TL;DR
- Seven New Zealand AI consultancies and automation agencies, each described from its own website as read on 13 September 2026, with no scores and no invented prices
- Clever Merchants is on the list and wrote it; we are based in Dublin and work with New Zealand businesses remotely, so read that entry as a disclosure, not a recommendation
- Every entry covers what the firm delivers, who it suits and how to start; where a firm publishes a price, it is quoted and linked
- MBIE’s AI Advisory Pilot co-funds up to 50% of expert AI support, up to $15,000, through the Regional Business Partner Network until 31 January 2027
- The fastest free first step with us is the AI Readiness Review: six questions, about three minutes, instant report
Ask ChatGPT or Perplexity for the best AI consultants in NZ and the answer is a list of small, local firms in Auckland, Tauranga and the Waikato, sitting alongside the big professional services firms. This post narrows that down to AI consultancy in New Zealand that suits an owner-managed business: each firm described from what its own site says, who it suits and how you start, whether you need advice, training or an AI automation agency to build something.
A disclosure first. I am Ger Devereux, I run Clever Merchants, and it is on this list. We are an Irish AI consultancy based in Dublin; we work with New Zealand businesses remotely and have no office or staff in New Zealand. I have marked our entry clearly and described it in the same terms as everyone else. I have not ranked anyone, and where a firm publishes a price I have quoted it and linked to the page.
If you would rather skip the reading, the free AI Readiness Review tells you in about three minutes which two or three AI workflows would save a business like yours the most time, and you can take that report to any firm on this list.
How did we choose these AI consultants in New Zealand?
We included New Zealand AI consultancies and automation agencies that serve smaller businesses, say plainly what they deliver, and show a first step.
Every firm below appeared in the AI answers or Google results we reviewed for New Zealand AI consulting searches in September 2026. Each was then checked against three criteria on its own website on 13 September 2026:
- Works with New Zealand businesses, not only large corporates and government. The site names the kinds of business it helps, and its services are usable by a firm without an in-house AI team.
- States what it delivers. Named workshops, audits, governance work or builds, not “digital transformation”. An owner should be able to picture what will exist in the business afterwards.
- Shows a way to start. A free call, a free assessment, a pricing tool or a priced audit, stated on the site. Firms whose sites we could not read, firms whose site showed no AI consulting service, directories and the big professional services firms were left out.
The list is alphabetical after the disclosure entry and it is not exhaustive. If your firm works with small businesses in New Zealand and meets the three criteria, email ger@clevermerchants.com and I will look at it for the next update.
Which AI consultancies and automation agencies work with businesses in New Zealand?
Seven New Zealand firms met the criteria, from governance-led advisers in Auckland to fixed-price automation builders and a Waikato consultant with a published audit price.
Clever Merchants (Dublin, working remotely with New Zealand businesses): the author of this list
What they do. An AI consultancy for owner-managed businesses of roughly 5 to 50 staff: AI receptionists that answer and qualify calls, automated lead follow-up, AI-assisted quoting, invoice chasing, job profitability reporting and weekly management reporting, built and maintained for the client and connected to the tools it already uses. It also runs two fixed-price generative engine optimisation programmes, GEO Standard for Ecommerce at EUR 6,500 and GEO Standard for Service Businesses at EUR 7,500. The proof point is my own electrical wholesaler in Dublin, Shamrock Electrical, which ChatGPT cited by name 72 hours after schema and FAQ content went live.
How the remote work runs. Everything is done from Dublin: the review is online, calls are by video, and implementation happens inside your existing systems. In mid-September, Auckland is eleven hours ahead of Dublin, so calls are booked in the New Zealand early morning or evening, which is the Irish evening or morning. There are no on-site visits. More detail is on our AI consulting for New Zealand businesses page.
Who they suit. Trades and construction, professional services, ecommerce and retail, manufacturing and distribution, and agencies with EUR 500K or more in revenue. Not tech companies, not enterprises.
How to start. The free AI Readiness Review: six questions, about three minutes, an instant industry-specific report naming the two or three highest-impact workflows and the hours per week they could save, then a personal follow-up from me within 24 hours. Implementation has no single published figure because it depends on which workflows the report names and which systems they connect to; the review comes first and is free, and how pricing works explains the rest.
AI Innovisory (Auckland)
What they do. AI Innovisory is led by Peter Mangin and helps “NZ organisations adopt AI safely and productively” through advisory and strategy, process automation, responsible AI governance and hands-on workshops using ChatGPT, Claude and Microsoft Copilot. It also offers a fractional Chief AI Officer service. The site says it has worked with more than 400 New Zealand organisations since 2023, and publishes typical workshop pricing of $4,000 to $6,000 for a standard five-hour session for 8 to 20 people.
Who they suit. Organisations that want to build AI capability across a team before or alongside automation; the site names banking, government, education, professional services and FMCG. Workshops run on site in Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown, or online.
How to start. A 30-minute conversation with Peter about where AI fits, or the free two-minute assessment on the site first.
Anadyne IQ (Auckland)
What they do. Anadyne IQ is a boutique AI consultancy founded by sisters Dr Sarah Mitchell and Dr Stephanie Mitchell, covering four areas: working out where AI fits and what to prioritise, building the team’s skills, getting an AI use case built and working, and putting guardrails around how the business uses AI. The site notes that Sarah holds the IAPP’s Certified AI Governance Professional qualification and sits on the New Zealand mirror committee for ISO AI standards.
Who they suit. Business leaders across New Zealand who want strategy, governance and implementation from the same small team; testimonials on the site come from Les Mills International and TBB Legal.
How to start. “We’re happy to have a chat about where you’re at and what might help.”
HighPeak Digital (Tauranga)
What they do. HighPeak Digital offers AI consulting from workshops and executive briefings through AI strategy and capability maps to production systems, with governance templates for acceptable use and human review. It also builds 24/7 AI receptionists, quoting and intake tools, internal tooling and websites, and runs AI training on site or remotely for New Zealand and Australian teams.
Who they suit. Service businesses in New Zealand and Australia that want a roadmap and the build from the same supplier.
How to start. An AI pricing configurator on the site that produces an estimated project scope, pricing range and implementation timeline, or an expression of interest form.
King Tide (Kihikihi, Waikato)
What they do. King Tide helps “New Zealand SMEs cut through the AI hype and actually implement the tools that move the needle”: content workflows, sales admin, internal assistants trained on company documents, document and invoice processing, and automated reporting, using Claude, ChatGPT, Make and n8n. The work runs in two phases, an audit and then a fixed-price implementation with team training and handover.
Who they suit. “Mostly NZ SMEs between $500K and $20M in revenue”. The site says most work is done remotely by video across New Zealand, with on-site visits when it makes sense.
How to start. The AI Audit, published at “$1,500 NZD”: two weeks, a written playbook, and no obligation to implement with King Tide afterwards.
Lumen Business Solutions (Grey Lynn, Auckland)
What they do. Lumen is a Zoho CRM consultancy that also provides AI consulting and implementation, including private ChatGPT deployments on Azure, AI help desks and chatbots, automated newsletters, n8n automation and API integration, and data analytics.
Who they suit. Small and medium businesses, including those running Zoho, that want AI connected to their CRM and customer data rather than a separate tool.
How to start. “Book a Free Consultation” through the site.
Matrix AI Consulting (New Zealand and Australia)
What they do. Matrix AI Consulting, founded by Glen Maguire, describes itself as an independent AI consultancy that does not “sell software or push vendors”. Services include non-technical AI literacy training and Copilot enablement workshops, AI governance frameworks, AI strategy built on its S.T.A.R.T. planning framework, and implementation and testing. The site says it works with one company per sector at a time.
Who they suit. Leadership teams that want vendor-neutral advice before committing to tools; the site names agriculture, construction, infrastructure, education, retail and government.
How to start. A consultation request through the contact form on the site.
Stride AI (Auckland)
What they do. Stride AI builds AI voice agents that answer calls “in a natural Kiwi voice”, AI agents that handle tasks such as reading emails, updating records and generating quotes, workflow automation, custom software and websites. It says most clients are live within two to four weeks, and most projects are fixed price.
Who they suit. Owner-led businesses buried in data entry and follow-ups; the site lists use cases from quoting and scheduling to tenancy management, patient follow-up and dispatch updates, and says it integrates with MYOB, Xero, Shopify and HubSpot.
How to start. A free 30-minute discovery call, with a quote promised within 48 hours of the call.
AI consultants in New Zealand compared
Prices are shown only where the firm publishes them, exactly as written on its site.
| Firm | Based | Who it suits | First step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clever Merchants (author) | Dublin, remote for New Zealand | Owner-managed businesses of 5 to 50 staff in trades, professional services, ecommerce, manufacturing, agencies | Free 3-minute AI Readiness Review with instant report and follow-up within 24 hours |
| AI Innovisory | Auckland | Organisations building AI capability across teams | 30-minute conversation or free 2-minute assessment; workshops $4,000 to $6,000 |
| Anadyne IQ | Auckland | Leaders wanting strategy, governance and a build from one small team | A chat about where you are |
| HighPeak Digital | Tauranga | Service businesses wanting roadmap and build together | Online AI pricing configurator |
| King Tide | Kihikihi, Waikato | SMEs with $500K to $20M revenue | AI Audit $1,500 NZD |
| Lumen Business Solutions | Auckland | Small and medium businesses using or considering Zoho | Free consultation |
| Matrix AI Consulting | New Zealand and Australia | Leadership teams wanting vendor-neutral advice | Consultation request |
| Stride AI | Auckland | Owner-led businesses wanting fixed-price automation live in weeks | Free 30-minute discovery call |
Is there funding for AI consulting in New Zealand?
Yes. MBIE’s AI Advisory Pilot, delivered through the Regional Business Partner Network, co-funds up to 50% of expert AI support, capped at $15,000.
AI Advisory Pilot. In a May 2026 announcement, MBIE said the pilot “provides hands-on, tailored support to businesses looking to adopt AI”. Following strong demand it will support up to 150 businesses, up from 50, with eligibility widened, and it has been extended to run until 31 January 2027. Eligible businesses can access co-funding of up to 50%, up to $15,000, to work with experts who identify opportunities for AI and implement practical solutions. To find out more, MBIE says to contact your local Regional Business Partner or visit business.govt.nz.
Free guidance. The government’s getting started with AI section on business.govt.nz suggests trialling AI on one repetitive task first, checking the privacy terms of free tools, and making the most of free training and resources.
Places on the pilot are limited, and which advisers qualify is decided through the Regional Business Partner Network, so ask your local partner before you commit to anyone on this list. Clever Merchants is not a registered adviser under the pilot.
How do you choose between AI consultants in New Zealand?
Choose the firm whose first step costs you least, whose deliverable you can picture, and who scopes the build before quoting it.
Every owner I talk to asks the same three questions before saying yes: what will this actually save me, what does it cost, and will it work in my kind of business. Use them as the filter. A firm that cannot name the workflow it would build for you in the first conversation has not understood your business yet. One that has never worked in your sector will spend your money learning it.
The firms above split into two groups. AI Innovisory, Anadyne IQ and Matrix AI Consulting lead with advice, training and governance; HighPeak Digital, King Tide, Lumen and Stride AI lead with building. If your team is not using AI tools well yet, a workshop may be the right first spend. If you already know which job eats your week, go straight to a builder. Our explainer on what an AI consultant does covers the difference, and our guide to how much an AI consultant costs explains how each type of engagement is priced. For firms that work across several countries, see our wider list of the best AI consulting companies.
Here is how to use the free steps. When an owner completes our AI Readiness Review, the report names the two or three workflows with the most hours to recover and estimates the time saved on each. Take a list like that, from us or from any free call in the table, to two or three firms. If the same workflow keeps coming up, that is the one to build first.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the best AI consultants for small businesses in New Zealand?
The firms above all work with New Zealand businesses, state what they deliver and show a first step; which is best depends on whether you need training, governance, a single automation or a custom build. The comparison table matches each one to the kind of business it suits.
How much does an AI consultant cost in New Zealand?
Among the New Zealand firms on this list that publish prices, King Tide’s AI Audit is $1,500 NZD and AI Innovisory’s standard half-day workshop is typically $4,000 to $6,000, with builds quoted after scoping, and MBIE’s AI Advisory Pilot can co-fund up to 50% for eligible businesses. Our own implementation has no single figure because it depends on the workflows and systems involved, so we start with the free AI Readiness Review for owner-managed businesses of about 5 to 50 staff and explain the rest on our pricing page.
Is there a free AI assessment for small businesses in New Zealand?
Yes: Clever Merchants’ AI Readiness Review and AI Innovisory’s two-minute assessment are free, and Stride AI and Lumen both offer a free first conversation. For funded expert help rather than a quick assessment, ask your Regional Business Partner about MBIE’s AI Advisory Pilot.
Can an AI consultant outside New Zealand work with a New Zealand business?
Yes, when the work is done online: we run the review online, hold calls by video and build inside the tools you already use, with Auckland eleven hours ahead of Dublin in mid-September. If you want someone in the room or a registered adviser for the AI Advisory Pilot, start with the New Zealand firms above and your Regional Business Partner.
What should a small business in New Zealand ask an AI consultant before hiring one?
Ask what exactly will exist in your business when they finish, what it connects to, what it costs to run each month, how customer data is handled under the Privacy Act 2020, and what happens when it breaks. A firm that answers all of that plainly, and can point to a real result for a business like yours, is one you can work with.
Who are the Big Four consulting firms in New Zealand?
In New Zealand, the Big Four are Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG, the four largest professional services firms, and they are built for large, multi-department programmes. A New Zealand business of 5 to 50 staff that needs one workflow built quickly, rather than an organisation-wide transformation, is usually better served by a smaller consultancy like those above, several of which offer a free first conversation or assessment.
The free first step with us is the AI Readiness Review: six questions, about three minutes, and an instant report naming the two or three AI workflows that would save a business like yours the most time. I read every one and follow up personally within 24 hours. Take it, then compare notes with anyone else on this list.
