blennz

What blennz does

BLENNZ (Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ), legally Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ and operating in te reo Māori as Te Kotuituinga Mātauranga Pura o Aotearoa, is a New Zealand government-funded national education network providing specialized educational services to children and young people (ākonga) aged birth to 21 who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision. The organization delivers its services through a network of more than 20 regional Visual Resource Centres (VRCs) and a main campus at Homai in Manurewa, South Auckland (established since 2000, with current buildings from 2011–2014), combined with itinerant Resource Teachers Vision (RTVs) who travel to mainstream schools and kura, residential services for eligible ākonga, and a multidisciplinary National Assessment Service. Specialized curriculum — the BLENNZ Expanded Core Curriculum — augments the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Whāriki, and includes Braille literacy instruction, orientation and mobility training, assistive technology provisioning (Braille Sense, Braille Note, screen readers), tactile graphics and accessible document production, functional sensory assessments, and social/emotional skills development.

Referrals flow from parents and whānau, ophthalmologists and other health professionals, teachers, Blind Low Vision NZ, and the Ministry of Education. Services are funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Education and provided free of charge to eligible students and families; the business model is therefore public-sector operational grant funding rather than commercial revenue. Complementary programmatic support is drawn from third-party grants (e.g., Grassroots Trust, Henderson Trustees Fund) and co-developed with institutional partners including Massey University, Victoria University School of Music, EIT, Auckland Transport, Waikato Museum, and Tim Bray Production. Leadership sits with a School Board and a Principal/Tumuaki (currently Saul Taylor, appointed June 2024 following Karen Stobbs). Management of an API or software platform, mobile application, or commercial product line is not part of the organization’s offering, and BLENNZ is not a venture-backed or publicly listed entity.

Name

blennz

Legal name

Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ

Website

https://blennz.school.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BLENNZ is a New Zealand government-funded national education network delivering specialized teaching, assistive technology, Braille, orientation and mobility, and family support services to blind, deafblind, and low vision ākonga aged birth to 21, through 20+ regional Visual Resource Centres and the Homai Auckland campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services for Vision Impairment

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Special Education Schools & Programs (EDAJAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Vision Services (Audiology, Interpreting, Orientation & Mobility) (EDAJAKAI), Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC), Accessibility, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Content Services (EDAGAKAJ)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Vision impairment support
• Braille literacy education
• Orientation mobility training
• Assistive learning technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland (Homai Campus)

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Education Services: BLENNZ is a publicly funded education network under the New Zealand Ministry of Education. Services are provided at no cost to eligible students aged birth to 21 with vision impairments. Revenue comes from government operational funding for educational services, assessments, and support programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BLENNZ provides specialized educational services, multidisciplinary assessment, and ongoing support for ākonga (learners) who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision, from birth to 21 years of age across New Zealand. Services are delivered at no cost to families through itinerant Resource Teachers Vision, 20+ regional Visual Resource Centres, the Homai campus day school and residential programme, Braille literacy and assistive technology training, orientation and mobility instruction, counselling for whānau, and professional development for mainstream educators. The network is publicly funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Education.

Product overview

BLENNZ (Blind and Low Vision Education Network NZ) is New Zealand's national organization providing educational services, support, and resources for students who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision, from birth to 21 years of age. Rather than a software product company, BLENNZ operates as an educational network offering a range of services including specialized curriculum delivery, orientation and mobility training, assistive technology support, counselling services, and professional development for educators. Services are delivered through regional Visual Resource Centres (VRCs) across New Zealand, with the main Homai Campus in Auckland serving as the national hub. The organization provides direct student instruction, family support, teacher training, and assessment services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Assessment Service Multidisciplinary assessment service across New Zealand providing specialised functional sensory, ophthalmological, optometric, orientation and mobility, speech-language, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy assessments for blind, deafblind, and low vision learners referred to BLENNZ.
• Regional Visual Resource Centre Services Local face-to-face teaching, assessment, Braille and assistive technology support, O&M training, and family/whānau liaison delivered through 20+ regional centres across New Zealand (Auckland North/South, Hamilton, Tauranga, Gisborne, Napier, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Whangarei and others).
• Itinerant Teaching (Resource Teachers Vision) Specialist Resource Teachers Vision work directly with blind and low vision students enrolled in mainstream schools and kura across New Zealand, providing classroom support, curriculum adaptation, and assistive technology guidance.
• Homai Campus Day School Day school programme at the Homai Campus in South Auckland delivering the New Zealand Curriculum alongside the BLENNZ Expanded Core Curriculum to blind, deafblind, and low vision ākonga, with school services, residential services, and national coordination co-located on site.
• Residential Services Overnight accommodation and wraparound support for vision-impaired ākonga attending the Homai campus who require residential placement, including adapted programmes such as Ponoboxfit Box Fit developed with Blind Sport input.
• Braille Education and Tactile Graphics Production Braille literacy instruction using Braille Sense and Braille Note devices, Braille clubs connecting vision-impaired learners, and in-house production of tactile graphics, accessible documents, and braille materials supporting full curriculum access for blind learners.
• Orientation and Mobility (DOM) Services Developmental Orientation and Mobility instruction delivered to blind, deafblind, and low vision learners across New Zealand, supporting cane skills, independent travel, and everyday living competence.
• Counselling and Whānau Support Services Specialised counselling, guidance, and whānau support for parents and families of vision-impaired ākonga, including connection to support groups, information on services, and emotional support through a team of four counsellors led by a Lead Counsellor.
• Professional Development for Educators Professional learning and development workshops for mainstream teachers, teacher aides, SENCOs, and Learning Support Coordinators, covering inclusive classroom strategies, Braille, low vision, assistive technology, and curriculum adaptation, including PLD on the new NZ Maths Curriculum delivered in partnership with Blend Education.

Quantifiable outcome

• Smooth transitions for students moving between educational levels through dedicated Inservice Days and transition planning
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, regional and minor.

• Blind Low Vision NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner organization providing support and services to people of all ages across Aotearoa, New Zealand. Cross-referral relationship and collaborative service delivery for blind and low vision individuals.
• Blind Citizens NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvocacy organization working towards New Zealand becoming a fully inclusive society for blind citizens. Shared mission of inclusion and accessibility.
• Deafblind Association NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to foster healthy, accessible engagement between deafblind individuals, their whānau, service providers, and government. Collaborative support for deafblind learners.
• Parents of Vision Impaired (PVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting and empowering parents and whānau of children with vision impairments. Family support and peer connection programs.
• Halberg FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for adapted sports programs including Box Fit sessions, athletics events, and velodrome experiences. Support for inclusive sports activities for BLENNZ ākonga.
• Parafed OtagoregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership for adapted sports and disability sport opportunities. Joint sessions on Blind Cricket and Goal Ball for BLENNZ students.
• Blind Sport NZmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership to increase knowledge of accessible sporting opportunities. Provides equipment kits and sports programs for vision-impaired learners.
• Manukau Beautification Trust Boomer ShedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated the three-panel sensory wall at Homai campus with local cultural elements including Matariki, waka, birds, and phases of the moon.
• Victoria University School of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic therapy students from Victoria University present sessions to BLENNZ Wellington learners, providing enrichment opportunities and training for future music therapists.
• Auckland TransportmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Homai train station accessibility redesign. BLENNZ Principal consulted on design to ensure blind and low vision community needs were met.
• Blend EducationminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvider of PLD (Professional Learning and Development) for implementing the new NZ Maths Curriculum, introducing curriculum overview to BLENNZ teams.
• Massey UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership to offer Living Skills course in Palmerston North and Dunedin for DOM (Developmental Orientation and Mobility) team.
• Waikato MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for accessible museum experiences including audio-described Wharenui Harikoa exhibition for BLENNZ ākonga and whānau.
• Ministry of Education NZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funder and government partner providing funding and policy direction for BLENNZ educational services for blind and low vision students.
• EIT (Eastern Institute of Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBLENNZ Gisborne Visual Resource Centre relocated to EIT Riverdale campus in 2025, providing collaborative environment.
• Salisbury SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for BLENNZ Nelson new location at Āhuru Mōwai, shared with RTLB services and Ko Taku Reo Deaf Education Services.
• Tim Bray ProductionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatre company provides accessible performances for BLENNZ students with touch tours, audio description, and front row seating. Award-winning accessibility pioneer.
• GameTimeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoaches lead gross motor and sports skills development program for BLENNZ Wellington ākonga aged 5-10 years.
• PonoboxfitminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBox Fit training program for residential ākonga, developed with input from Blind Sport to create adapted program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blind Low Vision NZ: New Zealand's primary provider of non-educational support services to blind and low vision people of all ages. Direct referral partner with BLENNZ and overlapping mission in the NZ vision-impairment ecosystem, though focused on social/adult services rather than K-21 education.
• Ko Taku Reo (NZ Deaf Education): NZ's national education network for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, co-located with BLENNZ at the Nelson Āhuru Mōwai site. Operates under an analogous Ministry of Education mandate for a different sensory disability — the most structurally similar organization to BLENNZ in NZ.

Broad incumbents

• Vision Australia: Australia's largest provider of blindness and low vision services, combining education, therapy, advocacy, and accessibility products. Comparable in mission scope and multidisciplinary service delivery, but operates at broader national scale and is not government-mandated for education specifically.
• RIDBC (Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children): Australian specialist education and therapy provider for children with hearing or vision impairment. Closest international analog to BLENNZ — combines school education, early intervention, and therapy services for sensory-impaired children from birth onward.
• Perkins School for the Blind: Historic US school serving blind and deafblind students with on-campus education, itinerant outreach, and international teacher training programs. Comparable in mission (specialized education for blind learners) and in operating a national/international outreach model similar to BLENNZ's national network.
• Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB): UK's leading charity for blind and partially sighted people, providing education resources, braille services, and accessibility advocacy. Comparable to BLENNZ in delivering specialized curriculum resources and serving as a national hub, but with broader remit spanning all ages.
• CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind): Canada's primary blindness services organization offering education, rehabilitation, and advocacy. Comparable in mission and multidisciplinary service delivery to BLENNZ, though it operates as a charity rather than a state-mandated education network.

Regional players

• Guide Dogs NZ: NZ provider of mobility and orientation services for blind and low vision individuals. Overlaps with BLENNZ's orientation and mobility training for students, though serves all ages and focuses on guide dog mobility rather than education.

Others

• New Zealand Down Syndrome Association: NZ advocacy and support organization for people with Down syndrome. Operates in a related special-needs education and family support space in NZ, but focuses on a different disability cohort — a thematic peer rather than direct competitor.
• Inclusive Education Action Group (IEAG): NZ-based advocacy organization pushing for more inclusive practices in mainstream schools. Represents the policy counter-trend to BLENNZ's specialist-school model — relevant as a stakeholder/competitor for referral volumes and government policy direction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/blennzonline
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BLENNZ1
• Facebookfacebook.com/blindandlowvisioneducationnetworknz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 blennz