Afleveringen
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Zenno's CEO just made history — first superconductor ever run in space. And he thinks a war in orbit is now "highly likely." 🧲🚀Max Arshavsky is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zenno Astronautics, the company building the world's first superconducting technology platform for space. Since launching from New Zealand in 2018, Zenno has gone from a $100K university challenge win to landing government contracts with Germany's SPRINT program and Japan's Mitsubishi Electric, and just this year became the first company in history to successfully operate a superconducting product in orbit. Max joins Hendrik and Mark to catch up a year after their first conversation — and a lot has changed.This episode dives deep into the physics and geopolitics of the new space race: why energy is the resource that will define who dominates space, why Max believes a war in space is now "highly likely," and why rocketry — once the hardest problem in the industry — is now the easy part. Max breaks down the economics of intercepting missiles from orbit, why data centers might really be headed to space within years, and how his own company's magnets could one day replace rockets entirely with mass drivers on the Moon.Along the way, Max explains why he relocated Zenno's US presence to Los Angeles's "entrepreneur paradise" near SpaceX and Impulse Space, why he thinks self-replicating robots — not humans — will colonize Mars, and why he's convinced the Moon will belong to somebody sooner than most people think. It's a conversation about magnets, geopolitics, and what it actually takes to build hardware for a place with no room for failure.🧲 The world's first superconductor in space — how Zenno's Z01 SuperTorquer works and why it could end satellites' dependence on fuel🚀 Why Max believes rocketry is a solved problem and the real challenge now is what happens once you're in orbit⚔️ The blunt economics of space warfare — why cheap, high-volume interceptors beat expensive one-shot systems🌍 Why Max moved Zenno's US operations to Los Angeles, and what makes it the "epicenter" of the new space economy🔋 The case for data centers and energy infrastructure in space — and how close we really are🌕 Mass drivers, magnetic launch systems, and a future where the Moon replaces rockets for shipping cargo to Earth🤖 Why Max thinks self-replicating machines, not humans, will be the ones to colonize Mars🎧 Listen On:YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gQnb_WbBSpotify: https://bit.ly/4earYWcApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/42KZ2x1Connect with the Guest:Max Arshavsky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-arshavsky/Zenno Astronautics Website: https://www.zenno.space🔗 Learn more about NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nzMark Pavlyukovskyy — https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/Hendrik Remigereau — https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/Timestamps:00:00 — Calling from LA01:09 — Why LA is deep tech's epicenter02:05 — SpaceX's IPO03:33 — Space is only going up04:41 — Data centers in space07:13 — Zenno: space superconductors08:35 — German & Japan contracts10:56 — America's 10x orbit push12:13 — Is Rocket Lab overvalued?15:14 — Star Wars and lasers17:44 — What starts a space war20:21 — Cheap interceptors win26:27 — Mass drivers explained30:17 — How Zenno builds products33:33 — AI speeds up the algorithms36:08 — Self-replicating machines38:57 — Why Max moved to LA41:20 — National security drives space race44:00 — Who owns the Moon?48:13 — Books that inspired Max49:44 — Rapid fire round#TechMates, #MaxArshavsky, #ZennoAstronautics, #SpaceTech, #Superconductors, #SpaceRace, #DeepTech, #Aerospace, #SatelliteTechnology, #SpaceX, #RocketLab, #NewZealandTech, #StartupFounder, #SpaceEconomy, #DefenseTech, #SpaceInnovation, #FutureOfSpace, #TechFounders, #VentureCapital, #NZVC, #SpaceIndustry, #Engineering, #Podcast, #TechPodcast, #SpaceExploration, #Innovation
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Stefan Powell scaled a New Zealand space company to eight-figure revenue — quietly dominating 82% of a satellite propulsion market, flying a space plane 64 times, and closing a $25M Series B — all before most of the world even knew Dawn Aerospace existed.
In this episode of TechMates, Hendrik and Mark sit back down with Stefan Powell, CEO and co-founder of Dawn Aerospace — and this time, the conversation hits different. NZVC has officially joined Dawn's $25M Series B as investors, making this more than just a podcast catch-up: it's a front-row seat into a company they now have skin in the game on. Dawn builds both the propulsion systems powering hundreds of satellites in orbit and Aurora, a space plane already breaking aircraft performance records — and after a year of massive momentum, there's a lot to unpack.
Dawn has grown to over 200 propulsion systems on 50 satellites, with 52 of 63 nitrous bipropellant systems in orbit belonging to Dawn. The next unlock: in-space refueling by 2028, with defense customers already lined up. Stefan explains why refuelable satellites are becoming a non-negotiable strategic capability — and how Dawn's bottom-up approach was the only credible path to getting there.
Most striking is the business underneath the rockets. Dawn hit cash flow positive before its Series B — generating more real revenue than VC funding across its entire life. Too much capital keeps companies on bad ideas for too long, Stefan argues, pointing to Relativity Space as a cautionary tale.
🛰️ In-Space Refueling by 2028: How Dawn solved the chicken-and-egg problem every other refueling startup got wrong.
✈️ Aurora Space Plane: 64 flights in, already the highest-flying and fastest aircraft ever built off a runway — at $50K per flight.💰 More Revenue Than VC Ever Raised: How Dawn reached cash flow positive before its Series B and why Stefan wants to keep it that way.
🌍 Europe's $35B Space Awakening: Why NATO allies are urgently building sovereign space capabilities — and Dawn is already supplying them.
🚀 SpaceX IPO: What the largest IPO in history means for the rest of the space industry and how it affects Dawn's trajectory.
Stefan Powell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spowell111/
Dawn Aerospace Website: https://www.dawn.aero
https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy — https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau — https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 — Building Dawn while the world wasn't watching: the update from a year later
04:11 — Aurora finds product-market fit it never set out to find
04:46 — The $25M Series B: what it unlocks and why now
05:11 — 52 of 63 nitrous systems in orbit are Dawn's — market domination explained08:11 — In-space refueling: targeting 2028 and why defense is the first customer
10:19 — The satellite arms race: bodyguard satellites, adversary maneuvers & deterrence
11:04 — Solving the chicken-and-egg problem of refueling infrastructure
14:56 — Why other thruster companies never made it to propulsion systems
17:49 — Aurora's 64 flights and the upgrade to 100km altitude
21:45 — "Rocket performance, fleet economics" — why that changes everything
22:26 — How Aurora replaces a $10M missile test with a $50K flight
25:45 — DARTY mission: helping the New Zealand Navy train for missile warfare
28:45 — Aurora vs. hypersonic threats and the limits of missile defense
30:05 — The Oklahoma Spaceport deal and 100 flights a year from Infinity One
32:09 — SpaceX IPO: what the largest IPO in history means for the space industry
33:34 — What SpaceX gets wrong (and the XAI merger debate)
36:56 — Why Europe is spending $35B on space — and why Starlink dependency is a risk
40:18 — Will Dawn ever be bigger than SpaceX? Stefan's honest answer
41:30 — Elon, Peter Beck, and what great space CEOs have in common
42:45 — More customer revenue than VC raised: why Stefan wants to keep it that way
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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What do you do when a foreign missile cruiser does a "hot lap" around your country? You build the manufacturing tech and deploy the VC capital needed to turn your nation into an unattackable "porcupine."
In this episode of TechMates, we dive deep into the sobering reality of national security and the tech revolution rushing to protect our future. We sit down with three heavyweights tackling defense from completely different angles: Vu Tran (Co-founder of Black Sky Industries), David Moodie (Founder of Foundry Lab), and James Pinner (Chief Investment Officer of NZGCP).
This conversation peels back the curtain on why peaceful nations must urgently wake up. Vu Tran reveals the terrifying reality of a foreign missile cruiser circling Australia and why the "porcupine strategy" is the ultimate deterrent. David Moodie breaks down how America lost its manufacturing teeth and how his microwave-casting technology is bringing sovereign capability back home to deter global conflict. Finally, James Pinner addresses how massive government-backed VC funds are adapting their strict policies to support dual-use and defense technologies in a chaotic new world order. If you want to know where the future of global security and deep tech is heading, this is a must-listen.
🦔 The Porcupine Strategy: Why deterrence—not offense—is the key to surviving the next era of geopolitical tension.
🚢 A Wake-Up Call: Vu details the chilling moment a foreign missile cruiser carried more guided weapons off the coast than the entire local army possessed.
🏭 Rebuilding the War Machine: How David's tech is solving the critical skill shortage in Western manufacturing to ensure sovereign capability.
💥 Drones vs. Goliaths: James discusses how cheap, disruptive technology is wiping out multi-million dollar military assets.
💸 Shifting VC Mandates: Why government funds and institutional investors are rapidly rewriting their rules to back dual-use defense startups.
🔥Microwave Metal: The wild origin story of a founder building a massive defense-applicable tech company starting with a household microwave.
Connect with the Guests:
Vu Tran (Black Sky Industries): https://www.linkedin.com/in/vutranau/
David Moodie (Foundry Lab): https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-moodie-b7b92ab/
James Pinner (NZGCP): https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-pinner/
🔗Learn more about NZVC:
Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:43 - Vu Tran: The "Porcupine Strategy" and national defense
01:47 - The terrifying reality of the "hot lap" missile cruiser
05:11 - David Moodie: The decline of Western sovereign manufacturing
06:17 - How casting metal in a microwave is acting as a global deterrent
11:40 - James Pinner: How cheap tech is disrupting global warfare
12:22 - Why massive VC funds are shifting policies to support dual-use tech
If you enjoyed this inside look at the future of national security and deep tech, hit the Like button, drop a Comment letting us know your thoughts on the new era of defense tech, and Subscribe to TechMates for more masterclasses with world-class founders!
#defenseforce, #startups, #DeepTech, #NationalSecurity, #manufacturing, #NewZealand, #Australia, #entrepreneurship, #FoundryLab, #BlackSkyIndustries, #VC, #venturecapital, #geopolitics, #innovation, #SaaS, #techpodcast, #TechMates, #NZVC, #drones, #deterrence
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She left a comfortable corporate career to build a Sensory AI startup that listens to pigs—and just secured a major global distribution deal.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Saba Samiei, the visionary founder and CEO of MACSO. Named after MACS0647-JD, the furthest known galaxy, MACSO was built on a "how, not if" culture that forces the team to think outside the Milky Way. Saba shares her incredible personal journey: escaping the aftermath of war in Iran, immigrating to India as a teenager, and eventually arriving in New Zealand at 22 with the sheer determination to succeed. After climbing the corporate ladder at tech giants like IBM, Westpac, and Microsoft, she took the ultimate leap to build a deep tech startup from scratch.
While the tech industry pours billions into Large Language Models (LLMs) to automate human productivity, Saba is taking a radically different approach. She argues that current AI only replicates the logical frontal lobe, completely ignoring the sensory systems that keep us alive in the physical world. Enter MACSO’s "Physical AI": an edge-AI platform that uses audio sensors to detect respiratory illnesses in swine up to six days earlier than a trained human. By catching outbreaks at "patient zero," MACSO is saving livestock, slashing costs for farmers, and drastically reducing the global consumption of antibiotics. Saba also drops bold truths on the dangers of AGI, why she believes the LLM bubble will burst, and the cognitive risks of outsourcing our brains to machines.
🌌 Thinking Beyond the Milky Way: Why naming her startup after the furthest known galaxy drives their ambitious engineering culture.
🇮🇷 From Iran to NZ: Escaping an unfair regime, finding her footing as an immigrant, and making New Zealand her home.
🧠 The Shrinking Hippocampus: A stark warning on why outsourcing mental tasks to AI could lead to the cognitive equivalent of the industrial revolution.
🐷 Sensory Edge AI: Using audio sensors to listen to pigs and detect respiratory illnesses before a farm-wide outbreak.
💊 Reducing Global Antibiotic Use: How MACSO’s tech catches "patient zero," allowing farmers to medicate smaller groups and lower antibiotic reliance.
💥 The LLM Bubble: Why the AI industry's hyper-focus on text and human productivity is ignoring the massive potential of physical, environmental AI.
Connect with the Guest:
MACSO Website: https://www.macso.ai
Saba Samiei’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabasamiei/
Links to NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC:
Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
00:00 - Naming a startup after the furthest galaxy in the universe.
02:03 - Immigrating from Iran to India, and arriving in NZ at 22.
10:32 - Stephen Hawking, astrophysics, and the core of her AI ethics thesis.
21:27 - Why humans went from fearing the Terminator to embracing ChatGPT.
29:51 - The cognitive danger of AI: Is Google Maps shrinking our brains?
32:41 - Leaving Microsoft to build a Deep Tech AI startup.
43:40 - Major News: MACSO's massive distribution deal with Virbac.
46:29 - Sensory AI: How listening to pigs saves livestock and reduces antibiotics.
57:29 - The mental toll of being a founder and learning to trust yourself.
01:07:57 - Her real thoughts on AGI, P-Doom, and the LLM bubble bursting.
If you enjoyed this masterclass on deep tech, Sensory AI, and the ethical future of humanity, please hit the Like button, Comment with your thoughts on the LLM bubble, and Subscribe to TechMates for more high-impact conversations with world-class founders!
#startups, #artificialintelligence, #deeptech, #NewZealand, #founderjourney, #SensoryAI, #AgTech, #EdgeAI, #MACSO, #AIethics, #machinelearning, #entrepreneurship, #womenintech, #techpodcast, #NZVC, #TechMates, #innovation, #SaaS, #AIsensors, #futureofAI
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He built a bank-grade fintech platform while his twin daughters were napping, bootstrapped it for seven years through 677 investor rejections, and is now rewiring the entire financial system.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Dermot Butterfield, the Founder and CEO of Wych, the startup building the essential "pipes" for Open Banking in Australia and New Zealand. Dermot’s founder journey is the definition of grit. While acting as a stay-at-home dad, he coded the first iteration of Wych during his twin daughters' nap times. Testing it on his own finances, he immediately found $1,200 in hidden savings—a "fk it" moment that led him to empty his savings, work three jobs simultaneously, and endure 677 investor rejections to bootstrap his company over seven grueling years.
Dermot pulls back the curtain on the multi-billion-dollar Open Banking revolution that is finally wrestling data ownership away from legacy banks and handing it back to consumers. He breaks down the terrifying rise of AI-forged bank statements, the death of sketchy "screen scraping" (never give an app your bank password again!), and how Wych became the smallest accredited financial entity in Australia by automating everything. If you've ever wondered why big banks are so slow to innovate or what it really takes to survive enterprise sales, this is a masterclass in resilience and deep-tech execution.
👨👧👧 The Ultimate Bootstrap: Building a high-compliance fintech startup while raising twins and working 6 AM to 4 AM.
🔓 Open Banking 101: Why your financial data belongs to you, and how API "pipes" are killing the dangerous practice of screen scraping.
🏦 The Legacy Bank Trap: Why traditional "vault mentality" banks struggle to innovate, and how Wych helps them safely partner with nimble startups.
🤖 AI Document Fraud: How ChatGPT is being used to forge mortgage bank statements—and why Open Banking is the only secure solution.
💰 Surviving 677 "No's": The brutal reality of raising capital in New Zealand when your company size doesn't fit standard VC checkbooks.
Connect with the Guest:
Wych Website: https://www.wych.io/
Dermot Butterfield’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dermotbutterfield/
Links to NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC:
Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction & Building Wych while the twins napped
04:11 - The "fk it" moment: Finding $1,200 in hidden subscriptions
08:06 - Open Banking Explained: Why your financial data is finally yours
12:06 - Wych’s role: The invisible pipes connecting banks to fintech apps
13:18 - Why big banks have a "vault mentality" and struggle to innovate
22:05 - Combating AI document fraud and forged bank statements
26:22 - Dermot’s origin story: Intel, global travel, and moving to NZ
33:23 - Becoming the smallest accredited bank-grade entity in Australia
35:33 - Bootstrapping for 7 years & facing 677 investor rejections
40:25 - The brutal personal cost of founding: "Startup body" and burnout
44:11 - "Don't quit on a bad day" & the power of founder resilience
57:05 - AI Data Privacy: Why Wych is a "pipe, not a reservoir"
1:00:54 - Imposter syndrome and making the transition from coder to CEO
If you loved this raw look into the grueling reality of bootstrapping and the future of open finance, hit the Like button, drop a Comment on what surprised you most, and Subscribe to TechMates for more masterclasses with world-class founders!
#startups, #fintech, #OpenBanking, #NewZealand, #bootstrapping, #venturecapital, #SaaS, #techpodcast, #DermotButterfield, #Wych, #founderjourney, #artificialintelligence, #banking, #cybersecurity, #dataownership, #TechMates, #NZVC, #entrepreneurship, #API, #innovation
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She beat TikTok to #1 on the App Store with a $0 marketing budget—now this solo founder is using a consumer app as a "Trojan horse" to disrupt a multi-billion dollar legacy industry.🎧 Listen On:
YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gQnb_WbB
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4is21QI
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/42KZ2x1Steph went from pressing API buttons at 15 to building Bonnet, which hit #1 on the App Store and gained 30,000 users in seven days with zero marketing budget. When government data pricing increased 3000% in three months, she discovered something remarkable in the user data: businesses were hijacking her consumer app to manage entire fleets. What started as a parts catalog idea became New Zealand's fastest-growing vehicle compliance platform, with 60,000 vehicles and expansion into Australia.
This conversation reveals how childhood poverty drove entrepreneurial hunger, why nearly 50% of New Zealand cars drive illegally, and how making "billion-dollar decisions" means choosing international expansion over local optimization. Steph shares her contrarian take on technical co-founders, why AI is her secret weapon against legacy fleet software, and how she's building toward a global platform in 22 countries.
🔥 Poverty to Platform — How boning chickens at 8 and breeding pigeons built the work ethic behind a million-dollar business
🚗 Hidden Market Failure — Why half of New Zealand cars drive with expired warrants and how broken government systems create opportunity
📱 Accidental Viral Growth — From 700 downloads to 30,000 users in 7 days through one organic news story
💸 3000% Government Price Shock — When data costs jumped from 2 cents to 48 cents per query overnight
🏢 Consumer-to-B2B Pivot — How 100+ fleets demanding desktop features revealed the real business model
🤖 AI Competitive Moat — Deploying automation faster than 20-year-old legacy companies run by "big corporates, white old men"
Guest links:
Steph Kennard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephkennard/
Bonnet: https://bonnet.co.nz
NZVC links:Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Chapters:
00:00 From Poverty to Platform
05:00 Uncle Dave's Automotive Empire
12:00 Corporate Learning at Fiat Chrysler
19:01 Viral Growth and App Store Success
25:00 Government Data Price Shock
30:48 B2B Pivot Discovery
35:00 Fleet Management Goldmine
41:26 AI Strategy Against Legacy Software
45:00 Global Expansion Vision
54:07 Billion Dollar Decision Framework
57:56 Co-Founder Advice and Rapid Fire
👍 Hit the Like button if you've ever turned personal frustration into a business opportunity, 💬 Comment with your favorite takeaway, 🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes
#TechMates #NZVC #StephKennard #Bonnet #VentureCapital #NewZealandTech #FleetManagement #VehicleCompliance #StartupPivot #B2BPivot #ProductMarketFit #AIStrategy #GlobalExpansion #Entrepreneurship #StartupStory #TechPodcast #VCPodcast #SaaS #Automotive
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Why is teaching a robot to fold your laundry actually harder than building an autonomous surgical robot or a self-driving car?
In this episode of TechMates, we cut through the sci-fi hype of humanoid robots and dive into the gritty, high-stakes reality of deep tech. We sit down with three visionary founders—David Inggs, Nick Damiano, and Harrison Crowe-Maxwell—who are deploying autonomous systems into some of the most constrained and critical environments on Earth (and inside the human body).
This conversation flips the script on everything you thought you knew about AI and robotics. David Inggs breaks down why general-purpose humanoids are still "0.1% of a human" and why specialized machines will dominate the home and military. Nick Damiano reveals the contrarian insight that drove his startup: operating on human anatomy is actually an easier autonomy problem than navigating self-driving cars through city traffic. Finally, we go underground to tackle the global water crisis, exploring how fleets of autonomous robots are being engineered to live inside high-pressure pipes, recharge themselves using water flow, and save the 30% of the world's drinking water that is currently lost to leaks. If you want to know what the next decade of physical AI actually looks like, hit play.
🤖 Hype vs. Reality: Why current humanoid robots are nowhere near ready to cook your dinner or fold your laundry.
🏥 Autonomous Surgery: Why the operating room is a safer, more predictable environment for AI than a public highway.
💧 The Global Water Crisis: How underground robot fleets are being built to prevent cities from hitting "Day Zero."
🔋 The Battery Problem: Why biological farm dogs and diesel engines still heavily outperform robotic dogs in the field.
🛠️ Disrupting Monopolies: How startups are targeting the $200B medical robotics industry by adding cognitive AI assistance.
Connect with the Guests:
David Inggs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidinggs/
Nick Damiano: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdamiano/
Harrison Crowe-Maxwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-crowe-maxwell/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC:
Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro: The Reality of Robots in the Real World
01:09 Why Folding Laundry is the Ultimate Robotics Challenge
02:49 Factory Floors vs. Living Rooms: The Need for Constrained Spaces
04:48 Will You Have a Humanoid Robot or 10 Specialized Ones?
07:12 The Truth About Military Robots and Battery Limitations
08:37 Andromeda: Bringing Autonomous Robots into the Operating Room
09:01 Why Autonomous Surgery is Easier than Self-Driving Cars
11:06 Beyond DaVinci: Adding "Cognitive Assist" to Surgery
14:52 Saving Cities from Running Out of Water with Autonomous Subs
15:50 The Hidden Crisis: Why We Lose 30% of Global Drinking Water
18:01 The 3 Engineering Challenges of Building High-Pressure Pipe Robots
If you enjoyed this deep dive into the hard tech shaping our physical world, please hit the Like button, Comment below on which autonomous robot you think will hit the mainstream first, and Subscribe for more high-impact conversations with world-class founders!
#startups, #robotics, #NewZealand, #deeptech, #artificialintelligence, #surgery, #healthtech, #humanoids, #automation, #watercrisis, #infrastructure, #venturecapital, #techpodcast, #TechMates, #NZVC, #founders, #machinelearning, #hardware, #innovation, #futuretech
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What do you do when you're so frustrated with your legacy bank that you can't take it anymore? You hire a "Chief Imaginer" and build a financial app designed to rival Instagram and TikTok.
In this episode of TechMates, we dive deep into the revolution ripping power away from massive banking monopolies and handing it back to consumers. We sit down with three heavyweights of the Australia/New Zealand fintech scene: Dom Pym (Up), Dermot Butterfield (Wych), and Leighton Roberts (Sharesies).
This conversation peels back the curtain on how modern financial giants are built from the ground up. Dom Pym reveals the absurd reality of trying to start a bank (you need $100 million in reserve just to get the license) and why Up decided to benchmark its user engagement against social media titans instead of other banks. Dermot Butterfield breaks down the "Open Banking" revolution, explaining how Wych is building the invisible digital pipes that finally give you ownership of your own financial data. Finally, Leighton Roberts addresses the inevitable comparisons between Sharesies and Robinhood, explaining how their platform is moving beyond simple stock trading to use AI to scale personalized financial advice for their 800,000+ users. If you want to know where the future of your money is heading, this is a must-listen.
🏦 The Legacy Bank Trap: Why traditional, vault-mentality banks are fundamentally incapable of moving fast and innovating.
📱 Social Media Banking: How Up designed its interface to mimic the daily engagement of apps like Uber and TikTok.
🔓 The Open Banking Revolution: Dermot explains the death of sketchy "screen scraping" and how EU regulations birthed a secure data-sharing economy.
💸 Democratizing Wealth: Leighton's mission to give a user with $5 the exact same investment opportunities as a user with $5 million.
⚖️ The Robinhood Comparison: Why Sharesies embraces total consumer choice while heavily investing in financial education and AI-driven advice.
🏗️ Building Fintech Infrastructure: A look at the hidden B2B services (like registry businesses and secure data pipes) that power the apps you use every day.
Connect with the Guests:
Dom Pym (Up): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dompym/
Dermot Butterfield (Wych): https://www.linkedin.com/in/dermotbutterfield/
Leighton Roberts (Sharesies): https://www.linkedin.com/in/leightonroberts/
🔗 Learn more about NZVC:
Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
00:00 Intro: The AU/NZ Fintech Advantage
01:13 The Origin of Up: Built out of pure frustration
02:30 Why legacy banking software is broken
04:45 Hiring a "Chief Imaginer" to build the future
06:15 Banking vs. TikTok: The battle for engagement
06:53 What is Open Banking? (Explained for beginners)
08:20 The "Login with Google" moment for your bank account
11:27 How financial "pipes" and infrastructure work12:42 Why traditional banks have a "Vault Mentality"
13:50 Sharesies: Investing is no longer just for the rich
15:31 Beyond stocks: KiwiSaver and insurance
17:43 Education vs. Gambling: The Sharesies philosophy
18:39 Comparing the AU/NZ model to Robinhood
If you enjoyed this inside look at the future of finance, hit the Like button, drop a Comment letting us know which fintech app you can't live without, and Subscribe to TechMates for more masterclasses with world-class founders!
#fintech, #startups, #banking, #OpenBanking, #investing, #NewZealand, #Australia, #entrepreneurship, #UpBank, #Sharesies, #Wych, #wealth, #finance, #appdesign, #innovation, #SaaS, #venturecapital, #techpodcast, #TechMates, #NZVC
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In a world where software features can be "vibe coded" by AI in 30 minutes, brand expert Simon Pound explains why community and customer obsession are the only moats left for startups.In this episode of TechMates Podcast, we sit down with Simon Pound, a true cornerstone of the New Zealand innovation ecosystem and the master brand architect behind massive successes like Vend, Ideally, and Appetise. Transitioning from a fast-paced career in traditional media and advertising, Simon brought Madison Avenue brand principles to the tech startup world. Through the brand and venture studio Previously Unavailable, he's led a unique "sweat equity for branding" model, proving that world-class design and customer-centricity can drastically accelerate a startup's valuation and growth.🎨 Brand vs. Advertising: The fundamental difference between enduring customer connection and short-term conversion marketing.
🛍️ The Vend Story: How to make a "boring" point-of-sale software brand deeply emotional and customer-centric.
📈 The Appetise Masterclass: How a strategic brand pivot from "admin" to "appetizing" helped grow customer numbers 20% overnight.
Connect with Simon Pound:
Previously Unavailable: https://previously.coNew and Improved: https://newandimproved.ventures/
Simon’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonpound
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Simon Pound
02:02 - From 24-hour news to advertising and startups
04:08 - Advertising vs. Branding: The fundamental differences
05:50 - Making B2B software sexy: The Vend retail playbook
15:07 - Why brand is the final moat in the AI software era
19:05 - The rise of Tracksuit and proving the ROI of brand building
21:49 - Previously Unavailable: Trading world-class branding for sweat equity
26:15 - Case Study: Rebranding MenuAid to Appetise (and 4x'ing revenue)
41:11 - Launching "New and Improved": A MarTech venture studio
43:36 - How AI will kill "butter passing" marketing agency jobs
53:05 - Redefining the "New Zealand" brand beyond Hobbits and sheep
56:02 - The golden age of AI productivity and the future of knowledge work
If you want to learn how to build a startup brand that AI can't replace, hit the Like button, drop a Comment with your favorite brand right now, and Subscribe for more high-impact insights from world-class founders and operators!
#startups, #branding, #marketing, #artificialintelligence, #NewZealand, #SimonPound, #Tracksuit, #Vend, #SaaS, #venturecapital, #entrepreneurship, #techpodcast, #TechMates, #NZVC, #founderjourney, #marketingstrategy, #AI, #businessgrowth, #martech, #futureofwork
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From hypersonics and space-based hyperspectral imaging to "Starlink for energy" - three deep tech founders are defying the laws of physics to build the future.
In this episode of TechMates, we dive into the deep end of hard tech with three visionaries who are redefining the boundaries of aerospace, satellite imaging, and global energy distribution. We hear from Stefan Powell of Dawn Aerospace, who explains why building an "aircraft with the performance of a rocket" is the key to unlocking the multi-billion dollar hypersonics and orbital launch markets (without the liability of dropping rocket debris on Philadelphia).
We also hear from Shoaib Iqbal of Esper Satellites, who breaks down the "DIY" origins of their space-based hyperspectral cameras—starting with eBay parts and astrophotography sensors to see chemical compositions from orbit. Finally, Billy J of Aquila shares a radical, contrarian vision for the future of power: an "internet of energy." He challenges the current trend of localized microgrids, proposing a zero-cost-per-kilometer, speed-of-light energy transmission network that operates just like Starlink. If you want to know what the next 50 years of human infrastructure looks like, this conversation is for you.
🚀 Orbital Launch vs. Hypersonics: Why Dawn Aerospace is building reusable rocket-powered aircraft to tap into the $7B hypersonics defense market.
📸 Hyperspectral Imaging from Space: How Esper Satellites hacked together their first sensors to see beyond the visual spectrum and classify materials from orbit.
⚡ The "Internet of Energy": Aquila's contrarian thesis on why energy transmission must shift from physical cables and localized grids to speed-of-light optical networks.
🛠️ DIY Deep Tech: The scrappy, off-the-shelf engineering tactics used to build the first iterations of game-changing orbital hardware.
💸 The Cost of Infrastructure: Comparing the $1M/km cost of high-voltage DC power lines to the zero-cost transmission of directed energy.
Connect with the Guests:
Dawn Aerospace: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spowell111/
Esper Satellites: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoaib-esper/
Aquila: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-jeremijenko-a31399183/Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/Timestamps:
If you enjoyed this deep dive into the hard tech shaping our future, please hit the Like button, Comment below on which technology you think will change the world fastest, and Subscribe for more conversations with visionary founders!
#startups, #deeptech, #aerospace, #NewZealand, #hypersonics, #satellites, #energy, #innovation, #space, #technology, #DawnAerospace, #EsperSatellites, #Aquila, #venturecapital, #founderstories, #futuretech, #NZVC, #TechMates, #engineering, #hardtech
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He advised HBO’s Silicon Valley for five seasons, was part of a database team built and acquired by Apple, and helped run an "eBay for seized, stolen, and abandoned goods"—now tech veteran Andrew J. Nash is revealing his startup secrets.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Andrew J. Nash, a tech veteran who has been coding for 50 years. After spending 28 years in the US at the epicenter of the Silicon Valley tech boom, he recently returned to Melbourne, Australia. He is now launching Austral Impact, a venture designed to bring the heavyweight experience of Aussie tech expats back home to supercharge the local startup ecosystem.
Andrew shares what it was like working directly with Mike Judge as the technical advisor for HBO's Silicon Valley, ensuring the show's tech was as accurate as the chemistry in Breaking Bad. He discusses the six-year journey of the FoundationDB team and the grueling two-year process leading up to their acquisition by Apple. He also explains his "singles and doubles" strategy, advising founders to banish the idea of building a billion-dollar company on Day 1. From investing in iPhone-hacking tech for law enforcement to building the "picks and shovels" of the AI revolution, Andrew's 40-year career is a masterclass in tech execution.
🎬 HBO’s Silicon Valley: Working with Mike Judge to ensure the show's tech was 100% accurate.
💻 The Apple Acquisition: The 6-year journey of the FoundationDB team and the 2-year enterprise sales gauntlet to get acquired by Apple.
🚨 "eBay for Seized Goods": Helping run PropertyRoom.com, a reverse liquidity marketplace for the law enforcement community for seized, stolen, and abandoned goods.
📉 The "Singles & Doubles" Strategy: Why aiming for a $1B valuation out of the gate is a trap, and why you should engineer your startup for a trade sale instead.
🤖 AI’s 2nd & 3rd Order Problems: Why Andrew is building AI orchestration tools and focusing on the "picks and shovels" of the new agentic AI era.🇦🇺 Austral Impact: Returning to Melbourne to build a virtual ecosystem of veteran operators for the Australian market.
Connect with the Guest:
Andrew’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjnash/
Austral Impact: https://www.linkedin.com/company/australimpact/
Learn more about NZVC:
Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
01:16 - Introduction & Advising HBO’s Silicon Valley
04:35 - Moving to the US & experiencing the 90s Tech Boom
12:11 - The early days of ERP, Oracle, and enterprise software
18:49 - Commercial successes: Visual Sciences, Adobe, & PropertyRoom
22:07 - Building the FoundationDB team & the 2-year acquisition by Apple
31:03 - Digital Identity, Trust, and AI Personas
34:44 - Startup failures & the "Singles and Doubles" exit strategy
39:31 - Leaving the US to launch Austral Impact in Melbourne
44:05 - The future of AI: Solving 2nd and 3rd-order problems
48:43 - Quick Fire: Selling a Bell Helicopter & advice to his 23-year-old self
If you enjoyed these 40 years of hard-earned startup wisdom, please hit the Like button, Comment with your favorite piece of advice from Andrew, and Subscribe for more high-impact conversations with tech leaders!
#startups #SiliconValley #tech #AndrewJNash #venturecapital #entrepreneurship #software #artificialintelligence #HBOSiliconValley #Apple #acquisitions #SaaS #investing #deeptech #AustralImpact #Australia #NZVC #founders #business #TechMates
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The former London financier who funded Harry Potter now controls the single biggest lever in New Zealand’s startup ecosystem—and he’s on a mission to deploy billions.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with James Pinner, the Chief Investment Officer of New Zealand Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP). James isn't your typical government official. After spending 15 years in London’s cutthroat capital markets (including financing the early Harry Potter films) and managing dynastic wealth for the 150-year-old Todd Corporation, he stepped into the public sector with a massive mandate: architecting the future of New Zealand's venture ecosystem.
James drops bold truths on the state of the market, including why New Zealand has a "zombie startup" problem, his highly contrarian take on why Kiwi AgTech actually struggles to scale globally, and the urgent need to wake up the $120 billion "sleeping giant" of KiwiSaver funds. From navigating dual-use defense technology to doubling down on the booming aerospace sector, this conversation is an absolute masterclass for founders looking to raise capital and anyone interested in the macroeconomic machinery of venture capital.🧟♂️ The "Zombie Startup" Problem: Why funding companies for too long traps top talent.
💰 Unlocking KiwiSaver: How shifting just 1% of a $120B pool could transform the VC landscape.
🚀 Deep Tech Dominance: Why space, clean tech, and medtech are New Zealand's true superpowers.
🚜 The AgTech Illusion: A controversial take on why NZ's pastoral farming innovations struggle to scale globally.
🎬 From Hollywood to Hardware: Lessons learned from financing blockbuster films and managing a multi-generational family office.
⚔️ Defense & Dual-Use Tech: How shifting global alliances are forcing VCs to rethink defense investing.Connect with the Guest:
NZGCP Website: https://www.nzgcp.co.nz/
James Pinner's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-pinner
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to James Pinner & NZGCP0
2:24 - From London Capital Markets to Financing Harry Potter
04:31 - Lessons from Todd Corporation (150-year-old family wealth)
11:37 - Does the "Number 8 Wire" mentality hurt Kiwi ambition?
14:43 - New Zealand's "Zombie Startup" problem explained
18:15 - Waking up the $120 Billion KiwiSaver sleeping giant
25:05 - Why the government must be the highest-risk investor
27:07 - NZ's biggest opportunities: Space, Clean Tech, MedTech
32:15 - A controversial take on New Zealand AgTech
42:00 - Geopolitics, defense tech, and shifting global alliances
52:32 - How to pitch New Zealand to the rest of the world
59:31 - Quick Fire: Overhyped trends, underfunded sectors, and founder mistakesIf you found value in this deep dive into the mechanics of venture capital, please hit the Like button, Comment with your thoughts on the "zombie startup" problem, and Subscribe for more high-impact conversations with tech leaders!
#startups, #venturecapital, #NewZealand, #NZGCP, #investing, #deeptech, #spacetech, #entrepreneurship, #KiwiSaver, #governmentfunding, #innovation, #techpodcast, #founderjourney, #cleantech, #medtech, #startupfunding, #TechMates, #NZVC, #HarryPotter, #globalmarkets
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From his daughter’s kitchen table tip about a new app called Snapchat to building a $300 billion venture empire—legendary VC Barry Eggers reveals how he spots the next big thing.In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Barry Eggers, founding partner of Lightspeed Venture Partners, one of the most iconic venture firms in Silicon Valley history. Barry takes us inside the legendary "Snapchat Moment" in 2012, where noticing his teenage daughter using a disappearing photo app led to Lightspeed becoming the first investor in Snap Inc.—a bet that turned $500k into billions.
We dive deep into the evolution of Silicon Valley from apricot orchards to the epicenter of AI, why Barry believes "concentration" is the new diversification, and his candid take on AI replacing white-collar jobs (including his own). Whether you're a founder looking to raise capital or an investor trying to spot the next unicorn, this conversation is packed with 28 years of wisdom from a VC who has seen it all.Key Topics:
👻 The Snapchat Story: How a kitchen table conversation led to a 2000x return.
🤖 AI & Jobs: Barry’s prediction on AI replacing venture capitalists and white-collar work.
💰 Investing Strategy: Why "price doesn't matter" when betting on winners.
🌉 Silicon Valley History: Growing up in the Valley before it was "Silicon Valley."
🌍 Global Ecosystems: Why New Zealand reminds him of early Israel.
📉 The Anti-Portfolio: The billion-dollar companies Barry passed on (and regrets).
Connect with Barry Eggers & Lightspeed:
Lightspeed Venture Partners: https://lsvp.com/
Barry’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barry-eggers-3b63692/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction
01:27 - Growing up in Silicon Valley (Orchards to Tech)
05:47 - Learning M&A at Cisco & becoming an investor
07:27 - Surviving the Dotcom Crash & starting Lightspeed
18:06 - The Legendary Snapchat Story
25:41 - Strategy Shift: Concentration vs. Diversification
31:06 - The AI Moment: Is it bigger than the Internet?
34:58 - Will AI replace VCs and white-collar jobs?
41:00 - The "Anti-Portfolio": Missed deals (Splunk, Yelp)
53:55 - Why Barry is bullish on New Zealand's ecosystem
1:00:46 - Advice to emerging fund managers
If you enjoyed these insights from a Silicon Valley legend, please hit the Like button, Comment with your biggest takeaway, and Subscribe for more conversations with world-class investors and founders!
#venturecapital, #startups, #SiliconValley, #investing, #Snapchat, #AI, #business, #entrepreneurship, #Lightspeed, #BarryEggers, #tech, #innovation, #finance, #NZVC, #TechMates, #founders, #futureofwork, #technology, #wealth
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Harry Gestetner’s great-great-grandfather invented the photocopier and nail clippers—now Harry is reinventing how the world sleeps after selling his first startup for eight figures at 21.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Harry Gestetner, a serial entrepreneur who sold his creator economy startup, Fanfix, for tens of millions while still in college. Harry shares the incredible story of his family's deep legacy in hardware innovation (dating back to the 1880s) and how he turned a simple charity project during COVID into a business that scaled to $120M in revenue post-acquisition.
We dive deep into his new venture, Orion, a smart mattress topper designed to democratize sleep optimization and compete with the "Ferrari of sleep," Eight Sleep. Harry breaks down the brutal reality of hardware startups ("a month of software is easier than an hour of hardware" ), his controversial take on why founders are born and not made , and the "80/20 rule" for longevity that actually works. If you're interested in health tech, high-stakes exits, or the future of longevity, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.
👴 A 150-year family legacy of invention (photocopiers & ballpoint pens)
💰 Selling a startup for 8 figures at 21 years old
📉 The reality of founder burnout & performance
🛌 Building Orion: The "Tesla of Sleep" vs. Eight Sleep
🧬 The 80/20 rule for longevity (and why you don't need to be Bryan Johnson)
🛠️ Why hardware & brand are the only moats left in an AI world
Connect with Harry Gestetner:Orion: https://www.orionsleep.comHarry’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-gestetner-802041a1/Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC:
https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:56 - The family legacy: Inventing the photocopier & nail clippers
09:41 - Are founders born or made?
15:13 - Launching Fanfix from a dorm room
18:58 - Selling for 8 figures at 21 years old
20:32 - Does he regret selling early?
28:32 - Founder burnout & discovering longevity
32:14 - Taking on Eight Sleep with Orion
36:06 - Why hardware is infinitely harder than software
42:30 - The 80/20 rule for longevity
44:39 - Co-founding with his dad
46:52 - Why hardware & brand are the only moats left
If you enjoyed this deep dive into startups, sleep science, and longevity, please hit the Like button, Comment with your thoughts on sleep tech, and Subscribe for more insights from world-class founders!
#startups, #business, #HarryGestetner, #Fanfix, #Orion, #sleeptech, #longevity, #healthtech, #entrepreneurship, #hardware, #founders, #venturecapital, #success, #motivation, #TechMates, #NZVC, #EightSleep, #biohacking
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From challenging big banks with a $120M fintech to generating $2.2B in digital collectibles sales—this is how New Zealand founders are conquering the global stage.
In this power-packed panel from NZVC Portfolio Day, we sit down with three of New Zealand’s most successful modern founders: Leighton Roberts (Co-founder of Sharesies), David Yu (Co-founder of VeVe), and Penelope Barton (CEO of Crimson Global Academy).
They pull back the curtain on what it really takes to scale from "the edge of the world" to global dominance. David Yu reveals how VeVe secured partnerships with Disney and Marvel without a physical headquarters, while Leighton Roberts shares the bold branding strategy of "wearing pink and giving the middle finger" to the big blue banks. Penelope Barton discusses how Crimson turned the COVID-19 crisis into a massive tailwind for online education. From fundraising horror stories (like getting sued by your only investor) to the unique advantage of Kiwi "generalist" talent, this is a masterclass in global scaling.
🦄 Hyper-Growth: Scaling to 900k users and $2.2B in sales.
🏦 Fintech Disruption: How Sharesies democratized investing.🦸♂️ IP & NFTs: VeVe’s journey with Marvel, Disney, and DC.🦠 Crisis Management: Using the pandemic as a catalyst for growth.
💸 Fundraising Realities: The difference between NZ, US, and Asian capital.
🌏 Remote Culture: Building billion-dollar companies with decentralized teams.
Connect with the Guests:
Sharesies: https://www.sharesies.nz/
VeVe: https://www.veve.me/
Crimson Global Academy: https://www.cga.school/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:37 - Introduction: Leighton Roberts & Sharesies
02:55 - David Yu: Building a $2.2B Business (VeVe)
04:19 - Penelope Barton: Scaling Crimson Global Academy
05:18 - The Biggest Challenges of Scaling from NZ
09:50 - Building a Fully Decentralized Company (No HQ)
13:49 - Turning the COVID Crisis into a Business Tailwind
17:11 - Founder Realities: Early Stage vs. Scale-Up
22:24 - Fundraising: From Getting Sued to Raising $120M
29:21 - Why US Investors View NZ Fintech Differently
36:44 - What’s Next: Launching NZ's First Online Charter School
40:52 - The Power of Community & Becoming an Industry Authority
43:20 - AI in Education: Replacing or Assisting Teachers?
45:23 - How to Build the Next Generation of Founders
47:39 - Sharesies' "Pink Middle Finger" Brand Strategy
If you enjoyed these insights on building global companies, please hit the Like button, Comment with your biggest takeaway, and Subscribe for more content from world-class founders!
#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #fintech, #edtech, #NFTs, #VeVe, #Sharesies, #CrimsonEducation, #entrepreneurship, #scaling, #venturecapital, #growthhacking, #investing, #founderstories, #tech, #innovation, #globalbusiness, #NZVC, #TechMates
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From early days at Rocket Lab to running global marketing for Les Mills, these founders reveal exactly how to build world-class startups from the edge of the world.
In this "Born Global" panel from NZVC Portfolio Day, we explore what it takes to launch a company in New Zealand that is designed to dominate international markets from Day One.
We are joined by Jamie France (Founder of Newton Space & early Rocket Lab engineer), Anna Henwood (CEO of Stickybeak & former Les Mills CMO), and Steph Kennard (Co-founder of Bonnet).The conversation cuts through the noise of startup advice, offering real-world truths about fundraising across borders (and why US VCs "divide everything by two"), the scrappy advantage of Kiwi talent, and the surprising reality of balancing a high-growth startup with family life. Whether you are building deep tech, a consumer app, or B2B SaaS, this panel proves that geography is no longer a barrier to building a unicorn.
🌍 Global Day 1 Strategy: Why Stickybeak and Bonnet looked offshore immediately.
🚀 Deep Tech Fundraising: The reality of raising capital for space tech in NZ vs. the US.
💰 The "Divide by Two" Rule: How US investors view Kiwi startup projections.
🧠 The Talent Advantage: Why New Zealand’s "scrappy" generalist culture wins.
👨👩👧👦 Parenting & Startups: How having kids can actually make you more ambitious.
Connect with the Guests:
Anna Henwood (Stickybeak): https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-henwood/
Steph Kennard (Bonnet): https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-kennard/
Jamie France (Newton Space): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiefrance/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC:
Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction
01:01 - Meet the Founders: Stickybeak, Bonnet, Newton
03:07 - Strategy: Going Global from Day One
04:26 - Navigating Global Regulations in Auto Tech
06:40 - Fundraising for Deep Tech: NZ vs. US
07:58 - The "Divide by Two" Rule for American VCs
10:51 - Silicon Valley's Perception of NZ Startups
13:40 - Hiring Talent: The "Roll Up Your Sleeves" Culture
15:16 - Culture Lessons from Rocket Lab & Les Mills
19:12 - Pros & Cons: Moving to the US vs. Building Remotely
20:35 - Balancing Kids, Family, and Ambition
25:29 - Advice to Early-Stage Founders
If you enjoyed these insights on building global companies, please hit the Like button, Comment with your biggest takeaway, and Subscribe for more content from world-class founders!
#startups, #NewZealand, #globalbusiness, #entrepreneurship, #deeptech, #SaaS, #marketing, #automotive, #spaceindustry, #venturecapital, #fundraising, #founderstories, #womenintech, #RocketLab, #LesMills, #Stickybeak, #Bonnet, #NewtonSpace, #NZVC, #innovation
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Harrison Crowe-Maxwell turned a flooded street on his way to work into a robotics startup that just raised seed funding from Sequoia’s Peak XV.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Harrison Crowe-Maxwell, co-founder of Puralink, a robotics company building "ferrets" to inspect and repair critical pipe infrastructure from the inside. Harrison takes us from his early days building soccer-playing robots in high school to identifying a massive global problem: 30% of the world's drinking water is lost to leaks.
He reveals the engineering secrets behind building robots that can crawl vertically up pipes, the "Apple ecosystem" vision for underground infrastructure, and how he went from bootstrapping with his co-founder to securing backing from top-tier VCs like Peak XV (formerly Sequoia India & SEA).
If you're into hard tech, robotics, or just want to know how to turn a real-world frustration into a venture-backed startup, this episode is a must-watch.
🤖 From LEGO Mindstorms to industrial robotics
💧 Solving the global water crisis with robots
🛠️ The "Best Part is No Part" engineering philosophy
🚀 Raising capital from Sequoia's Peak XV
🔮 The future of humanoid robots & AI in the physical world
🇦🇺 Building deep tech startups in Australia
Connect with Harrison Crowe-Maxwell
Puralink: https://www.puralink.com.au
Harrison’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-crowe-maxwell/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
02:00 - Early obsession with robotics & competitions
08:51 - Engineering philosophy: "The Best Part is No Part"
10:53 - Is there an "LLM moment" for robotics?
18:51 - Meeting co-founder Shion at AWS
20:52 - The "Flooded Street" moment that started PureLink
25:52 - Understanding the complex world of pipe infrastructure
36:57 - Engineering a robot that climbs vertical pipes
44:14 - From prototype to first commercial traction
46:33 - The StartMate experience & raising from Peak XV
52:13 - The "App Store" vision for underground robotics
59:09 - Robots that repair pipes autonomously
1:05:54 - The future of humanoid robots in daily life
If you enjoyed this deep dive into the future of robotics and infrastructure, please hit the Like button, Comment with your thoughts on autonomous repair robots, and Subscribe for more insights from world-class founders!
#robotics, #startups, #deeptech, #HarrisonCroweMaxwell, #Puralink, #infrastructure, #engineering, #AI, #venturecapital, #Sequoia, #PeakXV, #StartMate, #Australia, #tech, #watercrisis, #innovation, #hardware, #entrepreneurship, #futuretech, #TechMates
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What happens when you put a crypto veteran, a Xero co-founder, and a high-stakes lawyer on stage with a robot dog to debate the future of AI?
In this special panel from NZVC Portfolio Day, we dive into the "Agentic Future" with three experts operating at very different layers of the AI stack. We are joined by Bradley So (Principal at QCL), who is disrupting the legal billable hour; Philip Fierlinger (Co-founder of Xero and Upstock), who is automating supply chains; and Lane Rettig (Core Dev at NEAR Foundation), who is building the decentralized infrastructure to power it all.
From the "Minder, Finder, Grinder" theory of legal work to the 30-year journey of "AI Agents" starting at General Magic in 1992, this conversation cuts through the hype. The panelists debate whether AI is a job-killer or a productivity multiplier, the critical need for community-governed data sovereignty, and why New Zealand’s "scrappy" generalist mindset might be its biggest superpower in the AI era.
🤖 Robot Dogs & Real Tech: Kicking off with live robotics on stage
⚖️ Legal Disruption: Moving from "time billing" to "value billing" with AI
🛒 Supply Chain Agents: Turning messy emails into structured orders in one click
⛓️ Crypto x AI: Why we need community-governed AI infrastructure
📉 Job Market Myths: Why radiologists (and lawyers) are earning more with AI
🥝 The Kiwi Advantage: Why New Zealand is perfectly positioned for the AI revolution
Connect with the Guests:
Philip Fierlinger (Upstock): https://www.linkedin.com/in/fierlinger/
Lane Rettig (NEAR Foundation): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lane-rettig-32904b227/
Bradley So (QCL): https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-so-11042424/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:48 - Bradley So: AI Disrupting the Legal Industry
07:23 - Philip Fierlinger: From General Magic to Upstock
09:12 - Lane Rettig: NEAR Protocol & AI Infrastructure
14:13 - Is the Future Utopian or Dystopian?
18:14 - Will Lawyers Lose Their Jobs? (Minder, Finder, Grinder)
22:31 - How Upstock Uses AI for Supply Chain 2
7:27 - How Far Away Are True Autonomous Agents?
32:12 - Are Startups Hiring Less Because of AI?
If you enjoyed this deep dive into the future of AI and business, please hit the Like button, Comment with your thoughts on AI agents, and Subscribe for more insights from world-class founders!
#startups, #AI, #NewZealand, #artificialintelligence, #business, #tech, #legaltech, #crypto, #NEARProtocol, #Xero, #Upstock, #entrepreneurship, #futureofwork, #venturecapital, #NZVC, #innovation, #SaaS, #blockchain, #technology, #TechMates
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Emily Blythe skipped university to launch a quad-bike accessory business, spent years trying to clear airport fog with drones, and eventually pivoted to solve aviation’s biggest headache through data.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Emily Blythe, the New Zealand tech entrepreneur and CEO of Pyper Vision. Coming from four generations of pilots, Emily seemed destined for aviation—but instead of flying planes, she’s saving them from being grounded.
She shares the incredible story of her first startup "Flatpak," the brutal reality of deep tech R&D, and the gut-wrenching decision to pivot Pyper Vision from fog dispersal (using chemicals and drones) to fog forecasting after discovering a flaw in the fundamental science.This is a masterclass in resilience, "missionary" founder mindsets, and how to build a global deep tech monopoly from New Zealand. If you are interested in aviation, hard pivot stories, or the reality of building hardware and software for high-stakes industries, this episode is for you.
✈️ A 4-generation legacy in aviation
🚜 Skipping uni to build "Flatpak" (her first exit)
🌫️ The "Fog Factory" myth & early experiments
🚁 Trying to clear fog with drones & chemicals
📉 The painful pivot: When the science doesn't work
🔮 How Pyper Vision now predicts fog with 84% accuracy
Connect with Emily Blythe:
Pyper Vision: https://www.pypervision.com/
Emily’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-blythe-2b4125156/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:55 - Emily's deep aviation family history
08:49 - Launching "Flatpak" & skipping university
15:36 - Lessons from bootstrapping a hardware business
20:39 - The "Fog Factory" lie & discovering weather modification
29:15 - How airports & pilots actually handle low visibility
46:37 - Early experiments: Fog chambers & modified leaf blowers
53:14 - Testing drones in Australia during COVID
55:09 - The Big Pivot: Why dispersal didn't work
1:00:19 - Shifting to high-accuracy forecasting
1:10:18 - Advice for New Zealand founders going global
If you found value in this story of resilience and innovation, please hit the like button, leave a comment with your thoughts on deep tech pivots, and subscribe for more conversations with world-class founders!
#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #aviation, #deeptech, #entrepreneurship, #EmilyBlythe, #PyperVision, #founders, #pivot, #tech, #innovation, #airlines, #flightdelays, #weathertech, #NZVC, #venturecapital, #success, #motivation, #techmates
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Jamie Beaton managed a hedge fund portfolio at Tiger Management while simultaneously taking maximum course loads at Harvard and building a startup that now generates over $300M in revenue.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Jamie Beaton, the New Zealand tech entrepreneur and CEO of Crimson Education. Jamie’s story is nothing short of relentless; he breaks down the massive cultural shift from New Zealand’s "tall poppy syndrome" to the "capitalism cubed" ambition of Manhattan. He reveals how he turned a dorm-room consulting hustle into a global education empire, all while working under legendary investor Julian Robertson.
We dive deep into the mechanics of scaling a service business to 20+ countries, the controversial truths about elite college admissions, and Jamie's bold take on the future of schooling in the age of AI. Whether you are interested in EdTech, high-stakes investing, or just want to know what it takes to build a unicorn from a corner of the world, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.
🇳🇿 New Zealand vs. USA: Ambition & Mindset
🎓 Building a $300M business from a Harvard dorm
🐯 Lessons from Tiger Management & Julian Robertson
📈 Global expansion strategies & hiring "unicorns"
🤖 The role of AI in the future of education
🏫 Launching New Zealand’s first online charter school
Connect with Jamie Beaton:
Jamie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiebeaton/
Crimson Education: https://www.crimsoneducation.org/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 Learn more about NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:37 - Growing up in a "hustle" household
07:11 - The train ride that changed his life
12:12 - Arriving at Harvard: "Capitalism on Steroids"
17:10 - New Zealand vs. Manhattan Mindset
20:37 - Launching Crimson from a dorm room
23:51 - Doing $300k revenue in Year 1
32:45 - Raising capital from Julian Robertson
37:57 - Working at Tiger Management while studying
46:58 - The formula for Ivy League admissions
51:44 - How to launch a business in 20+ countries
54:29 - Reaching $300M in sales
58:25 - New Zealand’s Online Charter School
01:06:00 - Alpha School, AI, and the future of learning
01:23:24 - Will AI destroy white-collar jobs?Support the Channel: If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the like button, leave a comment with your thoughts on the future of education, and subscribe for more deep dives with world-class founders!
#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #JamieBeaton, #CrimsonEducation, #Harvard, #entrepreneurship, #investing, #TigerManagement, #EdTech, #scaling, #growth, #founders, #venturecapital, #education, #success, #motivation, #techmates, #NZVC, #economy
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