Next Wave 2026: Sustainable businesses struggle to turn innovation into growth

Head of Business·NZ Herald·12 Nov, 2026 11:00 PM12 mins to read‌From humble beginnings in a tin shed, founder Saia Latu, above, and his business partner Joe Vagana have built TROW into a deconstruction industry leader. Photo / Dean PurcellSustainable innovators have the ideas. Now they need the capital and customers to scale, writes Fran O’SullivanFrom mushroom-based packaging to salvaged construction materials and crops strengthened by ultraviolet light, New Zealand businesses are developing solutions to environmental challenges. But short-term investment horizons, policy uncertainty and weak mainstream customer awareness