--- title: "InvestNow vs Kernel: Which is searched more in New Zealand?" description: "Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Fund managers set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-fund-managers/compare/investnow-vs-kernel" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # InvestNow vs Kernel: Which is searched more in New Zealand? Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Fund managers set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: InvestNow and Kernel - **Competitive set**: Fund managers - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **InvestNow Share of Search**: 18.1% - **Kernel Share of Search**: 24.6% ## Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? - In September 2026, Kernel had more branded searches than InvestNow among fund managers in New Zealand. Kernel had about 24,600 branded searches, while InvestNow had 18,100. Kernel made up 24.6% of all fund manager searches we track, and InvestNow accounted for 18.1%. - The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Kernel took it in March 2026, InvestNow took it in April 2026, Kernel took it in May 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, InvestNow’s share of searches among fund managers in New Zealand moved from 16.7% to 18.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 18.1K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kernel’s share of searches among fund managers in New Zealand moved from 15.2% to 24.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 16.4K to 24.6K. ## Top fund managers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, InvestNow was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Kernel was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Kernel was listed before InvestNow in four out of five answers. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Simplicity | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Milford | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Kernel | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Fisher Funds | 4th | 1 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | InvestNow | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Pie Funds | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Harbour Asset Management | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Devon Funds | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Salt Funds | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Castle Point Funds | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about fund managers - Asked ChatGPT "Which fund manager should I use in New Zealand?": 1. Simplicity, 2. Kernel, 3. InvestNow - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best fund managers in New Zealand?": 1. Milford, 2. Simplicity, 3. Kernel, 4. Fisher Funds - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best fund manager in New Zealand for long term investing?": 1. Simplicity, 2. Kernel, 3. InvestNow, 4. Milford - Searched Google, AI Overview "fund managers nz": 1. Milford, 2. Fisher Funds, 3. Simplicity, 4. Kernel, 5. InvestNow - Searched Google, AI Overview "managed funds nz": 1. Fisher Funds, 2. Milford, 3. Simplicity, 4. InvestNow Not named in any answer: Pie Funds, Harbour Asset Management, Devon Funds, Salt Funds and Castle Point Funds. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand fund managers in September 2026? - In September 2026, Kernel lost share of searches among fund managers in New Zealand, from 25.3% to 24.6%. - InvestNow’s share of searches among fund managers in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 20% to 18.1% in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | InvestNow estimated searches | InvestNow Share of Search | InvestNow rank | Kernel estimated searches | Kernel Share of Search | Kernel rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 18.1K | 16.7% | 3 | 16.4K | 15.2% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | 14.8K | 15.6% | 3 | 13.4K | 14.2% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 14.8K | 18.5% | 3 | 13.1K | 16.3% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | 18.1K | 18.1% | 3 | 16.4K | 16.4% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 14.8K | 16.5% | 3 | 13.4K | 15% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | 14.8K | 16.1% | 4 | 16.1K | 17.5% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | 18.1K | 18.9% | 3 | 17.2K | 17.9% | 4 | | May 2026 | 22.2K | 19.6% | 4 | 24.6K | 21.8% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | 22.2K | 20% | 4 | 24.6K | 22.2% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | 18.1K | 18.6% | 4 | 24.6K | 25.3% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | 18.1K | 18.3% | 4 | 25.1K | 25.3% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | 18.1K | 18.1% | 3 | 24.6K | 24.6% | 2 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using InvestNow’s and Kernel’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **InvestNow**: Measured on the search term “InvestNow”. - **Kernel**: Measured on the search terms “kernel kiwisaver” and “kernel wealth”, summed into one figure. - [InvestNow profile](/demand/nz/brands/investnow) - [Kernel profile](/demand/nz/brands/kernel) - [All fund managers in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-fund-managers): The set both shares are measured inside, 10 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? In September 2026, Kernel had more branded searches than InvestNow among fund managers in New Zealand. Kernel had about 24,600 branded searches, while InvestNow had 18,100. Kernel made up 24.6% of all fund manager searches we track, and InvestNow accounted for 18.1%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "InvestNow vs Kernel: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-fund-managers/compare/investnow-vs-kernel This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-fund-managers/compare/investnow-vs-kernel. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.