Closing Night - Founders Circle
Founders Circle Closing Night 2026
Tuesday 1st December 2026 · Doors 5:45pm, 6:00pm to 8:00pm · Icehouse Ventures, Auckland
Six months ago, twelve student founders were selected for a programme that went far beyond anything SCNZ could do. We had our sights towards making this the first Incubator Programme that is purely centered around students.
Closing Night is the last Founders Circle event of the year. It is not a pitch night and nobody is being assessed. It is a room full of the people who made this happen, and a chance to say thank you properly.
The evening
5:45pm Doors open
6:10pm Welcome
6:15pm A look back at the 2026 cohort
6:20pm Recap of the programme
6:25pm Partner acknowledgements
6:30pm The future of Founders Circle, with Chair Shaheer Rizwan
6:50pm Induction of the 2027 Executives
7:00pm Networking and food
8:00pm Close
The future of Founders Circle
This is the part of the night we most want you in the room for. This year we took a small step towards what we wanted to do. Now we know what works, and what we need to do. 2027 is where it grows up. Shaheer will set out where the programme is heading, what changes, and what we are asking of our partners and founders to get there.
We will then induct the people taking it forward. The 2027 Founders Circle Executive will be welcomed on stage and will lead the programme from January.
Dress code: business casual.
Thank you for an incredible year.
Shaheer and Cathy