Our Story

We've all been there – navigating the maze of government websites, trying to find a simple piece of information. It can be frustrating, time-consuming, and often leaves you wondering if you've found the right answer.

Adding to the challenge, there isn't one single, reliable place to get all the government-related information you need. You might have to jump between different department sites, each with its own structure and way of presenting things.

While general AI tools can sometimes provide quick answers, they aren't always trained on the specific nuances of New Zealand's laws and services. You can't always trust that the output is accurate, up-to-date, or derived from official sources. This lack of reliability can be problematic when dealing with important government matters.

As HighFlyer, a global initiative based in New Zealand, we experienced these exact frustrations firsthand when navigating the complexities of starting a business. We realised that with our collective R&D experience and the technology we'd already developed for previous projects, we were uniquely positioned to tackle this problem. Why not build a system that we ourselves wished existed?

However, we knew that to truly understand and serve the local context of New Zealand's government services, we needed a partner with deep local expertise. That's when KeaSAS, a leading New Zealand-based IT solutions company, came into the picture. Their local knowledge and understanding of the New Zealand landscape made them the perfect partner for this initiative.

That's why we decided to build Open GovChat.

Our goal is simple: create a trustworthy, easy-to-use platform where people can find the information they need, knowing it comes directly from verified government sources. We wanted to build something that cuts through the noise and provides clarity, empowering you with reliable information when you need it most.