TechMates

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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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