Koha pūtea with purpose

Kaituku pūtea (investors) play a vital role in enabling pakihi Māori to access the capital they need to grow and thrive. Traditional investment pathways often prioritise financial return over collective impact, creating a gap for those who want to support ventures in a way that aligns with their values and aspirations.

Te Whare Manaaki offers an alternative. A peer-to-peer koha lending platform connecting kaituku pūtea (investors) with pakihi Māori (Māori businesses) seeking capital through zero-interest, repayable loans, offering a highly relational way to support impactful ventures.

Through this model, kaituku pūtea can choose which pakihi to tautoko, contributing to their growth while being part of a wider movement to strengthen the Māori economy. Te Whare Manaaki is built on a simple idea: that capital can be shared collectively, returned over time, and passed forward to support future pakihi, creating a circular system of intergenerational wellbeing.

Te Whare Manaaki is currently in its pilot phase, working with select hapū and operating under regulatory clearance through the FMA prior to being a licensed peer-to-peer intermediary. We are now inviting expressions of interest from kaituku pūtea who want to be part of this kaupapa.

Becoming a Kaituku Pūtea

Becoming a kaituku pūtea is a simple and transparent process. Te Whare Manaaki enables you to explore pakihi Māori, choose who to tautoko through koha, and follow their journey as they grow and repay over time. As funds are returned, you have the option to reinvest, continuing the cycle of support for future pakihi.

Register as a kaituku pūtea

Create an account to join Te Whare Manaaki as a koha lender. You’ll be able to access approved pakihi opportunities and participate in the platform during the pilot phase.

Explore and select pakihi to tautoko

Browse approved pakihi seeking capital and choose one or more ventures to support through koha, based on your values and the impact you want to contribute to.

Pledge koha and make investment

Pledge your chosen amount (from $25, up to $2,000). Once a pakihi’s funding goal is reached, your pledged koha is collected and then provided to the pakihi as a zero-interest loan.

Follow the journey and reinvest

Track the progress of the pakihi you’ve supported as they grow and repay their loan over time. Once repaid, you can choose to reinvest your funds into future pakihi, continuing the cycle of support

Who can koha?

Te Whare Manaaki is open to anyone who wants to support pakihi Māori through a values-based, koha-driven model. Kaituku pūtea can explore approved pakihi and choose where to tautoko through koha. Rather than focusing on financial return, this model is about contributing to collective impact, with the option to reinvest repayments and continue supporting future pakihi.

To be eligible, kaituku pūtea must be:

  • An individual aged 18 years or over with a valid New Zealand bank account; OR

  • A collective (trust or company) registered or based in Aotearoa New Zealand, with a valid New Zealand bank account, and IRD number.

Once registered, kaituku pūtea can:

  • Pledge koha from $25 up to a maximum total of $2,000 during the pilot

  • Option to reinvest repaid koha into future pakihi

FAQ | Pātai for Kaituku Pūtea

Individuals aged 18+ who are NZ citizens or permanent residents currently living in New Zealand, as well as trusts or companies based in Aotearoa that meet eligibility requirements.

You can register your interest using our online form, and when the platform is ready, we will invite you to officially register for our pilot.

You can pledge a minimum of $25 per pakihi, up to a maximum total of $2,000 during the pilot period (across all pakihi invested in).

Your koha is only collected once a pakihi’s full funding goal is reached.

Yes. You can pledge to one or multiple pakihi.

No. This is not an investment for financial return — it is a values-led, impact-focused model.

As pakihi repay their loan, you can choose to reinvest your funds into future pakihi.

Withdrawal of funds is enabled only when the loan is paid back in full by the pakihi. At this point, there is the option to reinvest into other pakihi, or koha your funds to IndigiShare.

All funds are held securely in a Public Trust custodial account. IndigiShare does not hold investor funds directly.

Yes. All lending carries risk and full or any repayment is not guaranteed.

No direct fees are charged. Any interest earned while funds are held supports the operation of the platform.