General Business 5 mins to read Kiwibank extends lending pilot for startup founders Demand was three times higher than expected from the year-long pilot with the Ministry of Awesome. Kiwibank Business Products and Performance general manager Joanna Greaves. Fiona Rotherham Wed, 10 Jun 2026 © All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription. Kiwibank has extended its Startup+ lending pilot nationwide and lifted the cap on loans to $450,000 from $150,000. Demand for the
non-dilutionary funding has been three times higher than expected under the pilot, with 32 startups being lent collectively just under $4 million. Half of the Want to read more? It’s easy. Choose your subscription Already have an account? Login Smartphone Only Subscription NZ$29.95 / monthly Monthly Premium Online Subscription NZ$49.95 / monthly Smartphone Only Annual Subscription NZ$299.00 / yearly Yearly Premium Online Subscription NZ$499.00 / yearly Premium Group Membership 10 Users NZ$385+GST / monthly $38.5 per user – Pay by monthly credit card debit Premium
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and conditions. Fiona Rotherham Wed, 10 Jun 2026 Contact the Writer: fiona@nbr.co.nz News tip? Question? Typo? Let us know: editor@nbr.co.nz © All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription. non-dilutionary capital early stage investment Free News Alerts Sign up to get the latest stories and insights delivered to your inbox – free, every day. Related News Hunter’s Corner A quiet hooray for Heartland TSB ‘No significant fallout’ from Iran war yet, says Kiwibank Kiwibank
targets untapped business potential ‘Game on’: Kiwibank’s goal to erode Aussie-owned bank profits General Business Non-dilutive funding 101: why startups should be doing it
Kiwibank, Startup+ lending pilot, non-dilutionary funding, loan cap, early stage investment, Joanna Greaves, Ministry of Awesome, startups