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Privahini Bradoo is the co-founder and CEO at Plank — helping companies build and scale AI-enabled engineering teams + training the next generation of computer scientists.

Born in India, Privahini immigrated to NZ in her school years. Her time with us down-under was impactful… while pursuing a degree in Biomedical Science, then PhD in Neurogenetics and Drug Discovery at the University of Auckland, she also led the establishment of the Spark business competition (now Velocity); and co-founded Chiasma, an organisation dedicated to linking the biotech academic community with industry.

Drawn back off-shore in 2006, Privahini landed a Fulbright scholarship to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School, and then settled back in the San Francisco Bay Area, joining Lanzatech as one of the first commercial hires in the U.S.

In 2011, Privahini co-founded BlueOak Resources to revolutionise how we treat and recycle end-of-life electronics - raising ~$50M from Kliener Perkins and others along the way.

In today's episode, we discuss:

* From brain science to business: Privahini's unexpected career leap.

* the early days of Auckland's startup scene and Velocity business competition.

* Lessons from LanzaTech and BlueOak… navigating the complexities of deep tech startups, systems thinking across the supply chain of inputs/outputs, recycling industrial waste.

* The future of AI - engineering, revolutionizing remote work, COVID as an accelerating force at Plank.

* Optimism in the face of global realities.

* How to foster 'force of nature' talent in NZ

Where to find Privahini Bradoo:

* LinkedIn

* Twitter/X

* University of Auckland Graduate Stories

* KEA - World Class New Zealander

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:43) Privahini's origin story

(04:30) Inside the Velocity programme

(09:34) Journey at LanzaTech

(13:30) The birth of BlueOak

(14:51) The reality of e-waste recycling

(19:43) Lessons in deep tech

(23:11) Founding Plant to help businesses build remote e

(25:45) Plank's intelligent engineering strategy

(28:10) How to keep up with rapid changes in AI

(29:27) Nurturing NZ's entrepreneurial forces of nature

(32:07) The second-time founder mindset

(35:08) Advice for Kiwi entrepreneurs

(36:13) How to help Privahini

Our latest episode of the NewyTechPeople Podcast features Josh Jeffress, Principle at Design Anthology.

Josh, a passionate innovator and industry veteran, shares his incredible journey from trade school to establishing a design powerhouse in the Hunter region. Discover his insights on:

* The importance of education beyond degrees
* The power of innovation through cross-pollination
* How relationships and partnerships drive success in tech
* The invaluable role of learning and embracing challenges

Join Josh as he reveals the secret to thriving in the fast-paced tech industry: a fusion of passion, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge. Tune in for a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion that will ignite your curiosity and empower you to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of technology.

In this episode, host Maxine Minter and co-host Cheryl Mack dive into the world of growth stage investing with guest Christina Fa from NewView Capital. They explore the reasons why ex-investment bankers transition to VC, discuss the nuances of growth-stage investing, and shed light on the importance of secondaries in the current market landscape. Christina shares insights on company scaling in different ecosystems, the impact of GenAI innovation, and the changing dynamics of venture capital.

Key topics covered include the unique factors influencing growth stage investments, the difference between primary and secondary investing, and the significance of liquidity for investors and founders. The conversation delves into the evolving venture capital landscape and the role of secondary transactions in unlocking value and increasing market liquidity.

• Growth stage investing focuses on scaling proven products and ideas to dominate the market.
• Secondaries play a crucial role in providing liquidity to early investors, employees, and founders.
• The US offers a mature ecosystem with a deep talent pool for scaling companies, while Australia nurtures a hungry and talented workforce.
• Investors can access growth stage opportunities through platforms like Angellist and secondary transaction platforms.
• Exploring new frontiers in AI and emerging technologies drives investor interest and excitement in growth-stage companies.

• "Investing in the AI space is both exciting and challenging due to the rapid platform shift and exploration phase." - Christina Fa
• "Unlocking liquidity through secondaries is beneficial for both investors and the ecosystem as a whole." - Christina Fa
• "The US ecosystem offers a deep talent pool, while Australia fosters a culture of first principles thinking and innovation." - Christina Fa

• NewView Capital
• NewView Capital Linkedin
• Christina Fa LinkedIn

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Mentioned in this episode:

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In this episode of The Startup Retro, the hosts delve into the significant headlines from the past week. The discussion begins with Blackbird Ventures' latest data on their gender-based investment targets and continues with an analysis of EVP's new fund structure aiming for $500 million in assets under management. They also explore a report on government grants to SMEs, revealing that a large portion of funds go to low-performing companies. The public hearings on AI inquiry and the implications for startups developing AI tools are covered as well.

Will and Gemma highlight the most interesting startup raises of the week, including ExoFlare's biosecurity threat management platform, and discuss the importance of accurate and detailed reporting on VC funding with Kirstin Hunter and Preethi Mohan from "Funding the Balance." The episode wraps up with Knowledge as a Service (KaaS) recommendations, featuring articles on VC engagement with media and practical tips for using ASIC lodgements for competitor research.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:28 Blackbird Ventures Data on Gender Investments

05:02 EVP's New Fund Structure

06:06 Government Grants Report

09:00 AI Inquiry Public Hearings

11:02 EVP's Lifetime Fund

15:37 Weekly Startup Raises

21:55 Interview: Kirstin Hunter and Preethi Mohan

40:25 KaaS Recommendations

To get all the links to the stories we mentioned in this episode, you can read this week’s Overnight Success newsletter

• Blackbird Ventures' Gender-Based Investment Targets
• EVP's New Fund Structure
• Government Grants Report
• AI Inquiry Public Hearings
• Funding the Balance Initiative

ExoFlare

• Company website
• 7:30 Episode - Australia is in the grip of an unprecedented bird flu outbreak (8 min)

HammerTech

• Company website

• Kirstin Hunter
• Preethi Mohan

Our favourite startup-relevant read, listen or watch of the week

• Gemma’s Pick 💁🏻‍♀️ ‘Declined to comment’: three words destroying millions in VC brand equity, by Jessy Wu for the AFR (Will be interviewing Jessy next week - submit your questions directly to me on LinkedIn or via the form link in the show notes.)
• Will’s Pick 💁🏻‍♂️ Warwick Donaldson: ASIC and Competitors - A Practical Guide for Aussie Founders
• Using ASIC to find investors in competitors… handy tip! 

• Gemma on LinkedIn
• Will on LinkedIn

Thanks to our sponsors for helping to make this episode of The Startup Retro possible.

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• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Paul Copplestone is the co-founder and CEO at Supabase, the “open source Firebase alternative for building web and mobile apps.” If you were wondering what that means or why you should prioritise a listen— in Paul’s words: “if you’re going to build your next startup, you’d probably choose us … and we’ll provide all the tools you need to get started: a Postgres database, authentication system, file storage… the works.”

Today, Supabase is prolific. One of the most commonly called out products by makers on Product Hunt; one of the most redeemed Y Combinator “perks” with nearly a third of the most recent YC batch using it; they've secured a place as back-end infrastructure of choice for many founders setting out to build AI-centric applications.

Paul has come a long way from his family farm near Kaikoura. Before Supabase, he co-founded South East Asian-based home-services startups ServisHero and Nimbus For Work, and participated in Entrepreneur First, Singapore. Today, he & co-founder Ant have raised $116M and lead a globally distributed company with 80 employees over 30+ countries. With their ambition and vision, it’s clear they’re just getting started.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

* Paul’s journey from NZ to Malaysia and now Singapore.

* Building and scaling Supabase as a globally distributed team.

* The impact of AI on software development, and what to use if you’re getting started today.

* Underrated benefits of open source for recruiting, growth, and how to think about product development.

Links:

Supabase:

* Supabase website: https://supabase.com/

* Supabase on Twitter/X (great follow) https://x.com/supabase

* $80M Series B announcement: https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/10/supabase-raises-80m-series-b-for-its-open-source-firebase-alternative/

Paul:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulcopplestone/

* Twitter/X: https://x.com/kiwicopple

* Blog: https://paul.copplest.one/blog/ (so much good stuff in here)

* GitHub: https://github.com/kiwicopple

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:18) Paul’s origin story

(04:05) Founding ServisHero in Malaysia

(06:23) Joining the Entrepreneur First program

(08:58) Why founders should think about setting up their HQ in Singapore

(09:57) Founding Supabase

(11:36) The benefits of open source

(13:43) Insight into Supabase customers and how AI is changing the game

(15:33) How open source helps with recruiting

(18:18) Taking a “product led growth” approach to enterprise customers.

(21:12) When/how Supabase will “cross the chasm” as it matures into a enterprise customer base.

(22:19) How AI is changing devtools

(24:09) Paul’s angel investing thesis

(26:33) Thinking about companies like countries

(28:59) Paul’s favourite blog posts from his personal archive

(31:06) How we can be helpful to Paul!

Subscribe at diaspora.nz to receive new episodes every Friday!

In this episode of the Unfunded podcast, host Joan Westenberg delves into the remarkable journey of Steve Scheding and Green Atlas. Steve discusses the core problem Green Atlas aims to solve in the horticultural space, emphasizing the significance of optimizing crop quality over quantity to boost grower profitability. Despite lacking a background in agriculture, Steve's expertise in automation led to the inception of Green Atlas as a solution derived from promising R&D in the field. The conversation turns towards the challenges faced by hardware startups, the importance of cash flow in bootstrapping, and the strategic approach to expanding globally through impactful partnerships. Steve sheds light on the incompatibility of hyper-growth VC models with agriculture-focused businesses like Green Atlas, highlighting the value of credibility and progressive product rollout in the journey of a bootstrapped company.

• Green Atlas focuses on improving grower profitability by enhancing crop quality in horticulture.
• Steve Scheding emphasises the importance of cash flow in bootstrapping a hardware startup.
• Strategic partnerships play a crucial role in establishing credibility and expanding globally in the agricultural sector.
• The podcast discusses the challenges of hyper growth VC models in agtech and the importance of practical problem-solving.
• Green Atlas showcases the value of credibility, progressive product development, and cash flow optimisation in a bootstrapped hardware startup.

0:01: Green Atlas and the Future of Horticultural Innovation

1:26: Optimizing Horticulture for Quality Over Quantity

3:36: Automating Agriculture with High-Tech Sensors and Hardware

8:10: Navigating Startup Funding Challenges and Serendipitous Opportunities

12:49: Rapid Prototyping and Experimentation in Tech Commercialisation

15:31: Challenges and Costs of Outsourcing Hardware Development

16:40: Challenges and Realities of Agtech in the VC Model

25:27: Harnessing AI and Data for Agricultural Innovation

29:26: Bootstrapping Green Atlas: Credibility, Partnerships, and Cash Flow Strategies

• Green Atlas Website
• Steve Scheding's LinkedIn

Jess Blomfield, Head of People at Airtree, shares insights on compensation practices in startups and VC-backed companies.

She highlights the importance of fairness, competitive market rates, regular salary reviews, legal compliance, and financial sustainability as critical considerations in startup compensation practices.

Jess also emphasises the need for flexibility, aligning compensation with performance, and adopting a total rewards approach. She talks about the importance for Heads of People to start building and iterating good compensation practices from day one and to consider the trade-offs of flexible compensation models.

In this episode of Fintechfun, host Chris Titley chats with Danny Pezeshki about the origins of Instantia, the challenges in the foreign exchange market, and the innovative technology they have developed to help clients manage FX volatility risk. Danny shares insights into the impact of options in the market, the launch of their platform, and their plans for expanding globally.

Danny Pezeshki discusses the importance of technology in revolutionising the way clients manage their FX portfolios and the visual tools Instantia has developed to provide clients with a better understanding of their positions. With a focus on transparency and risk management, Instantia aims to empower businesses to navigate the complexities of the foreign exchange market.

• Instantia helps businesses manage FX volatility risk through innovative technology solutions.
• Options play a significant role in securing profits for clients in import-export industries with tight margins.
• The platform developed by Instansia offers clients visibility into their FX portfolios and allows them to assess potential risks and protections.
• Expanding globally, Instansia has obtained licenses in Singapore and aims to establish a presence in the UK.
• Technology-driven tools are crucial in enhancing client understanding and decision-making in the foreign exchange market.

• "Clients get given position statements sent to them daily, which are very complicated to read...The ability to create that for the clients has made a huge difference so far for us." - Danny Pezeshki
• "I'm playing myself and I'm just trying to continually better myself every time...I'm not playing against anybody else." - Danny Pezeshki

• Instantia Website

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• Cut Through Venture report: Teasing an interview with Chris later in the episode. The report reveals 99 deals in Q2 with $1.5B invested.
• AngelClass launches with an app allowing anyone with $10K or more to invest in startups without being classified as sophisticated investors. Elliot Spiegel from Inhouse Ventures takes advantage of Australia's 20/12 rule, enabling 20 investors in any 12-month period without needing a full prospectus.
• Climate Tech funding challenges: ClimateSalad claims about 100 out of 600 members need funding ASAP to survive the year, amounting to ~$100M. Despite a lot of pre-seed stage funding, there are barriers such as public perceptions, regulatory hurdles, and physical barriers related to the grid.
• Girls in Tech closes up shop in Australia and rebrands as Her Tech Circle, continuing to support and inspire women in tech despite funding challenges due to a decline in DEI funding in corporates.

In this episode of The Startup Retro, the hosts dive into the most significant headlines from last week. The discussion includes the new Cut Through Venture report on startup investments, the launch of AngelClass, insights into Climate Tech funding challenges, and the birth of Her Tech Circle from the ashes of Girls in Tech. Will and Gemma also highlight notable startup raises and share their picks of the week.

• 00:03: Introduction by Will Richards and Gemma Clancy.
• 00:26: Overview of today's episode topics: Cut Through Venture report, angel investing innovation, climate tech funding, and more.
• 01:07: Discussion on the Cut Through Venture report revealing 99 deals with $1.5B invested in Q2.
• 01:44: Insights on climate tech funding and the need for more support, based on Climate Salad's report.
• 03:32: Analysis of climate tech funding challenges, including early-stage funding and regulatory barriers.
• 04:51: Introduction of AngelClass, allowing non-sophisticated investors to invest in startups.
• 10:09: Closure of Girls in Tech and the launch of Her Tech Circle, a rebranded initiative to support women in tech.
• 11:21: Gemma's pick: Fugu, a climate tech startup developing solid direct air capture systems.
• 16:25: Will’s pick: Sircel, focusing on recycling obsolete solar panels and e-waste.
• 20:57: Interview with Chris Gillings from Five V Capital and Cut Through Ventures discussing the CTV Q2 report and insights on the Australian startup ecosystem.
• 36:58: Knowledge as a Service (KaaS) segment featuring Gemma's pick, the Calling Operator podcast, and Will's pick, Pop Culture by Edward Zitron.

To get all the links to the stories we mentioned in this episode, you can read this week’s Overnight Success newsletter: https://newsletter.overnightsuccess.vc/p/12-july-2024

• Cut Through Venture report: The report reveals 99 deals in Q2 with $1.5B invested.
• AngelClass launches with an app allowing anyone with $10K or more to invest in startups without being classified as sophisticated investors. Elliot Spiegel from Inhouse Ventures takes advantage of Australia's 20/12 rule, enabling 20 investors in any 12-month period without needing a full prospectus.
• Climate Tech funding challenges: ClimateSalad claims about 100 out of 600 members need funding ASAP to survive the year, amounting to ~$100M. Despite a lot of pre-seed stage funding, there are barriers such as public perceptions, regulatory hurdles, and physical barriers related to the grid.
• Girls in Tech closes up shop in Australia and rebrands as Her Tech Circle, continuing to support and inspire women in tech despite funding challenges due to a decline in DEI funding in corporates.

• Will’s pick: Sircel
• Gem’s pick: Fugu

• Chris Gillings - Five V Capital and Cut Through Venture (Interview by Will Richards)

Our favourite startup-relevant read, listen or watch of the week

• Gemma’s Pick: Calling Operator Podcast
• Focuses on operators in the startup ecosystem, highlighting their crucial role. Recently transitioned to Laura Nicol (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauranicolpr/) as the new host
• Will’s Pick: Pop Culture by Edward Zitron
• A well-researched counterpoint to the economic value created by AI, questioning its real impact.

• Gemma on LinkedIn
• Will on LinkedIn

Thanks to our sponsors for helping to make this episode of The Startup Retro possible.

Are you a founder overwhelmed by HR, payroll, onboarding, and IT tasks? Simplify with Rippling: an all-in-one platform for your global workforce.

Get 3 Months Free 

Google for Startups Cloud Program Get up to US$350,000 of Google Cloud and Firebase credits for two years for your startup plus technical, business and financial support through the Google for Startups Cloud Program. 

Apply now

Google for Startups AI First Accelerator The Google for Startups AI First Accelerator is a 10-week equity-free accelerator program for Seed and Series A stage Australian startups building AI&ML-driven platforms and products.

Apply now 

Build a top-notch team fast with Teamified. Teamified offers fractional CTOs, contractors, and remote team members from the Philippines, India, or Sri Lanka. Cut hiring times by 50%.

Get started 

For broader updates on the Day One network, including news about other shows and network-wide updates, sign up for the Day One Newsletter. We are dedicated to creating content that helps Australian founders succeed. https://dayone.fm/newsletter

Want to become a sponsor? Send us an email.

• Twitter
• LinkedIn

Victoria Ransom is the Founder of Prisma — a cohort-based online school: “preparing 4-12th graders for a rapidly changing future, with an accredited, project-based virtual program where kids build real community.”

Raised on an asparagus farm near Bulls — Victoria’s journey over the past few decades is a truly inspiring one... she founded and led Wildfire, a social media marketing platform which rose to prominence helping brands build their presence on Facebook, before being acquired by Google for $450M in 2012; was honoured by President Obama as a “Champion of Change” for her accomplishments as an immigrant entrepreneur and innovator, picked up an MBA from Harvard; was named #19 on Fortune Magazine's 40 under 40 list, and so much more.

In today's episode, we discuss:

* The early days building Wildfire - building a culture and company that customers love as much as the product

* How the Google acquisition went down, integration and operating inside the belly of the beast afterwards

* What’s wrong with the current education system, why Victoria chose to exit the system + build a new school for her family.

* Strategies for developing resilience in children and what to expect in the future of education.

Referenced:

* Forbes 40 under 40 (2012): https://fortune.com/ranking/40-under-40/2012/victoria-ransom/

* Google's $450M acquisition of Wildfire: https://techcrunch.com/2012/07/31/google-acquires-wildfire/

* Obama White House - A Nation of Entrepreneurial Journeys: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/06/04/nation-entrepreneurial-journeys

* Prisma: https://www.joinprisma.com/

* Wildfire: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/wildfire-interactive

Where to find Victoria online:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriaransom/

* Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/victoria_ransom

Timestamps:

[00:00] Intro

[01:37] Three traits of a great founder

[03:31] Victoria’s origin story

[05:59] Pivoting from investment banking into adventure travel

[08:37] Building and scaling Wildfire

[11:46] Bootstrapping before raising money

[12:30] Wildfire's path to acquisition

[17:16] Why life after acquisition was challenging

[19:29] Prisma’s origin story

[24:41] Inside Prisma's education model

[30:19] The challenges of teaching kids resilience

[32:28] Prisma’s potential to scale

[37:34] Will college education become obsolete?

[39:24] Victoria’s biggest role model

[40:38] What it’s like founding a company with your partner

[42:04] Advice for Kiwi entrepreneurs

[43:49] What's next for Victoria and Prisma

[44:58] How to help Victoria