TechMates

• Grassroots to Global: Innovation the Kiwi Way

  Four founders: tackling milk without cows, carbon-free composites, AI farming, and plant-grown proteins—only in New Zealand could this panel exist.This special Portfolio Day panel brings together four New Zealand innovators building companies that literally couldn’t have been born anywhere else: Nicole Freed (Daisy Lab, precision-fermented dairy proteins), Ben Scales (KiwiFibre, high-performance Harakeke composites), Jeremy Bryant (Aimer Farming, AI pasture insights), and Amos Palfreyman (Miruku, plant-based molecular farming).Hosted by Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau of NZVC, the conversation dives deep into why New Zealand’s agricultural legacy, dairy infrastructure, talent pools, native plants, and high-trust ecosystem create uniquely fertile ground for breakthrough agtech and bio-innovation. From barbecued plastic prototypes to growing milk proteins in yeast and plants, this episode shows exactly how Kiwi founders go from grassroots to global.🥛 Dairy without cows — precision fermentation (Daisy Lab).🌿 Harakeke → carbon-free composites — KiwiFibre’s indigenous-led materials.🤖 AI for pasture — Aimer’s farm-scale measurement & insights engine.🌱 Molecular farming in plants — Miruku’s dairy proteins grown via photosynthesis.🇳🇿 Why NZ is uniquely suited for agtech — dairy infrastructure, native plants, talent.🔬 Deep-tech with no shortcuts — labs, pilots, and long R&D cycles.🧪 Origin stories — barbecue prototyping, student-lab MVPs, and prophetic patents.🌍 Global scale — UK/Ireland rollouts, EU materials demand, talent pipelines.🧭 Founder resilience — near-empty payrolls, naivete as superpower, and obsession with the mission.Connect with the Guests:Ben Scales (KiwiFibre): https://www.linkedin.com/in/benscalesNicole Freed (Daisy Lab): https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-nikki-freed-phd-86b63630Jeremy Bryant (Aimer Farming): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-bryantAmos Palfreyman (Miruku): https://www.linkedin.com/in/amos-palfreyman-58841579Learn 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 — Intro01:10 — Nicole (Daisy Lab): precision-fermented dairy proteins.02:38 — Ben (KiwiFibre): Harakeke composites & NZ’s first industry.04:20 — Amos (Miruku): molecular farming—proteins grown in plants.06:17 — Jeremy (Aimer): AI pasture insights for farmers.07:50 — Why NZ dairy roots shape founder journeys.09:54 — How traditional dairy is reacting to deep-tech.11:31 — Leveraging NZ’s dairy infrastructure for new proteins.13:30 — KiwiFibre: building a new materials industry from zero.15:26 — Talent challenges: wet labs, molecular biology, bioprocessing.17:11 — Attracting overseas scientists to NZ.19:05 — Daisy Lab on using NZ dairy experts in precision fermentation.20:04 — Government subsidies & why tech must stand alone.22:07 — Selling to farmers; NZ reputation abroad.24:47 — KiwiFibre’s stolen snowboard story (Munich).28:01 — Origin stories: barbecues, student labs, prophetic patents.34:11 — Aimer: replacing 8-hour farm walks with AI & camera vision.36:24 — Miruku: founding during COVID & pitching with zero cash.38:10 — Founder resilience: pay-run courage & obsession.40:42 — KiwiFibre: beer experiments, byproduct uses, cultural roots.42:16 — Policy change & gene-tech reform in NZ.43:00 — Closing: Kiwi innovation from soil to global scale.If this expanded your view of what New Zealand startups can build, hit 👍, drop your questions for the founders below, and subscribe for more deep-tech conversations.#startups, #NewZealand, #business, #agtech, #biotech, #dairy, #precisionfermentation, #molecularfarming, #AI, #farmtech, #sustainability, #deeptech, #climate, #materials, #syntheticbiology, #engineering, #NZTech, #venturecapital, #founderstory, #TechMates

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• He’s Creating Australasia‘s PayPal Mafia

  SAP’s youngest hire at 19, Dominic Pym went on to build Up—Australia’s first cloud-hosted bank—and sold three companies during COVID.Dominic Pym is an Australia-based, New Zealand-minded tech entrepreneur, builder, and investor behind products used by millions—from Up (the mobile bank he co-created and later sold to Bendigo & Adelaide Bank) to Buildkite (CI/CD rails powering top tech companies). In this episode, Dom unpacks his path from early internet projects at SAP and Toyota kiosks to bootstrapping fintech, scaling a digital bank, and designing hardware + OS for expert builders.We also get Dom’s ecosystem thesis for New Zealand + Australia: keep IP local, go global (“go big, grow home”), and create multi-generational startup “turns” by seeding founder mafias after meaningful exits—exactly what he’s now doing with Euphemia and the Triple Bubble fund.🧒 SAP at 19 → ABAP → SAP Markets “speedboat” for the web.🧰 Early web builds: kiosks at Toyota, MySAP.com → NetWeaver.🎧 Record-label detour → iTunes aggregator → first iPhone apps (WordPress, Lonely Planet).🏦 Up: frustration with banks → infinite activity feed, merchant logos, instant wallets; kept independent post-acquisition.📈 1.5M+ customers, billions in deposits & home loans; why he sold and how staff shared the win.🧱 Buildkite originated inside Pin Payments → now powers teams at companies like Airbnb, Shopify, Slack, Lyft.🌏 NZ as launchpad: meeting Emerge, Dosh; the case for regional fintech and keeping IP at home.🧠 Euphemia & Triple Bubble: backing regulated fintech + secondaries/publics across AU/NZ/Pacific.🖥️ Caligra: new expert OS + hardware (retro-inspired, distraction-free) for engineers & researchers.Connect with the GuestDom Pym — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dompymEuphemia: https://www.euphemia.comTriple Bubble: https://triplebubble.comUp: https://up.com.auLearn more about NZVC & HostsNZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nzMark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/Timestamps:00:00 — Intro & why Dom’s story matters now01:23 — Early years, curiosity, Apple IIe → DOS → QBasic08:43 — Building PCs after school; first OEM Windows installs09:59 — Meeting Steve Wozniak; a spark for starting up12:12 — SAP: first undergrad hire; youngest at 1916:05 — “Titanic & speedboat”: SAP Markets and the browser era19:36 — Toyota kiosk & early e-commerce UX24:03 — Side projects → CMS → Band Manager31:02 — iTunes aggregator; first iPhone apps (WordPress, LP)37:16 — Clear Interactive → Clear Grain Exchange38:42 — 22 companies built; hits and misses41:11 — Pin Payments → the Buildkite spin-out origin49:51 — Why Up had to exist; building for love & engagement55:20 — Infinite feed, merchant logos, instant wallets58:05 — Up x Bendigo: first cloud-hosted bank in AU59:32 — Selling Ferocia; keeping Up independent01:01:40 — NZ visit: Emerge, Dosh, and the fintech wave01:07:37 — Three COVID-era exits; why timing matters01:12:15 — Euphemia & Triple Bubble: thesis and structure01:17:47 — Caligra: expert OS + retro-inspired hardwareEnjoyed Dom’s playbook for startups and business in and beyond New Zealand? Smash 👍, drop your questions, and subscribe for more founder deep-dives.#startups, #NewZealand, #business, #fintech, #banking, #payments, #Buildkite, #software, #venturecapital, #entrepreneurship, #cloud, #design, #UX, #AI, #Australia, #NZTech, #SaaS, #founderstory, #TechMates, #podcast

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• From Edge to Epicenter: Building the NZ Innovation Ecosystem | NZVC Portfolio Day

  How founders, investors, and institutions are shaping the next decade of ANZ innovation.Live on stage with TechMates (hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy & Hendrik Remigereau), three heavyweight voices dive into the state of the NZ startup ecosystem: Shaun Quincey (rowed the Tasman; now building Simfuni for insurers), Janine Grainger (co-founded Easy Crypto; exited earlier this year), and Jacques Richter (Investment Director at NZ Growth Capital Partners, managing the Aspire seed fund). They get specific on what’s great here—access, trust, regulators who take meetings—and what’s hard: under-capitalization, distance, and the cultural “tall poppy” tax on big ambition.This panel strips out the fluff: how to use New Zealand as a sandbox then go global, why “enterprise infiltration” is a real skill, what investors actually fund at seed, and why exits, mafias, and more diverse founders are the next unlock. You’ll also hear hard numbers on ecosystem growth (6× since 2019) and a challenge to scale from ~1,000 to 5,000 startups in the pipeline.🌏 NZ as incubator → world as market: high-trust access, global translation is the test.🏛️ Regulation: open-door chats vs “regulation by enforcement” overseas.🧭 Enterprise infiltration: find the real buyer, ask for money early.💸 Capital & culture: the comfy $10M plateau, under-capitalization, and fund size reality.🌿 Tall poppy & ambition: cheer louder, tell a bigger story, survive the pivots.👩‍💻 Diversity matters: “stop funding the same founder mold”; women still under-funded.🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Talent & bravery: remote-first teams, culture as hiring edge, lower the barrier for movers.📊 Ecosystem math: 6× EV since 2019; aim for ~5,000 startups, not ~1,000.Connect with the GuestsShaun Quincey — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-quincey-53548132Janine Grainger — https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-graingerJacques Richter — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacques-richter-a216b324Learn more about NZVC & HostsNZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nzMark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/If this sharpened your startup/business brain, hit 👍 and subscribe for more New Zealand founder deep-dives.00:00 – Intro02:59 – Would you build again in New Zealand?04:21 – Working with regulators in New Zealand vs. abroad05:18 – Investor perspective on scaling beyond NZ06:28 – Comparison with building companies in Germany06:50 – Pros and cons of building from NZ (Sean on access and ambition)08:17 – The $10M lifestyle business trap in NZ08:40 – Under-capitalization and growth of local VC ecosystem10:12 – The importance of startup “mafias” in NZ11:01 – Janine on exiting and mentoring new founders12:28 – Investor view: learning from exits and spinouts12:52 – Mark and Janine on founder culture in Silicon Valley14:25 – Developing startup culture and access for new founders15:29 – Underselling ambition: the Kiwi mindset16:41 – Sean on Tall Poppy syndrome17:57 – Janine on selling to an Australian company and founder ambitions19:53 – Jacques on VC fund maturity and exit sizes20:46 – How investors decide which founders to back22:19 – What investors look for: meaningful problems and narratives23:18 – What needs to change in the NZ startup ecosystem?23:47 – Sean’s vision: capital, education, and share options reform26:00 – Janine: Stop investing only in “Mark Zuckerberg types”26:53 – Jacques: NZ’s VC growth and what’s next28:22 – Audience question: Where do the best startup ideas come from?30:15 – The role of passion in solving problems31:03 – Human capital and building great workplaces32:00 – Sean on attracting global talent to NZ33:10 – Discussion: Is NZ talent density enough?#startups, #NewZealand, #business, #venturecapital, #founders, #regulation, #talent, #ESOP, #globalexpansion, #womenintech, #innovation, #fintech, #crypto, #AI, #robotics, #ecosystem, #SaaS, #NZTech, #TechMates, #podcast

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• Beyond Startup Hype: 5 Founders on Real Difficulties

  Five New Zealand–linked founders drop hard-won truths!This highlight episode brings together five New Zealand tech entrepreneurs at very different stages—Shaun Quincey, Liam Kampshof, Nick Damiano, Steven Zinsli, and Anna Henwood. It’s a punchy reel of what actually moves the needle in startups: selling into enterprise, building brutally simple products, and staying alive long enough for the compounding to kick in.You’ll hear why enterprise sales is a “dark art” that starts by finding the real buyer, the founder mindset of “stop what’s not working and don’t die,” the moment a recap turns an engineer into a founder, and why loving uncertainty can keep you in the game for 15 years.🕸️ Enterprise infiltration: map budget cycles, find the true decision-maker, ask for money early.🧰 Prototype grit: shower tests, mastitis milk samples, and a raincoat-and-laptop cowshed setup.🔁 Pivot discipline: “stop doing the wrong thing,” survive, and let time create trust.🧠 Founder trigger: when a recap pushes a product-first engineer to build their own company.🎢 Roller-coaster reality: loving uncertainty, community, and autonomy in startups.🤖 AI & robotics: software-first medtech, simple sensors over dashboards, and pragmatic adoption.💼 Go-to-market: from field demos to enterprise programs that actually close.Connect with the Guests:Shaun Quincey — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-quincey-53548132Nick Damiano — https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdamianoLiam Kampshof — https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-kampshofSteven Zinsli — https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-zinsli-💳-aa813184Anna Henwood — https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-henwoodLearn more about NZVC & HostsNZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nzMark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/Timestamps:00:00 — Intro00:30 — Shaun on “enterprise infiltration” and finding the buyer03:31 — Liam’s prototypes and cowshed data04:32 — Steven: stop what’s wrong, don’t die, play the long game06:26 — Nick: a recap, a product plan, and the founder decision08:00 — Anna: the roller coaster, autonomy, and loving uncertaintyIf this sharpened your startup/business brain, hit 👍, drop your questions for the founders below, and subscribe for more New Zealand founder deep-dives.#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #AI, #robotics, #agtech, #fintech, #insurtech, #SaaS, #venturecapital, #productmarketfit, #founderstory, #enterprise, #B2B, #medtech, #marketresearch, #dairy, #compliance, #innovation, #podcast

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• Why Big Tech Failed at This Simple Farming Task

  🐄 Engineer Liam Kampshof turned an early milking-shed prototype into a simple, low-cost sensor now used on 145+ New Zealand farms, catching mastitis early to protect milk quality and payouts!Liam is a New Zealand tech entrepreneur and founder of Bovonic, makers of QuadSense—a snap-in, battery-powered sensor that measures each teat’s conductivity in real time, compares quarters, and throws a red light in ~30 seconds if mastitis is likely. It retrofits into the short milk tube, has no moving parts, a ~3-year battery life, and costs ~5× less than legacy lab systems—so farmers actually install it. 🐄 Mastitis 101: why manual “stripping” fails at scale and how quarter-level conductivity catches it earlier.📈 Adoption: ~145 farms (≈2% NZ) in year one; near 5% in early regions; hardware + profitability.🧭 NZ edge: no subsidies → ruthless ROI; “number-8 wire” practicality meets biomedical chops.🥛 Macro: NZ = #1 dairy exporter (not producer); EU cell-count standards and antibiotic rules shaping demand. Connect with the Guest:Liam Kampshof — LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-kampshofCompany (Bovonic / QuadSense): https://bovonic.comLearn more about NZVC & HostsNZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nzMark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/00:00 — Intro & NZ dairy roots01:11 — Farm childhood in Waikato & Bay of Plenty07:16 — Choosing Biomedical Engineering at Auckland10:16 — London deep-tech: DNA Electronics sepsis project21:10 — Back to NZ during COVID; MIQ and reset23:41 — The mastitis problem & why manual checks fail31:17 — Why quarter-level conductivity is the unlock37:47 — First prototypes; cowshed raincoat + laptop tests41:07 — Fieldays validation: 110–120 signups; pre-orders45:56 — QuadSense demo: sensor in the short milk tube48:38 — Red-light alerts in ~30s; 3-year batteries; self-install54:22 — 145 farms live; ~2% market; ~5% in early regions01:01:27 — NZ collar adoption shows ROI-driven uptake01:03:41 — Global fit: UK/Ireland → EU → US plan01:10:52 — Founder moving to UK to open markets01:19:02 — NZ: top dairy exporter; 95–96% exportedIf this sharpened your startup/business brain, hit 👍, drop your questions for Liam below, and subscribe for more New Zealand founder deep-dives.#startups, #NewZealand, #business, #AgTech, #dairy, #dairyfarming, #animalhealth, #mastitis, #sensors, #hardware, #biomedicalengineering, #precisionagriculture, #farmtech, #veterinary, #robotics, #AI, #Fieldays, #NZTech, #founderstory, #TechMates

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