Sharesies to Contribute Up To $100 For Every Child In Its KiwiSaver Scheme

New Zealand investment platform Sharesies has announced a new incentive aimed at encouraging early participation in KiwiSaver for children. The company will contribute 25 cents for every dollar deposited into eligible children's Sharesies KiwiSaver Scheme accounts, up to a maximum of $100 per child, during the 2026/27 contribution year.

The offer, called the Sharesies Kids Contribution, applies to contributions made between 1 July 2026 and 30 June 2027. Parents or guardians must have a Sharesies KiwiSaver account set up for the child – a feature the company introduced in March. To receive the full $100 top-up, $400 in contributions need to be made during that period. The matching contribution will be paid directly into the child’s KiwiSaver account between July and August 2027.

Children under 16 years old are eligible, and there is no limit on the number of children in a family who can benefit. Contributions can come from parents, grandparents, or other family and friends, with no minimum amount required. Sharesies will review whether to continue the programme after its first year.

“KiwiSaver is often treated as a first-paycheck conversation, but that’s leaving one of its most powerful levers untouched,” said Brooke Roberts, Co-founder and Co-CEO of Sharesies. “The earlier a child is invested, the harder time works for them. We want to help parents and guardians to take that step sooner and we’re backing that with our own contribution.”

The initiative builds on Sharesies’ existing financial literacy efforts, which include school programmes and more than 100,000 children holding investing accounts on its platform. The company argues that the compounding effect of time in the market is significant and largely irreversible – a child who starts KiwiSaver early gains a head start that cannot be replicated later.

The Sharesies KiwiSaver Scheme allows parents to choose from ten base funds or build self-select portfolios including more than 160 individual companies and exchange-traded funds, with a cap of 5% on those holdings. This gives families flexibility to tailor investments according to their values and risk profile.

For example, according to Sorted’s calculator, a $500 contribution when a child is born could grow to approximately $26,500 by age 65 in an aggressive fund, illustrating the long-term impact of early investing (excluding inflation).