Built by Callaghan Innovation alumni (10–35 years’ experience each)
Trusted partners in AI, R&D, business model & system innovation
Deep industry and government networks
Proven track record helping NZ businesses grow
Innovation doesn’t fail for lack of ideas.
It fails for lack of focus, clarity, and confidence in where to invest.
We see it all the time.
You’re balancing ambition with caution. Your team is stretched and working harder than ever. The board wants growth, but in today’s climate you can’t afford to waste money or time on ideas that might lead nowhere.
And all the while, technology is moving faster than ever. Market needs are shifting rapidly. You know you have to act, not just to grow, but to protect the future of your business.
It’s not ideas you’re short of. It’s focus, clarity, and confidence. Without them, projects stall, energy gets spread too thin, and innovation starts to feel like a bigger risk than reward.
What you need is certainty on the right investments to make and the tools and guidance to turn them into commercial results
We are not a bunch of consultants
We’re not here to hand you a glossy report and walk away. We roll up our sleeves, work alongside you, and co-design solutions that create real-world impact for your business, and for New Zealand.
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We’re deep domain experts in AI, R&D, and business innovation.
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We take the time to understand your exact needs before moving to action.
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We co-design with you, so solutions stick, scale, and actually get used.
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We stay involved — helping you test, adapt, and deliver results.
We’re not consultants.
We’re not an agency.
We’re your innovation partners.
Sleeves rolled up, focused on outcomes that matter.
The Innovation Activator helps ambitious NZ businesses move from concept to commercial reality, through practical innovation in AI, R&D, business models, and systems. With us, it’s sleeves rolled up, not reports dropped off.
Our Four Levers of Innovation
We cut through the noise by focusing on four areas that deliver commercial results
Our Tailored Services
We’ve designed a clear pathway of services that meet you where you are from validating ideas through to building advanced AI solutions. Each step is practical, applied, and focused on commercial results.
What They're Saying About Us
The domain experts of the Innovation Activator have contributed to some impactful initiatives for businesses at Callaghan Innovation.
With changing market dynamics and rapidly evolving technologies, like AI, they bring a wealth of combined experience for innovative businesses to target emerging opportunities to grow and thrive.
Stefan Korn, Chief Executive
Callaghan Innovation
Ready to take innovation seriously?
The Innovation Activator was co-founded by Nick Sterling and KL Chan, experienced leaders with decades of expertise in AI, R&D, and business innovation.
Together with our team of domain experts, we help ambitious New Zealand businesses move from concept to commercial reality.
We’ve worked across industries from architecture and construction to forestry, manufacturing, and clean-tech always applying practical innovation that drives results.
Our strength comes from partnership. We collaborate closely with industry associations, regional economic development agencies, research bodies, universities, and innovation-aligned agencies.
And we’re proud to contribute to national, mission-led initiatives such as the AI Blueprint for Aotearoa, the Fibre-to-Build Value Chain model, and Māori Housing Māuitanga Innovation.
We’ve had the privilege of working alongside ambitious businesses across New Zealand from architecture and construction to forestry, manufacturing, and clean-tech.
What unites them isn’t their sector, but their ambition: leaders who want clarity, confidence, and commercial results from innovation.
Through our collaborations with industry associations, regional agencies, and research partners, we’ve helped businesses unlock funding, adopt AI, redesign business models, and deliver innovation that sticks.
Our Team of Experts
Unique Cross-disciplinary Innovation. Purpose-Led. Transformational Outcomes.
The team brings decades of hands-on experience in deep technology, business innovation and system innovation.
From AI and automation to clean energy and product design, these are the people behind some of New Zealand’s most impactful innovation. They’ve designed, built, led, advised and delivered.
Now they're here to help you innovate, grow & thrive.
