Up Start Coworking.
A space for connection, innovation and growth.
Connect, collaborate, grow.
Up Start provides a coworking space dedicated to supporting local ventures on their journey.
With a strong focus on people, we’ve built an enriching environment where start-ups, techies and creatives can connect and share their journeys - sharing learnings, celebrating wins and supporting one another.
Relaxed, friendly and inclusive, there’s always someone nearby to bounce ideas off, provide encouragement, or just share a laugh.
If you think you could benefit from joining our coworking space, or if you plan to spend time in Rotorua and need a space to work from, submit an expression of interest and we’ll be in touch.
Who’s at Up Start?
Meet some of the people who make up our coworking community.
Nikki Lorigan, Up Start.
Nikki is the driving force behind Up Start. What started as a way to escape working alone at home has organically grown into a thriving hub for Rotorua’s tech and creative community. With the support of the LaunchPad Initiative, UpStart was created to foster connections and accelerate growth in these sectors.
Drawing on her experience as a Virtual CFO for tech startups across New Zealand (through CFO4U), Nikki spotted an opportunity and saw UpStart as the perfect way to bring founders and creators together - sharing challenges, celebrating wins, and sparking innovation every day.
Matt Browning, Incredible.
Described by the NZ Herald as a “trailblazer” in AI, Matt is the co-CEO and development lead at Incredible - a software agency helping companies worldwide transform their internal systems. Incredible delivers apps that are faster and more cost-effective than traditional builds, saving organisations up to 10 hours per employee each week.
Twice honored with the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce’s Innovation & Technology Award (2021 & 2024), Matt leads with a friendly, no-nonsense approach to solving operational inefficiencies and empowering businesses through custom AI-enabled platforms. Before Incredible, Matt sold his full-stack agency, Salt + Tonic, and now brings both grassroots creativity and global insight to his work on the board of DOTDOT.
Shule Going, First Light.
Shule is the founder and driving force behind First Light, a custom software development studio dedicated to helping high‑growth brands like Asahi, Peregrine, Nood, and Mons Royale optimize and streamline their operations.
By partnering closely with clients, Shule and the First Light team deliver bespoke solutions that automate critical workflows, embed tailored business logic, and elevate customer experiences. With a blend of technical finesse and practical insight, First Light ensures that software is not just built—it works intuitively and efficiently to support real-world business needs.
Matt Miller, BrakeAce.
Matt is the visionary founder behind BrakeAce, the world’s first wireless brake sensor and analysis app designed specifically for mountain bikers. A former elite racer turned sport scientist, Matt pioneered braking analysis during his PhD at Massey University—identifying a critical gap in MTB performance insights.
Today, Matt leads BrakeAce from Rotorua, where he oversees product development, business strategy, and coaching initiatives. Under his leadership, BrakeAce has revolutionized MTB performance feedback by empowering riders to understand where and how to improve their braking technique, unlocking “flow” and speed like never before.
Hannah Fromont, Rose & Co Creative.
Hannah is the creative behind Rose & Co Creative, a down-to-earth design studio helping businesses bring their brand to life through thoughtful design and photography. With multiple years of experience and a passion for storytelling, Hannah works closely with her clients to create branding that truly feels like them.
At Rose & Co Creative, it’s all about creating connection through design. From logos to websites to on-brand imagery, Hannah helps businesses feel proud and confident in how they show up.
Dan Garrick, Helical.
Dan uses his PhD in aerospace engineering to bring rocket-science innovation to animal and plant improvement across dairy, beef, sheep, forestry, horse, and dog breeding in 42+ countries. A 2025 Rotorua Business Awards finalist in Innovation & Technology, he develops the Helical data platform and is the ongoing developer of BOLT.
Helical manages and analyses billions of DNA records and helps lower DNA testing costs through scalable, vendor-neutral infrastructure—a one-stop-shop genetic data platform. BOLT number-crunches that data, delivering billions of estimated breeding values each month and helping producers unlock potential genetic gains worth hundreds of millions of dollars in additional value every year. Together, these tools turn advanced research into practical improvement—faster, more transparent, and at global scale.
Steph Bond & Gina Forsman, Loop Road.
Steph and Gina co-founded Loop Road in 2025—taking their experience marketing for big businesses, they have curated an essential marketing offering within reach of all businesses, no matter the size.
Loop Road partners with local business owners to focus on creative storytelling, impactful content and strategies that keep the audience front and centre. This is delivered through brand development, website design, creative content & communications, and social media management.
Claire Graham, MRCagney.
Claire is an urban designer and landscape architect specialising in infrastructure for active modes of transport. Based in Rotorua, she works remotely for MRCagney - a leading sustainable transport consultancy helping cities across Aotearoa create transport systems that work for people and the environment. MRCagney is known for delivering innovative, people-focused solutions that prioritise walking, cycling and public transport.
Passionate about creating an inclusive transport system, Claire’s work focuses on designing streets and spaces at a human scale - where everyone feels confident, safe and welcome. Her expertise spans streetscape design, inclusive access auditing, and both temporary and permanent walking and cycling infrastructure. She brings a holistic approach, moving seamlessly from big-picture network planning to the finer details of street-level design.
Keen to join us?
Express interest in the Up Start coworking space.
Send us your details and we we’ll be in touch.