New focus for Ninja Kiwi co-founders Chris and Stephen Harris

Alumni Chris Harris and his brother Stephen are co-founders of Ninja Kiwi, who created the globally popular computer game Bloons. In March the company was sold to Swedish game company MTG for NZ$203 million.

Chris and Stephen attended Seddon High School and then Western Springs College in 80s and early 90s, then went on to do various things before a phone call from Stephen to Chris resulted in the creation of Ninja Kiwi 2006.  Over its 15-year history, Ninja Kiwi has grown to about 40 staff in Auckland, and another 30 in Dundee, Scotland.

While offers have come up along the way, the brothers were adamant that they were not going to sell to anyone who did not love their company like they did.  “What prompted us to do it now was we’re really passionately devoted to our staff so any deal that was going to happen had to basically guarantee their livelihoods and things wouldn’t change for them”.

As for Chris, other than the “huge pride” he and his brother felt about getting a certain milestone, life would not change greatly. “I mean, how much money does a person really need?”

However, he would spend more time campaigning for action on climate change.

“I sit on the Auckland chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby and I’ve made a couple of investments in climate start-ups already. I do think we’ve got about 20 years to really make a significant difference otherwise it’s going to be too late.  That significant change has to come with extreme action. We can’t have moderate action on this.”

Source: Climate change next on agenda after Ninja Kiwi’s $203m deal.  Catherine Harris March 26, 2021