YKIA Wellington
Our first meetup in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Short talks from people building with AI right now, then networking. Free to attend.
Wellington CBD (venue to be confirmed)
5:30 - 7:00 PM
FreeRegister
New Zealand's young AI community
Young Kiwis building New Zealand's AI future.
New Zealand's community for the next generation of AI builders.
StudentsEarly-career devsFounders & builders
350+ members · meetups in 5 cities · free to join
A nationwide community
350+ young Kiwis building with AI
Students, early-career developers and founders across Aotearoa. We have run meetups in 5 cities, with more on the way.
Meetups around the motu
Every hosted city has brought young people together at a local company or community venue.
- Past meetups: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton and Palmerston North
- Next new city: Wellington, Fri 30 Oct
- On the list: Tauranga, Napier-Hastings, New Plymouth and Nelson
What's on
Upcoming events
YKIA National Conference 2027
New Zealand’s first national conference for young Kiwis in AI. A full day of keynotes, talks, panels, a young builders showcase, speed networking and networking.
Novotel Auckland Airport
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Waitlist openJoin the waitlist
About YKIA
About Young Kiwis in AI
A free community for young Kiwis who build with AI, from first project to first startup.
● About us
What is Young Kiwis in AI?
Students, early-career developers and founders under 35, learning and building with AI together.
Connection
Share projects, get feedback and find collaborators.
DiscordFeedbackCollaborators
Inspiration
Talks, tool demos and honest member spotlights.
TalksDemosSpotlights
Opportunity
NZ AI jobs, internships and freelance gigs.
JobsInternshipsFreelance
● For you
Who can join
Under 35, based in Aotearoa New Zealand and excited about AI? You belong here.
Students
Studying CS, engineering or learning AI independently.
UniversitySelf-taughtResearch
Early-career devs
In your first tech role and exploring AI.
Junior devCareer growthNetworking
Founders & builders
Building AI products, side projects or startups.
StartupsSide projectsProduct
Over 35? Join as a mentor, host or sponsor. Learn how
● Community in motion
Meet people.
Open new doors.
Real opportunities, made through the community.
New roleAn AUT graduate from YKIA joined GrowLab as an AI developer.Talent foundTwo of Harkness AI's engineers came straight out of the community.New connectionsFlock Consulting hosted our Dunedin meetup and hired an AUT Master's graduate from YKIA.New roleChristchurch company SentryAI hired Karl out of the community.
See all community stories →Partners
Back the next generation of Kiwi AI talent.
Help young Kiwis meet, learn and build together. Our partners host meetups, share their experience and open doors to new opportunities.
Sponsor events
Help us host workshops, hacknights and meetups across Aotearoa.
Speak at events
Share your experience with the next generation of AI builders.
Open opportunities
Connect students and early-career developers with roles and projects.
Mentor young builders
Offer feedback, advice and real-world perspective.
Sponsor the YKIA National Conference 2027. Put your team in front of New Zealand's most engaged young AI builders.
Gallery / this is what community looks like
The community in action
Small moments. A growing community.
An evening of ideas.
Connections that go beyond it.
Meetups, talks and people building across Aotearoa.
Explore the full gallery ↗FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about Young Kiwis in AI.
Young Kiwis in AI (YKIA) is a nationwide community for young New Zealanders working with artificial intelligence: university and secondary students, self-taught builders, early-career developers, and founders. We run in-person meetups around the country, where members share what they are actually building, plus a Discord where the community talks between events. Joining is free; any event ticket cost is listed before you register.
Start building. Pick a real problem in your own life, a friend’s, or a local business, and use AI coding tools to build a small solution for it. Almost every speaker we have hosted says the same two things: a handful of real projects beats a polished CV, and you have to talk publicly about the work so that people can find you. The third step is getting in a room with people already doing it, which is exactly what our meetups are for.
Anyone based in Aotearoa New Zealand who is young and keen on AI. That includes university students, secondary students, self-taught developers, early-career professionals, and founders building AI products. You do not need to work in AI already and you do not need a project on the go. Curiosity is genuinely enough.
Complete the join form with your name, email, age, occupation and region. Under 35s receive a joining link by email, then verify their Discord account to access the community. Applications from people aged 35 and over are reviewed by our team. Once you are in, say kia ora in the introductions channel and explore upcoming events.
Ready to join the community?
Connect with other Kiwis under 35 building with AI across New Zealand. We have run meetups in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Hamilton and Palmerston North, and the next one is announced to members first.
Access to exclusive Discord channels
Early notifications for events
Connect with AI builders across NZ
Share your projects and get feedback
The monthly newsletter, included
Start with the form
Tell us a little about yourself, then verify your Discord account. Under 35s receive their joining link by email. Applications from mentors and supporters are reviewed by our team.
Members get the newsletter automatically. Not joining? Get just the newsletter.
Join the community
Complete this form to join YKIA and get access to our Discord. Under 35s receive a joining link by email. If you are 35 or over, we will review your application and get back to you.
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