NZ Tech Podcast

Join Paul Spain and JD Trask (Raygun & Autohive) as they dive deep into the future of AI, SaaS businesses, and the evolution innovation. Discover JD Trask’s journey from founding Raygun to launching Autohive, hands-on insights from adopting AI across teams, and candid commentary on innovation, risk, security, and growth in a rapidly changing tech landscape. Essential listening for anyone passionate about technology, entrepreneurship, and AI’s impact on business.
Special thanks to our show partners: Fortinet, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain is joined by Glenn Maiden, Chief Security Officer at Fortinet and Director of Threat Intelligence Operations at FortiGuard Labs, Australia and New Zealand. Glenn brings invaluable insights into today’s rapidly evolving digital threat landscape with practical advice for organisations of all sizes on how to bolster cyber defences against current and future threats.
Paul and Glenn also dive into the latest tech news including:
TUANZ call for cross-party tech strategy for New Zealand’s digital
Anthropic Suspends latest AI Models Following US Security Directive
SpaceX launches largest IPO in history
The emergence of autonomous AI drones in warfare

Thanks to our partners: Fortinet, One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, PwC New Zealand, and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain sits down with Jonathan Good, Co-Founder and CEO of Scentian Bio, to dive into the "digitisation of smell and taste “and what it means for industries in New Zealand and beyond. Jonathan shares about the realities of fundraising both locally and abroad, and the challenges and opportunities of bringing cutting-edge chemical sensing technology to market.
Plus, Paul and Jonathan explore the latest tech news, including:
Health New Zealand’s Hybrid Cloud Migration
Spark’s Verified Call Feature Against Scams
Workday’s Go Platform expands to NZ & AU
2degrees’ Shaping Business Study 2026
Is AI More Expensive Than Humans?
UN Report warns of the Environmental Impact of AI

A big thank you to our show partners One NZ, Spark, Workday, 2degrees, Fortinet and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain is joined by Sam Allen and Nick Walton, co-founders of NZ Boat Register, to explore how Kiwi innovation is improving marine visibility and asset tracking using AquaGPS, a Starlink-enabled GPS solution. The conversation also covers the latest in tech news, including:
Game changing Nvidia chip coming to Windows laptops and PCs
MSD Welfare decisions moving to AI Automated Decision-Making
New Zealand’s First Deepfake Porn Prosecution
One New Zealand AI Trust Report (2026)
New Zealand Government budget’s impact on the tech sector
Experimental chip demo shows 1000x performance gains

Special thanks to our show partners: Fortinet, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, and Gorilla Technology.

The 2026 NZ Hi-Tech Awards highlight a sector reaching new heights in innovation, global growth, and impact, celebrating the organisations and individuals driving New Zealand’s tech success story. In this special episode, host Paul Spain speaks with several of this year’s standout winners. Hear from Dr Yoram Benit, CEO of Tait Communications, named NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year, and Matty Blomfield, co-founder and CEO of Hectre, winner of both the NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution and the Greenmount and Poutama Trust Māori Hi-Tech Company of the Year. We also recognise Vaughan Fergusson’s contribution to the industry as this year’s Flying Kiwi, alongside insights from Jock Richardson and Peter Tait of TCS, winners of the Kiwibank Most Innovative Hi-Tech Solution for a More Sustainable Future. Plus, Arash Tayebi and Noreen Wilson of Kara Technologies share their journey after taking out the 2040 Ventures Hi-Tech Startup Company of the Year. With tech now contributing $24 billion to New Zealand’s economy, this episode explores the momentum behind the sector’s growth and what’s next.
Thanks to our partners: One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, Fortinet, and Gorilla Technology.