TechMates

She turned a $3,000 Bitcoin curiosity into one of New Zealand’s biggest crypto exits.Meet Janine, founder and CEO of Easy Crypto, who successfully navigated the turbulent crypto market—overcoming regulation hurdles, market crashes, and intense skepticism—to build and exit one of New Zealand's most notable crypto startups.

From early challenges of securing banking relationships to eventually selling to Australia's SwiftX, Janine candidly shares the rollercoaster journey, valuable insights into fintech innovation, and the future of digital currencies.

In this episode, you'll hear surprising truths about running a crypto business, why banks initially turned her away, and how the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reshaped crypto adoption. Plus, discover Janine's bold predictions on stablecoins, digital currencies, and the future of decentralized finance.

Key Topics:

💰 Building and Exiting a Crypto Startup

⚖️ Navigating Regulation and Banking Challenges

📉 Surviving Crypto Market Volatility

🌍 International Expansion & Mergers

🔗 Why Stablecoins Matter

🚨 Avoiding Crypto Scams

💡 Future of Crypto & Blockchain

🤝 Power of Networks in Entrepreneurship

🚀 Resilience & Lessons for Startup Founders

🌐 Crypto Adoption & Global Trends

🤝 Connect with Janine:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-grainger/

Easy Crypto: http://easycrypto.com/

🔗 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 & Easy Crypto Exit

02:12 - Overcoming Crypto Market Crashes

03:14 - What Easy Crypto Actually Does

05:11 - Early Customers & Product Evolution

09:40 - Janine’s Personal Crypto Journey

11:17 - Navigating Crypto Volatility

19:12 - Regulatory and Banking Challenges

28:30 - Launching NZ Dollar Stablecoin

38:10 - Early Career & Path to Crypto

41:10 - Starting a Crypto Business While at a Bank

46:42 - Decision to Go Full-Time on Easy Crypto

48:51 - Fundraising Insights & Challenges

51:45 - What's Next After the Exit?

53:03 - Industries Janine is Excited About

54:13 - Lessons for Startup Founders

55:48 - Building a Startup in New Zealand

57:39 - Global Trends in Crypto Adoption

🙌 Enjoyed this episode? Hit like 👍, drop your thoughts 💬, and subscribe 📲 for more startup insights and crypto trends!

#️⃣ Hashtags:#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #crypto, #blockchain, #EasyCrypto, #entrepreneurship, #innovation, #fintech, #stablecoins, #CryptoMarket, #StartupLessons, #TechPodcast, #DigitalCurrency, #NZTech, #Acquisition, #BankingChallenges, #GlobalExpansion, #FounderInsights, #CryptoAdoption

He changed his name to Rocket, launched New Zealand's first private space vehicle, and is set to become the first Kiwi in space 🚀.

Meet Mark Rocket, a pioneering New Zealand entrepreneur who transitioned from playing in rock bands to launching the Southern Hemisphere’s first private rocket into space with Rocket Lab 🛰️.

Now leading Kea Aerospace, he's innovating in stratospheric drone technology. In this episode, Mark dives deep into his unconventional journey—from growing up in grungy Christchurch to making groundbreaking strides in aerospace 🌌, and preparing to fulfill his lifelong dream 🌠 as the first Kiwi scheduled to journey into space aboard Blue Origin's suborbital rocket 🚀 (target launch date to be announced soon!).

Mark shares candid insights on overcoming skepticism, navigating co-founder dynamics, and how his passion for space technology led him to invest in and co-found Rocket Lab alongside Peter Beck. Discover how Kea Aerospace is revolutionizing environmental monitoring 🌱, telecommunications, and disaster response from the stratosphere. Also, hear Mark’s bold truths about balancing entrepreneurship with personal well-being, and what it means to be preparing for history as New Zealand's first citizen astronaut 👨‍🚀.

Key Topics:

🚀 Launching the Southern Hemisphere's First Private Rocket

🌏 From Busking in Europe to Aerospace Entrepreneurship

🤝 Co-founding Rocket Lab & Navigating Early Challenges

✈️ Innovating with Stratospheric Drone Technology

🌌 Why New Zealand is a Unique Aerospace Hub

🛠️ Entrepreneurship: Making It Happen Against All Odds

🛰️ First Kiwi in Space with Blue Origin

🔮 Future Vision for Kia Aerospace & Global Expansion

🤝 Connect with Mark Rocket:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mark-rocket-8727353

Kea Aerospace: https://www.keaaerospace.com🔗 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 & Growing Up in Christchurch

07:42 - Early Life & Travels in Post-Cold War Europe

14:34 - Discovering the Internet & Early Career

19:12 - Starting New Zealand's First Internet Marketing Firm

29:04 - Selling a Company & Investing in Aerospace

30:36 - Meeting Peter Beck & Founding Rocket Lab

38:30 - Launching Kea Aerospace & Stratospheric Innovation

43:22 - Applications of Stratospheric Drones

49:54 - Transitioning Views on Defense Tech

55:03 - The Future of Aerospace in New Zealand

58:54 - Entrepreneurship Advice & Key Traits

1:03:08 - Personal Vision & Kea Aerospace’s Future

#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #aerospace, #RocketLab, #KeaAerospace, #space, #innovation, #entrepreneurship, #technology, #stratosphere, #EarthObservation, #telecommunications, #defensetech, #founderstories, #NZtech, #drones, #globalbusiness, #spaceindustry, #techpodcast

He turned frustration with clunky academic tools into a million-dollar deep tech startup.

Meet Axton, a New Zealand tech entrepreneur who went from severe childhood asthma and tinkering with remote-controlled aircraft to founding Litmaps, a pioneering startup transforming academic research through AI-powered citation mapping.

In this episode, Axton dives deep into overcoming early challenges, pivoting from medical aspirations to technology entrepreneurship, and scaling Litmaps to 400,000 global users and a recent $1M ARR milestone.

You'll hear candid insights about the struggles of academia, innovation in AI-driven research tools, and what it takes to navigate a co-founder departure, an acquisition, and the relentless world of deep tech startups. If you’re fascinated by how AI is reshaping research and startups, this episode is your roadmap.

🔑 Key Topics:

🛠️ Building a Deep Tech Startup from Scratch

🚑 Childhood Challenges & Resilience

📚 Why Academic Research Needs Innovation

🤖 AI & the Future of Research

💸 Growing from Prototype to $1M ARR

👥 Handling Co-Founder Exits & Team Building

🌏 Building Globally from New Zealand

💡 Disrupting Citation Networks & Academia

🧠 The Psychology of Entrepreneurship

📈 Future Vision for Litmaps & Beyond

🤝 Connect with the Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axtonpitt/

Website: https://www.litmaps.com

🔗 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 & Childhood Challenges

05:00 - Early Influences & Remote-Controlled Aircraft

09:12 - University & Early Career Struggles

11:28 - Birth of Litmaps & Initial Frustration

28:55 - Prototype, Feedback & Pivoting

32:31 - Taking the Leap to Full-Time Entrepreneurship

43:22 - Scaling to $1M ARR & Global Reach

43:54 - Co-Founder Departure & Growing as CEO

47:02 - Recent Fundraise & Acquisition

47:24 - Long-Term Vision & Future Plans

51:48 - Competing with AI & ChatGPT

57:35 - Impact of Geopolitics on Innovation

1:01:36 - Building Globally from New Zealand

🙌 Enjoyed this episode?

Smash the like button, leave your thoughts in the comments, and subscribe for more startup insights!

#️⃣ Hashtags:

#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #Litmaps, #deeptech, #AI, #academia, #research, #entrepreneur, #innovation, #scaling, #funding, #technology, #founderlessons, #startupgrowth, #techtrends, #globalbusiness, #productivitytools, #venturecapital, #kiwitech

He flipped a coin on a café table and accidentally rewired how New Zealand invests.

New Zealand entrepreneur Leighton — co-CEO of Sharesies, ex-Army trumpeter and accidental brewery founder — walks us through the wild arc from $50 teenage investment clubs to running an 800-thousand-user wealth platform. You’ll hear how a three-week basic-training stint, a coin toss, and a missed $2 000 Ethereum buy shaped a mission to “create one million millionaires.”

Beyond the fintech origin story, Leighton drops candid takes on democratizing wealth, AI’s takeover of customer support, and why luck (plus ruthless execution) still beats perfect strategy. If you like your startup talk seasoned with brass-band anecdotes and beer-keg logistics, this one’s for you.

Key Topics:

🥇 $50 to Financial Freedom — teen investment clubs & compounding power

🎺 Army Band to Boardroom — leadership lessons from marching drills

🏦 Building Sharesies — fractional shares, regulation hacks & 3 co-CEOs

🤖 AI & Customer Care — 85 % of support now LLM-powered

📊 Democratizing Wealth — S&P-500 dominance, KiwiSaver gaps

🍺 Waitoa Beer Pivot — scaling a brewery during COVID lockdowns

🔮 Macro & Geopolitics — optimism, over-indexing and the US angst

🔧 Founder Tactics — dollar-cost averaging, hiring through call-centres

💡 Future Trends — why “problem first, tech second” still wins

🤝 Connect with Leighton

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leightonroberts/

🔗 Learn more about NZVC & Hosts

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

00:00:00 – Intro & Hawera childhood

00:05:12 – Dreaming of pilot wings and trumpets

00:10:30 – Army band life & leadership lessons

00:17:45 – $50 investment club genesis

00:24:20 – The coin-flip that led to KiwiBank

00:31:50 – Founding Sharesies: six co-founders, one vision

00:42:05 – AI takes over 85 % of support tickets

00:48:40 – Democratizing wealth vs “Robinhood gambling”

00:55:15 – Waitoa Beer, COVID pivots & side hustles

01:03:00 – AI, robotics and the next 5 years of startups

01:10:45 – Closing thoughts on luck, family & tech futures

If this chat lit a spark, smash Like, hit Subscribe, and drop your biggest takeaway in the comments—let’s build those million millionaires together!

#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #fintech, #AI, #robotics, #entrepreneurship, #wealth, #investing, #Sharesies, #KiwiTech, #startupstory, #VC, #innovation, #techpodcast, #founder, #bootstrapping, #leadership, #futureofwork, #financialfreedom

Daniel Batten's life is anything but conventional. He grew up off-grid on the wild beaches of New Zealand, studied philosophy and drama, became an actor, then accidentally launched one of NZ’s first angel-funded tech startups—without writing a single line of code or knowing much biology.

Today, he’s a climate tech investor, startup coach, and one of the most vocal voices on why Bitcoin could help solve climate change.

In this episode, Daniel shares his journey from surf to startups—and why most people (including his former self) misunderstand the true power of Bitcoin mining. Spoiler: it’s not about Lambos.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Why self-awareness is the ultimate founder superpower

✅ What coaching can unlock that advice never will

✅ How Bitcoin mining could mitigate methane and accelerate renewable energy

✅ The “Power to Weight Ratio” trick for perfect startup pitches

✅ What most people (and media) get wrong about Bitcoin & climate

Why This Episode Might Change How You Think About Startups (and Bitcoin):

🧠 The science of scaling people, not just products

🗣️ Communication strategies that win investors and top-tier talent

🌱 How crypto can actually help the planet—no, seriously

🎭 The unexpected parallels between acting and entrepreneurship

🔗 Connect with Daniel:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielsbatten/

🔗 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:

00:00:00 – From beach kid to founder: Daniel’s unconventional path

06:00 – Academic rebellion, drama school & early curiosity

11:00 – Falling into entrepreneurship (and loving it)

16:30 – Building NZ’s first angel-funded bioinformatics company

22:30 – Knowing when to step aside as a founder

28:00 – Coaching vs. advising: what founders really need

36:00 – Scaling communication: the pitch, the team, the mindset

53:00 – Enter Bitcoin: how it all started56:30 – Fixing methane leaks with mining rigs

01:00:40 – Why Bitcoin matters in the global south

01:06:50 – Stablecoins, volatility & public perception

🎯 Tags: #TechMatesPodcast #BitcoinForGood #StartupCoach #ClimateTech #FounderLife #AngelInvesting #BitcoinMining #MethaneMitigation #PowerToWeightPitch #ScalingPeople #DanielBatten #DeepTech #SustainableInnovation #GreenCrypto #NZStartups

Stefan Powell transitioned from early rocketry experiments to co-founding Dawn Aerospace, a company pioneering rapid, reusable spaceflight. As CEO and CTO, he's leading the development of the Mk-II Aurora—a rocket-powered aircraft designed to fly to space twice in a single day, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional launch systems. And yes, Elon Musk is watching. 👀

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How aircraft-like operations are revolutionizing space access

✅ The business model enabling multiple daily flights without toxic emissions

✅ Dawn's approach to competing with established players like SpaceX

✅ Insights into scaling a deep-tech startup from prototype to global impact

Why This Episode Will Change Your Perspective on Aerospace:

🌍 Exploring sustainable practices in spaceflight

📈 Understanding the economics of rapid, reusable launch systems

🚀 The evolving landscape of the space industry beyond traditional giants

🔗 Connect with Stefan Powell:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/spowell111/

🔗 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: From early experiments to aerospace innovation

06:22 – Founding Dawn Aerospace and early challenges

13:15 – Development of Mk-II Aurora and its unique capabilities

23:40 – The importance of green propulsion in modern spaceflight

38:10 – Competing in the aerospace industry without massive funding

46:55 – Building a hardware company in New Zealand

58:00 – Advice for aspiring deep-tech entrepreneurs

🔔 Subscribe for in-depth conversations with pioneers in technology and innovation.

#TechMatesPodcast #AerospaceInnovation #SustainableSpaceflight #StartupJourney #GreenTech #DawnAerospace #FutureOfFlight #NewSpace

David Inggs went from catching snakes in South Africa to building robots that Fortune 500 companies rely on. As co-founder of Rocos (acquired by DroneDeploy), he cracked the code on how to remotely control robot fleets at scale—and now he’s revealing what most AI robotics startups get dangerously wrong.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ The "gold rush" trap – Why most robotics startups fail (and how Rocos survived)

✅ Shocking truth about humanoid robots – Why Boston Dynamics’ tech is both overhyped and underrated

✅ How to sell to enterprises – The playbook for landing oil/gas, mining, and defense clients

✅ Silicon Valley vs. New Zealand – Why building deep tech outside the Bay Area is an advantage

✅ Acquisition secrets – How Rocos got bought without ever pitching to investors

Why This Episode Will Change Your Mind About AI & Robotics:

🤖 "Robots are still dumb" – David’s brutal take on why AI won’t fix robotics anytime soon

🛑 The hidden risk – Why cloud providers (AWS, Google) could wipe out startups overnight🇳🇿 Underdog advantage – How a NZ company out-engineered global competitors

⚡ The next big wave – What’s coming after drones and warehouse bots

🔗 Connect with David Inggs:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/david-inggs

🔗 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/⁠

🔔 Subscribe for unfiltered founder stories and tech insights!

#TechMatesPodcast #Robotics #AI #StartupJourney #Entrepreneurship #DeepTech #DroneDeploy #BostonDynamics #FutureOfWork

From backyard experiments to securing defense contracts, David Moodie, founder of Foundry Lab, is revolutionizing how industries prototype and produce metal parts. By combining 3D printing with microwave technology, his team is making metal casting faster, cheaper, and more accessible than ever before.What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

✅ How frustration with traditional casting led to an industry-changing innovation.

✅ The wild journey of melting metal in a microwave to create rapid casting.

✅ Why automotive and defense industries are betting big on this breakthrough.

✅ The challenges of scaling deep tech and winning over investors.

✅ Lessons on resilience, risk-taking, and building a hardware startup from scratch.

Why This Episode Will Change Your Perspective:

🔥 Disrupting an 8,000-year-old industry with a radically new approach.

🚀 How a startup from New Zealand landed on the radar of global giants.

💡 The future of metal manufacturing—no factories, no delays, just instant casting.

🔗 Learn more about Foundry Lab:

Website: https://www.foundrylab.com

David Moodie – LinkedIn

🔗 Learn more about NZVC:

Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz

Mark Pavlyukovskyy – LinkedIn

Hendrik Remigereau – LinkedIn

🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories and deep tech insights!

#TechMatesPodcast #StartupJourney #ManufacturingInnovation #Entrepreneurship #DeepTech #FoundryLab #MetalCasting #IndustrialDesign

Philip Fierlinger co-founded Xero, a global accounting powerhouse, but his journey didn’t stop there. Now, he's reshaping the B2B wholesale industry with Upstock, a platform transforming how businesses order supplies.

Hosted by Mark Pavlyukovskyy, a Silicon Valley success story, and Hendrik Remigereau, a former leader in Europe’s largest AI ecosystem turned venture capitalist, TechMates dives into the game-changing strategies behind some of Australasia’s most ambitious startups.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

✅ How Xero disrupted an industry and went public with almost no revenue.

✅ The bold strategy that made Xero the darling of accountants and the enemy of MYOB.

✅ Why Peter Thiel’s "go big or go home" approach clashed with Xero’s guerrilla growth strategy.

✅ How Upstock is quietly building a Shopify-like marketplace for wholesale.

✅ The key to creating a product so good that customers refuse to use anything else.

Why This Episode Will Change Your Perspective:

📈 Scaling Lessons: When rapid hiring turned from an advantage to a liability.

🌍 The Future of AI & Design: Why the best AI products won’t even tell you they use AI.

💡 The Next Big Thing: How Philip’s new venture is solving a trillion-dollar inefficiency in supply chains.

🔗 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/⁠

🔗 Learn more about Philip:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/fierlinger/⁠

🔗 Learn more about Upstock: https://www.upstock.app

🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories and startup insights!

#StartupJourney #TechEntrepreneur #Xero #FounderStory #B2BSaaS #WholesaleTech #BuildFast #AIInnovation

Philip Fierlinger has always been ahead of his time. As a kid, he built his first CRM on a Radio Shack computer. By his 20s, he was designing mobile devices before smartphones even existed. He worked at the legendary General Magic, pioneered VR for the Beastie Boys, and helped turn Xero into a billion-dollar SaaS giant.

Hosted by Mark Pavlyukovskyy, a Silicon Valley success story, and Hendrik Remigereau, a former leader in Europe’s largest AI ecosystem turned venture capitalist, TechMates uncovers the game-changing ideas and counterintuitive strategies behind the world's top entrepreneurs.

🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

✅ Growing up in a creative immigrant household and early tech obsession.

✅ How a chance email to the Beastie Boys led to groundbreaking VR innovation.

✅ The bold moves that helped Xero revolutionize accounting from New Zealand.

✅ Why he believes design, not engineering, drives the best tech products.

🚀 Why This Episode Will Change Your Perspective:

💡 The Vision: “If you want to build something great, start with the dream, not the details.”

🔗 The Growth Hack: How faking prototypes opened doors to million-dollar deals.

🌏 The Future: “The best products aren’t built in Silicon Valley—they’re built by those who think differently.”

🔗 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/

🔗 Learn more about Philip: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fierlinger/

🔔 Subscribe for more founder stories and startup insights!

#Fintech #StartupJourney #Xero #PhilipFierlinger #TechEntrepreneur #FinanceInnovation #ProductDesign #FounderStory