Up to five projects can receive $20,000

First Focus has launched a $100,000 AI Investment Fund in New Zealand to help local businesses turn AI ideas into practical business solutions.

Under the programme, up to five client-led projects will receive co-funding. Each selected organisation can get as much as $20,000 in consulting, development and implementation support.

Support will come from the First Focus AI Services and Consultancy team. Selected projects will move from concept to working prototype in about eight to 12 weeks.

Following the launch of a similar AI Investment Fund in Australia earlier in 2026, First Focus has extended the scheme to New Zealand. Success stories from the Australian fund are published at firstfocus.com.au/ai-fund.

Chief executive Ross Sardi framed the fund as a way to match customer ideas with technical delivery. “Our customers have the ideas, and we have the expertise to bring them to life,” he said.

According to First Focus, the goal is to help New Zealand businesses build AI tools that produce measurable business value and return on investment. The company is backing practical uses of AI rather than broad experiments.

Each successful project will be built with First Focus AI specialists. Results will then be showcased through jointly developed case studies and multimedia content.

Those case studies are meant to give other New Zealand organisations concrete examples of AI in use. As a result, businesses can assess practical applications before starting their own projects.

Beyond the fund, First Focus is pursuing a broader plan to become the leading provider of Managed AI and IT services for mid-market organisations. That strategy centres on safe, secure adoption and lasting commercial outcomes.

Brendan Ritchie on 2027 rollout

Meanwhile, chief growth officer Brendan Ritchie linked the fund to a wider pipeline of launches through to 2027. He called it the first of several AI-focused initiatives the company plans to roll out in that period.

Ritchie said First Focus wants to show what can happen when organisations combine industry expertise with the right AI capabilities. He also pointed to strong ideas emerging across New Zealand.

Because the programme is capped at five projects, full take-up would account for the entire $100,000 fund. In that case, each organisation would receive the maximum $20,000 allocation.

First Focus described the scheme as co-investment for customer AI projects. In practice, that means the company will share the cost of building early-stage AI solutions with selected clients.