Last week Priority One hosted events in San Francisco and Denver, collaborating with local businesses (WNT Ventures, Virtuo and Malcolm Pacific) supported by New Zealand Trade & Enterprise.

The primary focus was to connect with high-net-worth individuals in the United States who are interested in immigrating to New Zealand under the Government’s Active Investor Plus visa.

“We met with around fifty individuals who not only have the potential to invest their capital in local companies, but also bring a passion to help grow New Zealand businesses. They have the skills, networks and access to markets that can add significant value to our economy” says Greg Simmonds, Priority One General Manager – Workforce & Policy.

Carl Jones, Managing Partner of Tauranga based deep tech incubator, WNT Ventures adds, “The opportunity to get in front of qualified investor prospects and showcase our next investment fund, as well as talk about the full suite of investment opportunities and support networks in Tauranga, helps position Tauranga as an attractive destination for both capital and skills”.

While in the US, Priority One also took the opportunity to meet with a number of NZ companies based in Denver, Colorado to better understand why the state is home to the highest number of NZ companies in the US.

“There appear to be a few common factors to why Denver is so appealing to Kiwi entrepreneurs and businesses, including the fact Denver international airport provides a significant hub putting companies within easy reach of all other major US cities; the smaller scale of Denver also means it’s often easier for Kiwi businesses to make local connections and take advantage of business and investment networks; as well as the active outdoor lifestyle benefits that Colorado is well known for.”

“There’s a real community of Australasian businesses in Denver, with a strong startup support eco-system, including kiwi landing pad opportunities.  We were impressed by the services offered to Kiwi companies, including those by Denver’s economic development agency, such as the opportunity for scaling companies to participate in a two-day acceleration programme that provides the know-how, introductions, and networking needed for a smooth landing in the US market” says Greg.

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This year, the Denver Global Landing Pad programme will run during Denver’s start up week in mid-September.  If you’re considering your options in the US and would like to learn more, please get in touch with Greg Simmonds: greg@priorityone.co.nz.