New Zealand is one of only a small number of countries with commercial aircraft design and manufacturing capability, and NZAero is keeping that expertise alive from its Hamilton factory.

CEO Stephen Burrows joins Josh Moore to discuss the company's remarkable aviation history, why aircraft sales alone cannot provide a stable business model, the importance of global relationships, and how NZAero is exploring the next generation of flight through hydrogen-electric technology.

Timestamps:

0:00 New Zealand-Made Aircraft

1:17 Meet Stephen Burrows of NZAero

3:49 Preserving Aircraft Manufacturing in New Zealand

7:59 70 Years of Aircraft Innovation

15:20 Who Buys NZAero Aircraft?

19:00 Building a Sustainable Aviation Business

26:10 The $200 Million Cost of New Aircraft Development

28:33 Exporting to 55 Countries

30:09 Lessons From Global Exporting

34:04 Building the Next Generation of Engineers

38:48 Cliff Tait's World-Record Flight

41:28 The Future of NZAero

41:48 Hydrogen-Electric Aircraft

44:03 Next Episode Preview

Follow NZAero here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NZAero

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzaero_official

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZAero_

Website - https://www.nzaero.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

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Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How does a Hamilton software company end up working with multinational technology businesses and developing immersive training systems for the NZ Defence Force?

Company-X CEO Jeremy Hughes explains how complementary co-founders, Kiwi problem solving and a focus on difficult problems shaped the company’s growth.

Jeremy shares why simulation technology presents an export opportunity, what New Zealand businesses need before entering overseas markets, and the experience that convinced him technology should play a greater role in New Zealand’s economic future.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introducing Jeremy Hughes and Company-X

1:16 What Company-X Does

5:40 Building the Business with a Co-Founder

8:47 Rapid Growth and International Clients

14:34 Award-Winning Defence Simulations

17:49 Virtual Reality Helicopter Training

20:01 New Technology and Export Opportunities

23:20 Intellectual Property and Recurring Revenue

25:09 Why New Zealand Needs More Technology Exports

31:44 Growing the Team and Protecting Culture

35:28 Moving from Technical Work to CEO

38:57 How NZTE Helped Company-X Export

41:41 Advice for New Zealand Exporters

44:08 What Comes Next for Company-X

Show Notes:

Sir Paul Callaghan's impactful speech on Mapping our Future, from Strategy NZ 2011 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhCAyIllnXY

Follow Company-X here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/company.x.ltd

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@company-x-ltd

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/company-x-ltd

Website - https://companyx.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

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Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

What if one of milk’s most valuable ingredients is found in only a tiny concentration, but can deliver significant health benefits?

Quantec co-founder Rod Claycomb explains how an unsuccessful on-farm technology project led to the discovery of IDP, a high-value milk protein ingredient now used in supplements, skincare and other health products.

Rod shares the pivots, failed ideas, export lessons, and commercial decisions behind a business earning more than 95% of its revenue offshore.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:05 Turning Milk Into Health Ingredients

3:20 The Discovery Behind IDP

6:36 How Quantec Began

10:45 Knowing When To Pivot

16:06 When To Stop Or Keep Investing

18:06 Patents, Brands And Intellectual Property

20:54 Proving IDP With Finished Products

24:17 How Quantec Entered Mexico

27:53 Building An Export Business In China

30:29 Why Every Business Needs An Export

32:21 All Good Ventures And Social Enterprise

36:08 Stepping Down From The CEO Role

40:29 Investing Heavily In Innovation

42:02 New Zealand’s Export Opportunity

46:59 What Comes Next For Quantec

Follow Quantec here:

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/quantec-limited

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@QuantecLtd

Website - https://www.quantec.co.nz

Follow All Good Ventures here:

Website - https://www.allgood.ventures

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/allgoodventures

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/allgoodventures

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-good-ventures

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

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Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

Exports are not limited to physical products or software

Atlas Studios founder Omer Hazer explains how New Zealand agencies can leverage their expertise to help local product brands expand into Australia, North America, and other international markets.

Omer discusses how he built a 12-person e-commerce consultancy business, generating 60% of its revenue from overseas clients, maintaining trust through rapid growth, and how moving to New Zealand at 13 shaped his self-reliance and approach to entrepreneurship.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:15 Meet Omer Hazer and Atlas Studios

2:02 Exporting expertise and supporting exporters

6:08 Trust as an agency advantage

11:05 Moving to New Zealand as a teenager

15:25 Omer’s early introduction to start-up life

18:03 Building and scaling Atlas Studios

20:57 Acquiring and retaining a book of clients

25:35 Commerce technology and innovation

31:10 The challenges of international expansion

35:08 Pricing, positioning, and client fit

39:30 Curiosity and continual learning

42:07 Becoming the best, not the biggest

Follow Atlas Studios here:

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/atlas_studios_co

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/atlas-studios-co

Website - https://www.atlasstudios.agency

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How FTN Motion Built New Zealand’s Electric Motorcycle Brand Manufacturer for Export

From a BMX frame with batteries strapped on, to 160 pre-orders, cost reduction, production challenges, customer feedback, test ride events and early export traction.

In this episode, Luke Sinclair from FTN Motion shares how a garage-built electric bike became New Zealand’s only motorcycle manufacturing business in the retail space. Luke unpacks the real work behind building a hardware startup from New Zealand. It is a candid look at innovation, manufacturing, pricing, product-market fit and why FTN Motion thinks in cities, not countries.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:04 What FTN Motion Builds

3:48 The Streetdog Name

5:22 From Engineering Friends to Startup Founders

7:49 The First Prototype

10:26 Building During Lockdown

12:13 Getting Road Legal

14:28 Learning Business the Hard Way

16:06 Manufacturing and Scaling Lessons

18:02 Raising Funding

20:08 The Pre-Order Breakthrough

23:01 Keeping Customers On Side

26:08 Why Wellington Was the First Test Market

29:07 Moving to Hamilton

33:48 Cost Reduction and Pricing

37:13 Sales Growth After the Price Drop

39:22 Test Ride Marketing

41:01 Exporting to Australia and Beyond

42:37 Cities, Not Countries

44:47 The Export Vision

46:30 How to Find FTN Motion

Follow FTN Motion here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ftnmotion

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ftn_motion

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ftnmotion

Website - https://www.ftnmotion.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

Mānuka honey may be world famous, but it is only one part of New Zealand’s native plant story.

Helen Paul-Smith, co-founder of Ōku, a Māori-owned wellness brand using native plants like kawakawa, horopito and mānuka to create teas, balms, elixirs and soaps. Helen shares how the business grew from farmers markets and boxes under the bed into a New Zealand and export-focused brand, and why sustainability, culture and long-term thinking have shaped every major decision.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:09 What Ōku does

2:00 Māori knowledge and native plants

3:43 Why kawakawa matters

6:40 From side hustle to business

11:07 Ōku today

12:40 Sustainability and purpose

19:24 Discovering the tourist and gifting market

22:00 Packaging and brand story

25:08 Challenges of entrepreneurship

27:03 Export lessons from China and Australia

31:12 Working with distributors

32:34 NZTE support

34:14 Ōku’s future vision

37:23 Māori-led export opportunities

39:10 Where to find Ōku

Follow Ōku here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OKUNewZealand

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oku_nz

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@oku-nznativeherbalproducts6227

Website - https://oku.co.nz

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

FileInvite Founder James Sampson on SaaS Growth, Export Revenue and Enterprise Sales

James Sampson from FileInvite shares how an internal tool built inside a New Zealand web agency became a global SaaS platform serving banks, lenders and financial institutions.

James talks about the pressure of moving from service business to software, the shift from small customers to enterprise contracts, why niching down changed the business, and how FileInvite now earns 96% of its revenue offshore. He also shares the unusual story behind his first investor.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

1:16 What FileInvite does

2:32 From web agency tool to SaaS product

7:46 Sole founder lessons

11:13 Bootstrapping versus raising capital

13:37 The first investor story

15:58 Niching into financial services

23:30 Moving upmarket

29:15 Enterprise go-to-market strategy

31:35 US market and culture lessons

36:06 Building a people-first team

44:22 NZTE and export support

47:03 Rebuilding the product for scale

53:29 The future of FileInvite

55:48 Where to find James

Follow FileInvite here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fileinvite

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fileinvite

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@fileinvite

Website - https://www.fileinvite.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

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YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

Why a New Zealand Business Coach Built an 80-Person Global Team

Tony Fraser-Jones has taken Profitable Tradie from one-on-one business coaching in New Zealand to a global coaching company with 80 staff, 700+ clients, and revenue across New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada.

In this episode, Josh Moore talks with Tony about scaling beyond yourself, hiring better people, building a values-led culture, entering overseas markets, and why New Zealand business owners need to think bigger about what is possible.

Timestamps:

0:00 Introducing Tony Fraser-Jones

1:20 What Profitable Tradie does

2:49 Scaling beyond a solo coaching business

4:38 Building revenue overseas

5:23 Tony’s journey into business coaching

8:40 Key decisions that changed the company

10:06 Hiring the right people

14:05 Delegating outcomes

20:00 Building a values-led culture

23:00 Measuring culture as the team grows

32:13 Expanding into new countries

35:25 Why podcasting builds trust

37:36 Marketing across Australia, the United States and Canada

43:10 The value of live events

45:08 Thinking bigger from New Zealand

47:49 How to connect with Profitable Tradie

Follow Profitable Tradie here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profitabletradie/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/profitabletradie/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@profitabletradie/

Website - https://profitabletradie.com/

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

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Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How Kiwi-Owned US Pharmaceutical Company Healthtex Launches OTC Products in America

Tim O’Donoghue is the co-founder of Healthtex, a Kiwi-owned US pharmaceutical company built around a simple but powerful idea: listen closely to what customers actually say.

Tim explains how decades of pharmacy conversations led to Asteroid, an over-the-counter (OTC) haemorrhoid product designed from real customer feedback, and how Healthtex is now navigating FDA listings, Amazon reviews, ecommerce, crowdfunding and the challenge of taking on far larger pharmaceutical competitors in the United States.

Follow Healthtex here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/people/Asteroid-Ointment/61582105001935

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/asteroid_ointment

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@asteroid.ointment

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AsteroidOintment

Website - https://www.neoqura.com

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

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Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064

How PaySquad Is Building “Buy Now, Pay Together” For E-Commerce

Cam Richardson is building something different: buy now, pay together.

Cam shares how a surprising 21st birthday gift sparked the idea for PaySquad, a Kiwi fintech startup creating a “pay with friends” checkout option for retail, ticketing, and travel. Josh and Cam unpack the customer problem, the merchant opportunity, the funding journey, and the bigger vision behind multiplayer commerce.

Follow PaySquad here:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/paysquad.co

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/paysquad.co

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@paysquad

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/paysquad

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@paysquad

Website - https://www.paysquad.co

This Podcast is brought to you by Duoplus – The Digital Marketing Agency for businesses focused on growth.

Find out more here: https://www.duoplus.nz

Follow: NZ Innovation & Export Podcast:

Website - https://www.duoplus.nz/podcast

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/nzinnovationexportpodcast

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Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@nzinnovationandexport

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@NZInnovationExportPodcast

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4OJb33uLpmSecvkYVdSKC5

Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nz-innovation-export-podcast/id1883810064