3-2-1 Innovation funding all go!

3-2-1 Innovation funding all go!

In Aotearoa, roughly 1.2 million of us are in need of mental health support every year. Our mental health system currently serves only 400,000 of those people – and it’s overwhelmed.

At Ember Innovations, we have learned through our work over five years that bridging this gap – between what is and what we dream of – will involve shifting the conditions that hold the problems in place. 

That means pulling workplaces, sports clubs, marae, and churches into the mental health ecosystem. But perhaps most importantly, it means rethinking how we fund and invest in mental health. Here are three big principles to spark the innovation Aotearoa New Zealand desperately needs:

Three principles for investment for innovation in mental health

1.  Effective innovation centres those closest to the problem

The voices of those most impacted by challenges need to be central to the development of solutions. Innovation must be grounded in and accountable to the communities it serves. 

If we want real change, we need to listen to those living through the challenges. Innovation must start with and be accountable to these communities. Investing in initiatives that build trust and empower local voices will lead to better and more sustainable mental health outcomes.

2. Early-stage innovation and experimentation matters

We won’t find new solutions if we keep funding the same ideas. We must prioritise early-stage innovations—accelerators, startups, grassroots efforts—that challenge the status quo. By supporting experimentation, we create room for learning, iteration, and the space to discover what works. By investing in early-stage innovations, we can uncover new pathways to effective mental health support and create responsive interventions that work for an increasingly super-diverse population.

3. Problems can never be solved by the way of thinking that first created them

Innovation happens when different mindsets, models, experiences and expertise collide with the resources and intent to make a difference. We need investors to be courageous if we are to make meaningful change. Investors who are able to move beyond short-term, risk-oriented funding. To achieve meaningful outcomes, we must develop sustainable funding models that support initiatives at every stage of the long haul, that expect failure (because failure = learning) and create opportunity across the whole ecosystem of innovation – from very early stage through to successful innovations that are ready to scale at speed. This shift from reactive to proactive investment strategies is crucial for fostering a resilient mental health support ecosystem.

Two things we think you should read if you’re interested in innovation in mental health:

Shifting spaces: Could tackling climate change in cities help solve the youth mental health crisis?

Designing for a Transformation Economy

 One quote to help you feel hopeful about the world