TechMates

Emily Blythe skipped university to launch a quad-bike accessory business, spent years trying to clear airport fog with drones, and eventually pivoted to solve aviation’s biggest headache through data.In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Emily Blythe, the New Zealand tech entrepreneur and CEO of Pyper Vision. Coming from four generations of pilots, Emily seemed destined for aviation—but instead of flying planes, she’s saving them from being grounded. She shares the incredible story of her first startup "Flatpak," the brutal reality of deep tech R&D, and the gut-wrenching decision to pivot Pyper Vision from fog dispersal (using chemicals and drones) to fog forecasting after discovering a flaw in the fundamental science.This is a masterclass in resilience, "missionary" founder mindsets, and how to build a global deep tech monopoly from New Zealand. If you are interested in aviation, hard pivot stories, or the reality of building hardware and software for high-stakes industries, this episode is for you.✈️ A 4-generation legacy in aviation 🚜 Skipping uni to build "Flatpak" (her first exit) 🌫️ The "Fog Factory" myth & early experiments 🚁 Trying to clear fog with drones & chemicals 📉 The painful pivot: When the science doesn't work 🔮 How Pyper Vision now predicts fog with 84% accuracyConnect with Emily Blythe:Pyper Vision: https://www.pypervision.com/Emily’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-blythe-2b4125156/Connect with NZVC & Hosts: 🔗 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 - Introduction 01:55 - Emily's deep aviation family history 08:49 - Launching "Flatpak" & skipping university 15:36 - Lessons from bootstrapping a hardware business 20:39 - The "Fog Factory" lie & discovering weather modification 29:15 - How airports & pilots actually handle low visibility 46:37 - Early experiments: Fog chambers & modified leaf blowers53:14 - Testing drones in Australia during COVID 55:09 - The Big Pivot: Why dispersal didn't work 1:00:19 - Shifting to high-accuracy forecasting 1:10:18 - Advice for New Zealand founders going globalIf you found value in this story of resilience and innovation, please hit the like button, leave a comment with your thoughts on deep tech pivots, and subscribe for more conversations with world-class founders!#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #aviation, #deeptech, #entrepreneurship, #EmilyBlythe, #PyperVision, #founders, #pivot, #tech, #innovation, #airlines, #flightdelays, #weathertech, #NZVC, #venturecapital, #success, #motivation, #techmates

Jamie Beaton managed a hedge fund portfolio at Tiger Management while simultaneously taking maximum course loads at Harvard and building a startup that now generates over $300M in revenue.In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Jamie Beaton, the New Zealand tech entrepreneur and CEO of Crimson Education. Jamie’s story is nothing short of relentless; he breaks down the massive cultural shift from New Zealand’s "tall poppy syndrome" to the "capitalism cubed" ambition of Manhattan. He reveals how he turned a dorm-room consulting hustle into a global education empire, all while working under legendary investor Julian Robertson.We dive deep into the mechanics of scaling a service business to 20+ countries, the controversial truths about elite college admissions, and Jamie's bold take on the future of schooling in the age of AI. Whether you are interested in EdTech, high-stakes investing, or just want to know what it takes to build a unicorn from a corner of the world, this conversation is packed with actionable insights.🇳🇿 New Zealand vs. USA: Ambition & Mindset 🎓 Building a $300M business from a Harvard dorm 🐯 Lessons from Tiger Management & Julian Robertson 📈 Global expansion strategies & hiring "unicorns" 🤖 The role of AI in the future of education 🏫 Launching New Zealand’s first online charter schoolConnect with Jamie Beaton:Jamie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiebeaton/Crimson Education: https://www.crimsoneducation.org/Connect with NZVC & Hosts: 🔗 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 - Introduction 01:37 - Growing up in a "hustle" household 07:11 - The train ride that changed his life 12:12 - Arriving at Harvard: "Capitalism on Steroids" 17:10 - New Zealand vs. Manhattan Mindset 20:37 - Launching Crimson from a dorm room 23:51 - Doing $300k revenue in Year 1 32:45 - Raising capital from Julian Robertson 37:57 - Working at Tiger Management while studying 46:58 - The formula for Ivy League admissions 51:44 - How to launch a business in 20+ countries 54:29 - Reaching $300M in sales 58:25 - New Zealand’s Online Charter School 01:06:00 - Alpha School, AI, and the future of learning 01:23:24 - Will AI destroy white-collar jobs?Support the Channel: If you enjoyed this episode, please hit the like button, leave a comment with your thoughts on the future of education, and subscribe for more deep dives with world-class founders!#startups, #business, #NewZealand, #JamieBeaton, #CrimsonEducation, #Harvard, #entrepreneurship, #investing, #TigerManagement, #EdTech, #scaling, #growth, #founders, #venturecapital, #education, #success, #motivation, #techmates, #NZVC, #economy

In this live NZVC Portfolio Day panel, Jovan Pavlicevic (Emerge & SquareOne), Dermot Butterfield (Wych), and Steven Zinsli (Extraordinary) join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau to show what it actually looks like to build fintech in New Zealand. They talk candidly about lobbying for access to ESAS and Payments NZ, designing products around tax law to make public transport salary-sacrifice eligible, and navigating an industry where four Aussie banks still control the vast majority of the market. Along the way you’ll hear very human origin stories—firefighting, Intel R&D, healthcare reform—and why they still think New Zealand is one of the best places on earth to build fintech startups if you’re willing to play the long, regulated game.🔗 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-09a03067/00:00 – Intro: why NZ’s fintech scene is bigger than people think.00:37 – Jovan on SquareOne & Emerge: kids’ banking, business accounts, and launching personal accounts.02:00 – From 6–7 months to 6–7 minutes: fixing business onboarding.03:15 – Dermot on Wych: “plug and socket” for data and payments.04:25 – Steven on Extraordinary: 34k active cards and making public transport tax-free.05:49 – Are regulators friends or enemies for fintech?07:49 – When regulators ask for your “recipe” and why that’s risky.09:14 – Lobbying to build New Zealand’s first digital challenger bank.12:42 – Why it’s so hard to start a new bank in New Zealand.14:14 – Designing NZ’s only pre-tax public transport benefit.17:29 – Unique access to MPs and policy writers in New Zealand.20:15 – Fighting “toll booths” on open banking and unfair pricing.23:29 – Getting bank-grade licenses with a team of one-and-a-half people.25:02 – Why Emerge is focused on New Zealand first, not “world by next week.”27:08 – Founder origin stories: firefighter, Intel engineer, healthcare operator.31:59 – Financial inclusion, socially capitalistic fintech, and lived experience.36:05 – Why SquareOne and Emerge went card-first; prepaid vs debit vs credit.40:09 – How each startup would handle another GFC-style shock.44:39 – What transaction data says about NZ’s real economy.47:17 – Sponsor plans, $4.99 subs, and cost-of-living pressure.49:32 – Closing reflections and applause.If this gave you a new lens on fintech, regulation, and startups in New Zealand, hit 👍, drop your questions or takeaways in the comments, and subscribe for more founder and investor deep-dives from the NZVC ecosystem.#startups, #NewZealand, #business, #fintech, #openbanking, #payments, #regulation, #banking, #SaaS, #NZTech, #futureofmoney, #financialinclusion, #employeebenefits, #cards, #venturecapital, #founders, #australasia, #startupstory, #TechMates, #podcast

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

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