Creative HQ (formerly Lightning Lab) is a four-month, mentor-intensive, business acceleration program based in the US.

Each program takes in up to 10 companies and provides each with structure, startup methodologies, business skills, and focused support so they can successfully find the market fit for their products and rapidly grow their user base. Creative HQ is an investment pathway that has proven to be successful in building strong companies and significantly increasing their value to investors.

During the program, teams are given access to a network of more than 250 mentors, interns, and advisors from across New Zealand and around the globe. They’ll impart wisdom, confront assumptions, and test teams’ fortitude while sharing a powerful network of expertise, experience, and connections. Teams are also given an investment amount that allows them to focus their time on their business and over $800,000NZ each in perks to use as the tools for their experiments.