Tech companies hopeful about Wellington's future as public sector cuts loom

Leaders from Wellington's tech sector remain bullish about the city's prospects, despite looming public sector jobs cuts.

Co-founder of Wellington based online investment platform Sharesies, Leighton Roberts, said his company was continuing to expand in the city and this year had hired another 30 to 35 staff.

Economists estimate more than 3500 jobs could be cut in Wellington, because of a major shake-up to the public service planned by the government.

Some residents and cafe owners have told RNZ they fear the government's plans will crush the city's morale, leaving it a "ghost town".

Roberts told RNZ Wellington had amazing people, an amazing eco-system and that there was a lot of growth happening.

"We'll fill the gap. And it's our intention certainly from Sharesies point of view, our ambition is to keep delivering epic product for our customers and we are going to need people to do that, and I know that there is heaps of companies, like minded companies around," Roberts said.

Co-founder of Wellington fintech and accounting firm Hnry, James Fuller, said they were seeing a lot of other companies in the private sector that were continuing to grow, as the government sector potentially shrank.

"Whilst it might not pick up all the slack, I think there is absolutely an opportunity for those in private sectors businesses to pick up really good talent, particularly in Wellington," Fuller said.

Wellington-based OpenStar Technologies recently secured a $35 million commitment from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to further their research towards creating a clean fusion power source capable of being scaled up to commercial output.

It's chief technology officer Rod Badcok believed there was plenty of growth especially in the hard tech and clean tech sector in the capital.

His company was having no trouble attracting skilled talent, he said.

"We are finding Wellington is an attractive option for people to come over, especially from overseas and even in New Zealand.

Badcok said one of the draw cards was the recently opened cycleway from the Hutt Valley to Wellington City, Te Ara Tupua.

That sentiment is shared by CreativeHQ, a Wellington based company that helps foster emerging startups in the capital.

CreativeHQ's general manager of startups and tech sector Colm Kearney said the tech sector was thriving in the city and Wellington was one of the best places in New Zealand to raise capital.

He said just this week, a Wellington software company called Factor was bought by another New Zealand company, Gentrack, for over $30 million.

"Talking to recruitment agencies around Wellington there is actually quite a lot of job vacancies, and as these tech companies grow and look to scale, they need talent to grow and build their businesses."

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