proceeds to community organisations. Comparable as a New Zealand trust that invests and grants funds for community benefit, though at significantly larger scale.
- Ngāi Tahu: Largest iwi in New Zealand with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu managing the largest Treaty settlement asset base. Directly comparable as an iwi settlement trust that invests settlement funds and distributes to uri, but at much greater scale and commercial breadth.
Regional players
- Akaroa Community Trust: Regional community trust distributing funds to community causes in the Akaroa region. Comparable as a New Zealand community trust making grants to a defined beneficiary base, though smaller in scale and not iwi-specific.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust social profiles
Digital presenceNgāti Whakaue Assets Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust
What does Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust do?
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust manages the Ngāti Whakaue tribe's settlement assets and reinvests returns through an annual Distribution Pool that funds marae support grants, hapori/kaupapa grants, governance training (Te Toki Ngao Tū), youth initiatives (Rangatahi Kaupapa), cultural celebrations (Whakaue Whakanuia), a Māori business development programme (Ringa Rautia) and an online marketplace (Whakaue Pakihi). It is a non-profit iwi trust, not a commercial product or service vendor.
Is Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust a public or private company?
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust founded?
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust based?
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust is headquartered in Rotorua, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
Who are Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Tūhoe, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Waikato-Tainui and Ngāpuhi. Broad incumbents are New Zealand Community Trust and Ngāi Tahu. Akaroa Community Trust is listed as a regional player.
Does Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust.
What industry is Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust in?
Ngāti Whakaue Assets Trust's product category is Iwi Settlement Trust Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAKAF, Family Office Trust & Fiduciary Services, with a secondary code of FSAAABAF, Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight). Its NAICS code is 523991 and its SIC code is 8600.