SCNZ Summit 2026

​THE SUMMIT · 14 to 16 August 2026
Owen G. Glenn Building, University of Auckland

​Three days with the people building New Zealand's next companies. CEOs, founders, investors and operators on one stage. Twenty-plus speakers, hands-on workshops, and the SCNZ International screening featuring Sven Beiker of Stanford University.

​Apex Panels are all-in. Everyone in one room, nothing else runs. Speaker panels, workshops and SCNZ International run in parallel between them.

​FRIDAY 14 AUGUST · LIFT-OFF
Launch night · free entry · doors 5:30pm

​6:00 · Opening address · SCNZ Executive
6:20 · Apex Panel · Lift-off · Nathan Taylor + James Hurman
7:30 · Food and networking until 8:30pm

​SATURDAY 15 AUGUST · IGNITE
Doors 12:00pm · venue to 9:00pm

​Main stage:
12:45 · Apex Panel · Silicon Valley to Aotearoa · Bowen Pan + Vignesh Kumar
2:35 · Backing the Dream · James Palmer (Blackbird), Mason Bleakley (Icehouse Ventures), Jonathan Tan (GD1)
3:35 · For the Greater Good · Michal Garvey + Shaun Seaman
4:35 · Apex Panel · Sumthin's Cooking · Shane Liu + chef Simon Gault
5:50 · Apex Panel · The Great Disruption · Noor Syed (CTO, Microsoft) + Scott McLiver (Chief of AI, PwC)
7:00 · Chat with Pene · Penelope Barton

​Workshops:
2:35 · AI and Marketing · Patrick Dodd
3:35 · Community from Day One · Attention Seeker
7:00 · From Idea to Delivery: Building Zappy from the Ground Up · Zappy

​7:55 · Networking drinks until 9:00pm

​SUNDAY 16 AUGUST · LANDING
Doors 12:00pm · venue to 9:00pm

​Main stage:
12:30 · Apex Panel · Titans of Business · Mike Horne (CEO, Deloitte NZ) + Steve Jurkovich (CEO, Kiwibank)
2:15 · Million Dollar Playbook · Iyia Liu
3:20 · Apex Panel · Who Run the World? · Maya Pan + Chereè Kinnear
5:15 · Apex Panel · Purpose · Sam Stubbs (Simplicity)
6:20 · Young Founders
7:25 · Closing Summit Panel · the send-off

​4:20 · SCNZ International · featuring Sven Beiker, Stanford University

​Workshops:

​2:15 · From Brief to Impact · ICG
4:20 · Protecting your Startup Idea: Legal Basics · AUT Startup Club

​TICKETS

​Friday Lift-off · free · separate ticket
General Admission Weekend · free thanks to Startmate, Partly and Zappy · capped, released in waves
Premium Weekend · $30 · Startmate Founders Lounge with food and drinks both days, reserved seating at every Apex panel, premium lanyard, startup pack on arrival, fast-track check-in

​Presented by Startup Club NZ. Supported by Startmate, Partly, Zappy and Commercial Services.