Te Ao Mārama | Te Awanui Huka Pak

The Te Whai Ao Plant Bioactives Accelerator has been re-named the Te Ao Mārama project. This new name is drawn from Te Awanui Huka Pak’s Te Whai Ao strategy and is inspired by the famous Māori proverb, “Ki te whai ao, ki te ao mārama,” which refers to the continual emergence from darkness into light. This embodies the essence of the project, aiming to uncover new opportunities through bioactives.

A Feasibility Study

What does a plant bioactives value chain rooted in Mātauranga and Te Ao Māori look like? Our project seeks to create a value chain that integrates traditional knowledge with modern science, offering sustainable, culturally significant, and economically viable products that benefit our shareholders and preserve indigenous knowledge and biodiversity.

Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures

SFFF is a Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) fund that supports problem-solving and innovation in Aotearoa’s food and fibre sector by co-investing in initiatives that make a positive and lasting difference. Through its co-investment strategy and partnering with industry stakeholders, like us, SFFF drives projects that contribute to long-term resilience and growth in the food and fibre industries.

Intended Outcomes

Development of adoptive indigenous innovation models.
New high-value global markets identified for products derived from plants/crops on Māori land.
Build capacity and capability of Māori for bioactive supply, production and global export.
Increased research and development investment and capability.
Improved information and insights that increase market access.

Ko wai mātou? Who are we?

Te Ao Mārama Project Team

The Te Ao Mārama project, led by Te Whai Ao Group Ltd., is backed by a diverse and highly credible team with extensive experience in commercialising extracts to global markets. The team is made up of bio extract specialists, commercial experts, and market intelligence advisors who are all focused on delivering results and driving progress to ensure the project is successful.

Building the Future Workforce

We are proud to be shaping the future workforce by offering two cadetships (internships) that provide meaningful, hands-on experience across key project workstreams. These roles are designed to build a pipeline of talent into innovative, high-value opportunities, helping to develop the next generation of leaders.

Project Governance

Our project is guided by a robust governance board, which includes a key advisor from MPI. Their critical oversight ensures we stay on track with our objectives, maintain alignment with our goals, and consistently uphold the highest performance standards.