Over the past week, families in isolated East Coast communities have invested over one million dollars in a new regional investment fund established by charitable company Hikurangi Enterprises.
“If the government is looking for local skin in the game before offering support to provincial economic development initiatives, then hopefully this level of support demonstrates that local commitment” said Waiapu Investments managing director Panapa Ehau.
“We have been blown away with the hundreds of people, young and old, from Potaka to Gisborne who have put their own money into something we hope will benefit the whole region.”
More than 550 people have so far committed $1,035,000 to purchase shares in Waiapu Investments Limited. The first investment for the company is intended to be Hikurangi Cannabis Company, a Ruatoria-based medical cannabis venture established by Mr Ehau and others.
Interest from around the country and overseas is high with more than three thousand people waiting for a chance to buy shares when the offer opens online at 7pm Tuesday on the PledgeMe crowdfunding website.
“It feels so special to have more than a million invested by our local people” said Mr Ehau. Sixty precent of the funds were raised in five rural village meetings before the roadshow got to Gisborne yesterday.
The funds contributed will enable the building an extraction lab, processing facility and state of the art glasshouses to be built at Ruatoria as soon as a licence is issued by the Ministry of Health.
“We are also talking to larger investors who are interested in coming into Waiapu Investments so that as much ownership as possible can be kept local.” said Mr Ehau. “The more ownership residing in Waiapu Investments, the greater leverage we will have when negotiating with institutional investors, but the window won’t stay open very long.”
Mr Ehau said people and entities with more than fifty thousand dollars to invest should contact him as soon as possible to discuss the opportunities.
A separate process of selecting an institutional investor to partner in the cannabis company with four to ten million dollars has been started by Auckland investment brokers Northington Partners.
The Hikurangi Cannabis opportunity has already attracted interest from a number of potential investors with significant agribusiness experience including companies from Asia and North America.
“Our preference is to find a New Zealand partner but we will also be looking at who can help us grow quickly into key export markets, support us to produce affordable medicines and build a global pharmacueticals brand in an industry that is already booming in Europe and North America.”
CONTACTS:
– Manu Caddie (Hikurangi Cannabis Company): 0274 202 957
– Nick Sandlant (Northington Partners): 021 990 419
DOWNLOAD: Waiapu Investments prospectus
It should be called MEDICINAL cannabis.
Great to see that it’s happening here too… 20 years too late, but politicians just can’t get their brains to develop quick enough.
we myself an my partner are keen to move from tauranga to your rohe to get involve on the grown level mahi wise so if there is such opotunity plz lets us know very keen to work along side this kaupapa we see the benifits big time. I am a typ2 diebitic am one day hope to be cured my number 02041546001 plz make contact just need place to stay an ready to start yesterday.
Kia ora Koro. Thanks for your interest. We’ll be advertising jobs in due course. At least a few months away at this stage.
I’m from rangitukia but live in auckland can I invest before apopo
Best to try at 7pm sorry.
Nga mihi kia a koutou i noho mai ra i te wa kaenga. Born in Tologag Bay, raised by my kuia Te Wai Hauraki at Mangahanea, currently living in Carnarvon Western Australia 6701.
I have been using CBD oil Zero THC made by Hempworx in USA to some amazing results. It is very expensive to purchase from USA, with the american dollar being higher than Australia and at present, right at the very minute,due to the massive growth and demand for Hempworx to register products throughout Australia, Hempworx have been invited by the Australian Government to officially register the product with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia. This is very exciting news as it means that they are able to continue selling Hempworx in Australia indefinitely and guarantee a 3-5 day transit time.
We are excited to report that we are very close to having Hempworx completely registered with the TGA in Australia. We already have a local fulfillment center set up for when we get our approval.
I realise and understand that it is still early days yet, but I would prefer to stand beside my people and purchase once the product is allowed in Australia, and help sell from this end as well which I cant see being a problem.
I certainly will be supporting your move and will invest into assisting with this venture.
Kia Ora
Marie Andrews