MEDIA RELEASE
Matū Iramoe is the first business to list on Catalist, New Zealand’s stock exchange for small and medium-sized businesses.
The New Zealand deep-tech venture capital fund is seeking to raise up to $1 million from retail investors. The initial public offering (IPO) is to fuel the growth of the fund and invest more into Kiwi founded start-ups.
Matū Group has been successfully investing in innovative, IP-rich science, engineering and technology start-ups that apply new approaches to real world problems since 2018.
Having raised an initial $6 million through wholesale investors over the past three years, Matū has built a diverse portfolio of 12 companies in the bio-tech, agri-tech, robotics, and med-tech sectors. They include Mekonos, Alimetry, PowerON, and Ligar.
Ken Erskine, Matū’s Iramoe Director, says investor interest in deep-tech start-up companies has been growing. “The deep-tech sector offers potentially life changing scientific technologies, but has traditionally lacked the necessary investment,” Erskine says. “It is a sector that is experiencing rapid global and domestic growth and offers rewarding long-term investment opportunities.
“Aotearoa New Zealand has a highly productive and creative scientific, engineering and technology community. Its members generate amazingly innovative concepts that can quickly turn into globally disruptive, commercial start-ups.
“To grow successfully, these companies require both financial and intellectual capital. Retail investors will now help Matū provide that capital.” Catalist CEO, Colin Magee, says Catalist is delighted to have secured Matū Iramoe as the first IPO on our Public Market, because it enables investors to invest in a diversified portfolio of SMEs from day one.
“This is an opportunity for retail investors to support deep-tech venture capital and create new economic growth for New Zealand – an opportunity that until now could only be accessed by a select few.
“By listing on the Catalist Public Market, Matū Iramoe is committing to provide regular, comprehensive information updates to investors, and give investors regular opportunities to trade their investment in periodic auctions, which is a first for venture capital investments in New Zealand,” Magee says.
Erskine says Matū is focused on providing a flexible way for retail investors to invest with confidence and the IPO listing on Catalist enables it to balance the long-term capital appreciation with the flexibility of a stock exchange should investors need an early exit.
Matū Iramoe’s IPO goes live on Catalist on November 15, 2021, available to retail investors and wholesale investors. Investors are encouraged to register their interest now via the Catalist website (www.catalist.co.nz) to receive more information.
About Matū Iramoe (Matū Group): Matū Group operates early-stage venture capital funds with a proven track record of successfully investing in and supporting innovative, IP-rich science, engineering and technology start-ups with disruptive global commercial potential that will make a positive impact on society. Matū Iramoe is an entity of the Matū Group that will function as an investment vehicle, primarily raising capital by way of issues of ordinary shares to invest in a diverse portfolio of science and deep-tech start-up companies.
About Catalist: Catalist is New Zealand’s only licensed stock exchange designed for small and medium-sized businesses. Investors can trade shares, debt securities and other financial products, while businesses can raise new capital. Catalist, which is regulated by the Financial Markets Authority, offers a Public Market accessible to retail investors and Private Markets for wholesale investors and other private market trading. Rather than a continuous trading stock exchange, Catalist uses regular auctions to better-suit smaller business listings.
