Maria Jose Alvarez

Managing Partner, WNT Ventures

Maria Jose Alvarez is an investor and managing partner at WNT Ventures in New Zealand, the country’s longest-running and most experienced deep-tech incubator and VC fund. As the only Chilean/Latin American managing partner in Australia and New Zealand, Maria Jose brings over a decade of experience in innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship. With a degree in Biotechnology Engineering and a Master’s in BioScience Enterprise, MJ focuses on deep-tech and breakthrough innovations that bring a positive impact on society. Before joining WNT, she led Seed and Series A investments at New Zealand Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP) and co-founded VidAoX, a biotech startup.

Recognised for her leadership and commitment to diversity, Maria Jose was named one of the University of Auckland’s 40 Under 40 Entrepreneurs in 2023 and awarded Investor of the Year by the Global Entrepreneurship Network. She is also a finalist in the Women of Influence awards and is among New Zealand’s Top Diverse Board-Ready Directors, as well as a member of the inaugural cohort of WILD in STEM. Passionate about supporting underrepresented founders, over 60% of the portfolio companies in WNT Ventures Fund 3 are female-founded. Beyond her investment work, Maria Jose actively mentors young entrepreneurs and serves on several advisory committees, including StartUp Science in Chile and the AgriTech & Food Investment Committee at Return On Science. She is also a TEDx speaker, dedicated to fostering female entrepreneurship and advancing deep tech innovations.