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Wellington gave the world Xero, and the VFX behind Lord of the Rings

  • Xero: founded 6 July 2006, still headquartered where it started
  • Wētā FX: founded 1993, ~2,000 employees as of 2025
  • Gave Miramar its nickname, "Wellywood"
  • 18.8% of NZ’s tech firms — the 2nd-highest share nationally
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How Wellington’s tech scene grew

Two flagship companies, genuinely still headquartered where they were founded.

Wētā FX is founded

By Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk, based in Miramar, Wellington — known as Weta Digital until 2021, reported at approximately 2,000 employees as of 2025.

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Two very different companies, one city

Xero, the cloud accounting software company, was founded on 6 July 2006 by Rod Drury and Hamish Edwards in Wellington, where it remains headquartered today. Wētā FX — known as Weta Digital until 2021 — was founded in 1993 by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk, based in Miramar, Wellington, and reported at approximately 2,000 employees as of 2025. Its visual-effects work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and subsequent major franchises gave the neighbourhood its nickname, "Wellywood." Wellington holds 18.8% of New Zealand’s tech firms, the second-highest share nationally.

Xero

Founded 2006, still headquartered in Wellington today.

Wētā FX

Founded 1993, ~2,000 employees, the studio behind Lord of the Rings’ visual effects.

What that combination produces

Depth over breadth — Wellington doesn’t match Auckland’s sheer volume of tech firms, but it holds two of New Zealand’s most internationally recognised company names, one in enterprise software and one in creative-technical production. Wellington is also New Zealand’s capital, giving it a government and public-sector layer that Auckland’s more purely commercial economy doesn’t carry to the same degree.

How Wellington businesses buy digital work

A mix of software-sector professionals, creative-industry workers connected to the film and VFX cluster, and public servants — a more varied buyer base than Auckland’s commercially-driven market. Wellington’s two flagship companies are genuine points of civic pride — referencing the city’s real track record in software and creative technology will land better here than generic claims about "innovation."

Software and enterprise tech

A genuine track record — reference it specifically, not generically.

Film and VFX-adjacent creative industry

"Wellywood" is a real point of civic pride, not marketing hype.

Government and public sector

A layer Auckland’s more purely commercial economy doesn’t carry to the same degree.

The full piece

Wellington: Xero was born here, and so was the visual-effects work behind Lord of the Rings

Digital market analysis•1 min read

Two very different companies, one city

Xero, the cloud accounting software company, was founded on 6 July 2006 by Rod Drury and Hamish Edwards in Wellington, where it remains headquartered today.

Wētā FX — known as Weta Digital until 2021 — was founded in 1993 by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor and Jamie Selkirk, based in Miramar, Wellington, and reported at approximately 2,000 employees as of 2025. Its visual-effects work on the Lord of the Rings trilogy and subsequent major franchises gave the neighbourhood its nickname, "Wellywood."

Wellington holds 18.8% of New Zealand's tech firms, the second-highest share nationally.

What that combination produces

Depth over breadth — Wellington doesn't match Auckland's sheer volume of tech firms, but it holds two of New Zealand's most internationally recognised company names, one in enterprise software and one in creative-technical production.

Wellington is also New Zealand's capital, giving it a government and public-sector layer that Auckland's more purely commercial economy doesn't carry to the same degree.

The buyer

A mix of software-sector professionals, creative-industry workers connected to the film and VFX cluster, and public servants — a more varied buyer base than Auckland's commercially-driven market.

The practical read

Wellington's two flagship companies are genuine points of civic pride — referencing the city's real track record in software and creative technology will land better here than generic claims about "innovation."

Sources

Caveats and sourcing

  • Verifiable — Xero's founding date, founders and headquarters; Wētā FX's founding, founders, location and approximate headcount.
  • Characterising claims — the description of the buyer base and civic-pride argument is interpretation.

How well do you know Wellington’s digital economy?

Wellington quiz · 1 of 5

When was Xero founded, and is it still headquartered in Wellington?

Why FastSites works here

Wellington takes real civic pride in its software and creative-tech track record — a clean, well-built site that respects that history beats generic "innovation" language.

Built mobile-first. Reference Xero and Wētā FX’s real story specifically if it’s relevant to your pitch — generic claims land worse here than in most cities.

More from the New Zealand series

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