Crowdfunding is a modern alternative to traditional funding avenues such as bank loans. It enables people to raise money through pledges from a large number of people, usually through a web-based campaign.
Until now, Kickstarter has only been open to US, UK and Canadian citizens.
Those New Zealanders who have run projects on Kickstarter - such as New Zealand film-maker Taika Waititi - have needed to be based in one of those countries.
Since it was founded in 2009, the company has helped about five million people to pledge $826 million, funding 50,000 creative projects.
Its launch in New Zealand will provide competition to several existing local crowdfunding platforms, such as PledgeMe and Boosted.
There will not be a New Zealand-specific Kickstarter site but locally-based projects will be listed alongside others on the main site.
Kiwi projects will be listed in New Zealand dollars and will be open to people from anywhere in the world.
Before making a pledge, backers from outside the country will see an approximate conversion to US dollars.
Kickstarter will charge a 5 per cent fee to successfully funded projects and no fee to unsuccessfully funded projects.
A workshop for New Zealand-based creators looking to use Kickstarter will be held on November 5, in Auckland.
A new law coming into effect next year means individuals and firms will be able to offer equity in a project through crowdfunding, without having to issue a formal prospectus.
The Financial Markets Conduct Act, described as a "once-in-a-generation law change", recently passed its third reading in Parliament and will be phased in from April next year.
