A higher proportion of Māori technology workforces are grown within Māori-owned companies than anywhere else, according to the first Toi Hangarau: A Report on Māori-owned Technology Companies 2023.
The 107-page report showcases an ecosystem of start-ups through to mature companies, and their funders and investors who want to grow Māori tech workforces on-the-job.
The report’s founder and CEO of Pāua Interface, Robyn Kamira (Te Rarawa), says that growing skills inside these companies is working “but the companies need more support from government and funders to scale, and to help the country meet its future workforce and economic goals.”
A statement from the company says that Toi Hangarau brings business, financial, workforce, economic, environmental and cultural information into one place, providing detailed benchmark data, analysis and insights on Māori-owned technology companies.
It says that the 72 companies included in the report employ 1,310 people across Aotearoa with an average of just over 18 staff.
A detailed survey of 16 of the Toi Hangarau companies shows they employ an average of 32 percent Māori staff – and 22 percent of those are technology workers compared to just four percent Māori in the country’s overall IT workforce.
The company says that Toi Hangarau takes “a deep dive into the top nine earners of the 72, sharing their revenue ranges, markets, and alignment with global technology trends. These larger companies earned between $5m and $73m last year and most operate internationally. Together they employ almost 400 staff.”
Kamira says the firm intends for Toi Hangarau to be a regular benchmark for Māori-owned tech companies, and to help their owners, funders and investors get a clear view on how they can invest wisely for high-value returns.
See: www.toihangarau.
