Who Owns BestStart?

The business that became BestStart grew from a series of acquisitions by Wayne Wright and associated interests starting in the 1990s. Established networks including Edukids, ABC Childcare, and Kidicorp were progressively brought together into a single group.

The pivotal merger came in 2010 when the ABC and Kidicorp networks combined under the new BestStart brand, creating New Zealand's largest early childhood provider by centre count. The group continued to acquire independent centres through the 2010s while investing in teacher registration support and curriculum development.

In 2017 BestStart was placed under scrutiny by the Commerce Commission over its acquisition activity, an investigation that concluded without blocking the group's structure but highlighted its market dominance. The company subsequently faced periodic media and union criticism over teacher pay and child-to-teacher ratios, part of a wider national debate about quality in commercial early childhood provision.

During the pandemic the group navigated lockdown closures and government wage subsidies. Post-2022 it has focused on workforce development, digital learning tools, and consolidating its position as the largest ECE operator, reporting more than 258 centres as of 2025.