Market Aotearoa

New Zealand · Aotearoa · Working across Australasia and Asia

Software, AI and business capability for governments and enterprises in Australasia and Asia.

Market Aotearoa is a New Zealand consultancy led by two experienced principals. We build software and AI systems, strengthen financial and business capability, and train your people as we go. When we leave, the capability stays with you.

Request our capability statement

Why work with a New Zealand consultancy

Integrity

One of the least corrupt countries in the world

New Zealand consistently ranks at or near the top of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. We work the way our country does. Everything is in writing, on the record, and to agreed terms.

Digital government

A track record in public sector digital delivery

New Zealand was an early mover in online tax filing, digital identity and open government data. Our principals have worked inside and alongside that system. We bring the same practical, citizen-first approach to every engagement.

Partnership

A trusted partner across Asia

New Zealand has long, respectful relationships across Asia through trade, education and development cooperation. We build on that footing. We prefer long-term relationships to fly-in fly-out consulting.

Agility

Small, capable and easy to work with

We are a small team with direct access to outstanding technical capability. There are no layers of account management between you and the people doing the work. That makes us quicker to engage and simpler to deal with. It also costs you less.

Direct experience in the region

Selected delegate, Asia New Zealand Foundation, Japan 2025

In 2025 Stephen was selected as a delegate on a business fact-finding mission to Japan with the Asia New Zealand Foundation, meeting with government agencies, businesses, and officials from the New Zealand Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Tokyo. Karen also travelled to Japan independently and joined the group where possible.

That experience means we arrive in a market already understanding how New Zealand's government and diplomatic channels work alongside business, and how to conduct ourselves in formal government meetings across the region.

New Zealand delegation outside the New Zealand Embassy, Tokyo

New Zealand Embassy, Tokyo, 2025

Services

We take on defined engagements with clear deliverables. Knowledge transfer to your own people is written into every contract.

Software development and delivery

We design, build and deliver web and mobile systems, from citizen-facing services to internal management tools. We cover the full lifecycle: requirements, architecture, development, testing, deployment and handover with documentation and training. Our principals have shipped commercial software for over 20 years, including a fraud management system that cut fraudulent transactions by 99 percent.

AI and data systems

We build practical AI: document processing, decision support, analytics and monitoring. We have taken AI products from concept to market, including the Heyrex animal health wearable, so we design for the data, connectivity and budgets you actually have.

Financial management and governance

Financial systems, reporting frameworks, budgeting and internal controls, led by a chartered accountant who has taken a company through an ASX listing and prepared Deloitte-audited accounts. Suitable for agencies strengthening public financial management and for enterprises preparing for investment or audit.

Capacity building and coaching

Structured training and coaching for managers, technical teams and business owners, delivered by a certified executive coach. We design every programme so local trainers can repeat it after we leave.

Project and programme delivery

Hands-on management of technology and business projects, including donor-funded programmes. We are comfortable working within the reporting and procurement requirements of governments and international development partners.

Export and market connections

We connect Asian organisations with New Zealand suppliers, technology firms and expertise. Our networks span New Zealand business, agritech and Māori enterprise, built over 25 years of working in and around the primary sector.

Technical Capability

Software and AI capability sits behind everything we do. Our technical team builds web and mobile applications, integrates AI into existing systems, and turns fragmented data into decisions leaders can act on. Every solution is built around a client's own systems and constraints, not sold off a shelf.

Web and software development

Design, build and delivery of web and mobile applications, from citizen facing services to internal management tools, covering the full lifecycle from requirements through to deployment, documentation and handover.

AI integration and analysis

Practical AI applications including document processing, decision support and pattern detection, connected into the systems an organisation already uses rather than replacing them.

Data analytics and insight

Turning raw, fragmented data into clear dashboards and decision ready reporting, so leaders can see what is actually happening.

Predictive and forecasting

Modelling trends and likely outcomes to support planning, policy and resourcing decisions.

Process automation

Replacing manual, repetitive administrative and reporting work with automated workflows built around how a team actually operates.

Systems integration, security and governance

Connecting legacy and disparate systems into a single reliable view, built around data security, privacy and governance requirements from the outset.

Rewards based learning and AI support

Adaptive learning and homework support tools that use AI to explain a concept rather than supply the answer, and track progress over time. Engagement is reinforced through a structured rewards system, with reward types, limits and data governance set by the agency or school, not the platform.

IoT hardware and connected devices

Purpose built hardware, firmware and connectivity for devices that need to run reliably in the field for years, drawing on two products we have taken from concept to market. Applicable to biosensors, dataloggers, weather stations, and water, land and conservation sensors.

The principals

Market Aotearoa is led by two senior practitioners. When you engage us, these are the people who do the work.

Stephen Goodger

Stephen Goodger

Principal · Software, AI and Operations

Stephen holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from The University of Canterbury, majoring in Management, Marketing and Information Systems, has more than 25 years of experience across executive leadership, software development, technology leadership and business operations. He is co-founder and Chief Executive of Talkily, developer of the Heyrex AI-powered animal health wearable, where he leads firmware, app and AI development, manufacturing and marketing.

His earlier career includes software development and full lifecycle delivery at eStar, senior consulting for the farmer owners of Fonterra, New Zealand's largest company, and national commercial roles at DB Breweries and PGG Wrightson, businesses with combined revenues above NZ$1.6 billion.

Stephen holds governance roles with Talkily, Heyrex, as Treasurer of The Endangered Species Foundation New Zealand, as principal of Market Aotearoa and has mentored small businesses with Business Mentors New Zealand.

Director and trustee experience across technology, conservation and film. Based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Download CV · LinkedIn profile

Karen Hormann

Karen Hormann

Principal · Finance, Governance and Coaching

Karen is a chartered accountant with 30 years of senior finance experience across technology startups, consultancies and hospitality. She has been a member of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand since 1993, is a Xero partner, and runs her own consultancy, CFO in the Cloud.

As Chief Financial Officer of communications software company Datasquirt, she took the business from a single entity SME to an ASX listed group with four international subsidiaries, through an NZ$8 million public raise and its eventual sale to US company LiveOps. As CFO of Results.com she prepared the audited accounts and five year forecasts behind a $5 million investment round. She has held finance leadership roles at Blerter, ViFX and Heyrex, where she and Stephen have worked together.

Karen is a Director of Market Aotearoa, Finance Trustee of the The Endangered Species Foundation New Zealand, managing the trust fund, and Chair of Bike Auckland. She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors New Zealand, was selected for its not for profit Chair mentoring programme in 2024, is a certified executive coach, and has mentored small businesses through Business Mentors New Zealand.

Chartered Accountant, CA ANZ. Chartered Member, Institute of Directors New Zealand. Certified Executive Coach (ACTP). Xero Partner. Based in Auckland, New Zealand.
Download CV · LinkedIn profile

How we work

Our approach is designed for government agencies, state enterprises and development-partner programmes.

  1. Scoping visit and written proposalWe travel to you, meet the people involved, and put the scope, price, timeline and deliverables in writing before any work begins.
  2. Delivery alongside your teamWe work with your staff, not around them. Local counterparts are part of every workstream from the first week.
  3. Knowledge transfer as a deliverableTraining, documentation and handover are written into the contract, so the capability remains in your organisation after the engagement ends.
  4. Transparent reportingPlain-language progress reports against the agreed plan, in formats that meet government and donor requirements.

Record of engagements

A selection of work our principals have delivered. References are available on request.

Delivered through Market Aotearoa

EngagementScopeResult
My Farmer World Contract CEO of an agritech company delivering an IoT cattle ear tag for animal welfare and traceability, coordinating manufacturers, farmers and government agencies, and working with Spark and One NZ on LoRa and cellular network connectivity Won a competitive international proof of concept for NAIT and MPI, New Zealand's national animal tracing agencies
Heyrex, Talkily AI-powered animal health wearable: firmware, mobile app, AI models, manufacturing and go-to-market Product designed, developed and taken to market under Stephen's leadership as CEO and co-founder
Waiheke Island Cellar Door and Vineyard Contract operations and leadership, Waiheke Island winery business Turnover doubled and costs reduced over a five month engagement

Principals' earlier career

The executive, technical and financial experience our principals bring to every engagement, built through direct employment rather than as Market Aotearoa contracts.

EngagementScopeResult
Fonterra Shareholders' Council Senior executive working with board and management on behalf of the farmer owners of New Zealand's largest company, including working on the largest capital restructure in New Zealand's history and design and delivery of a governance development programme Reinforced farmers' ownership and delivered programmes nationwide
estarOnline E-commerce software development and implementation of ecommerce and database software solutions, full lifecycle delivery and customer-facing interface work Client meetings, software development, managing the interface between developers and client. Deployment of national and international training solutions. Fraud management system reduced fraudulent transactions by 99 percent
PGG Wrightson National commercial role with New Zealand's largest rural services company, revenues of NZ$1.2 billion, serving the farming sector nationwide Led the future of retail strategy across the organisation, with a remit spanning operations redesign, new business development, cost reduction and revenue growth
Datasquirt Chief Financial Officer of communications software company through ASX listing, an NZ$8 million public raise, IFRS audited group reporting and four international subsidiaries Group acquired by US company LiveOps in 2011
Results.com Chief Financial Officer of business productivity software startup: forecasting, Deloitte audited accounts and listing preparation $5 million investment round closed
Netlogix Standing up the complete finance function for a new transport business holding the Carter Holt Harvey national freight contract, $60 million annual turnover Delivered weeks ahead of schedule and formally accepted by the customer
Blerter Leadership team member covering company secretarial function, investor liaison, HR, administration and finance for a software business Part of the leadership team that successfully transitioned the platform from health and safety management to event management

Governance and assurance

The credentials that matter for public sector procurement.

AI governance and responsible use

We treat client data as confidential by default. We do not train models on client data or reuse it across engagements without explicit agreement, and a person remains in the loop on any AI supported decision. We are open with clients about where a solution uses AI, what data it draws on, and where its limits are, and we build monitoring and review into every AI system so its behaviour can be checked over time.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori engagement

We work in a way that reflects Te Tiriti o Waitangi and genuine partnership with Māori. Through the Endangered Species Foundation, Stephen engages with iwi regularly and at every level, from governance and formal advocacy through to on the ground conservation work. At Fonterra, he also built and maintained relationships with iwi leaders as part of a national governance and shareholder programme, and our networks span Māori enterprise across agritech and the primary sector. Where a project touches Māori land, data, species or interests, we bring that experience and those relationships to the table, and look to work alongside iwi and Māori enterprise partners rather than around them.

Contact

We travel regularly and are available for scoping visits, presentations to agencies and meetings with development partners. Initial discussions are without charge or obligation.

stephen@marketaotearoa.org.nz

+64 21 394 017 (Stephen Goodger, WhatsApp available)

+64 21 459 256 (Karen Hormann, WhatsApp available)

karen@marketaotearoa.org.nz

Auckland, New Zealand · GMT+12 · Happy to schedule calls and visits around your local time zone

Or send an enquiry directly and we will respond within one business day.