Airwallex is offering a grant for NZ businesses to join the action.

For many New Zealand businesses, breaking into global markets feels like a distant and expensive dream.

A new initiative from global fintech Airwallex is designed to help turn those dreams into action. The company is offering two Kiwi businesses $5000 each through its Global Growth Grant programme to attend an international conference, with the aim of empowering Kiwis to connect with global networks and unlock new growth opportunities.

“We created this grant to make those learning and networking opportunities more accessible,” says Lowry Gladwell, Associate Director for Airwallex New Zealand. “International events can be transformative for a business, but the cost is often a barrier. This is about removing that barrier and giving founders or team members the chance to bring fresh ideas back home.”

The grant is part of a broader Airwallex strategy to help take New Zealand’s big ideas to the world. Kiwi businesses are renowned for innovation and adaptability, but the country’s geographical isolation presents challenges when accessing international ideas and markets. 

“We’re an island nation,” Gladwell notes. “Unlike Europe or the US, we can’t just hop on a train to attend a conference or meet with suppliers. We have to fly, and that adds cost and complexity. But it also makes international exposure that much more valuable.”


Image: Airwallex’s New Zealand Team.

 

The Global Growth Grant is open to businesses across all industries from tech startups and retailers to travel operators and creative agencies. Applications are open to anyone in the business, not just founders or executives. Gladwell hopes the grant supports someone who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend an international event – and who returns with fresh insights to help drive meaningful change within their business.       

Gladwell knows firsthand how valuable international conferences can be – and how tough it can be for New Zealanders to get to them. 

“In my early days, one of my good workmates and I were desperate to get to the SaaStr conference in the US, so we took some drastic cost cutting measures to get there.” They skipped the hotel and, along with a few other colleagues, squeezed into a budget Airbnb in a rough part of San Jose, “complete with bunkbeds and a dive bar across the road that turned out to be a damn good time.”

“The trip was super memorable because we hustled hard to get there – back of the plane, no hotels, no frills. Kiwis can make things happen on the smell of an oily rag, but a $5000 boost can't hurt.”

As an Australian-founded tech unicorn, Airwallex has quickly become a global leader in the B2B finance space. Since 2015, it has helped more than 150,000 businesses streamline their financial operations. Trusted by Kiwi brands like Rodd & Gunn, Tracksuit and Auror, it offers a modern alternative to traditional banking, cutting the hidden fees, delays and friction that slow growing companies.

Gladwell says one of the key challenges Kiwi businesses face is the domestic nature of traditional banking systems. “Banks were built before globalisation. Once you want to trade internationally, you’re dealing with multiple banks, slow transfers, and high fees. We wanted to offer something different: global accounts you can open in minutes from your desk in Auckland.”

In a climate of rising tariffs, tighter margins, and shifting global trade dynamics, Kiwi SMEs need tools that allow them to act quickly and reduce friction. Eliminating avoidable costs – such as excessive bank fees or sluggish cross-border transfers – helps businesses stay competitive and resilient amid volatility.

“It’s not about cost-cutting,” Gladwell explains. “It’s about being smart with the tools you use so you can protect your margins and move at the pace global trade demands.”

How to apply

Applications for the Global Growth Grant are now open. All you need to do to enter is describe what global conference you want to attend, and what benefit it will bring to your business. To learn more or apply, visit airwallex.com.