Overview

In 1991 the NZ Government sponsored the Porter Project identified software exports as growing four times faster than New Zealand’s exports as a whole, with 10-20 times the profitability. It sparked the coming together as an industry cluster under the banner of the NZ Software Exporters Association.The NZSEA was born. The NZSEA united companies with an ambition to grow New Zealand’s weightless exports, leverage our high education levels and create a new platform for NZ to grow from. In the early years the NZSEA, working jointly with NZTE, led several trade missions into a variety of markets. As the sector grew, the role of the NZSEA evolved to focus on inspiring businesses to think bigger and to make going global do able. This sparked the name change to the NZ Software Association, as we undertook a number of initiatives to nurture a vibrant domestic eco-system for businesses built on developing software products and services. Just over 30 years later our tech sector has grown to become New Zealand’s second largest export earner. This has been built on a substantial expansion of the local eco-system including new government services, industry associations, incubators, tech communities, and more. In recent years, we recognized the industry had grown and matured. The NZSA had fulfilled its purpose. In 2022 we made the hard call to wind up the NZSA. Everyone involved as members and sponsors are incredibly proud of what was achieved over the years. If you would like to learn more about our legacy, please visit our website.