Welcome

In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and change-makers working on innovative startups, social enterprises and SME’s around Aotearoa New Zealand. At a glance Founders: Samantha Holdsworth and Hamid Abbasi Business: Neurofanos Founded: 2023 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? At Neurofanos, we are focused on transforming neurosurgery while delivering significant […]

In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and change-makers working on innovative startups, social enterprises and SME’s around Aotearoa New Zealand. At a glance Founders: Max Daniels and William Hunter Business: Astrix Astronautics Founded: 2021 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? As satellite providers enhance their satellite fleets, more and more […]

In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and change-makers working on innovative startups, social enterprises and SME’s around Aotearoa New Zealand. At a glance Founder: Kate Gatfield-Jeffries Business: Moodi Founded: 2022 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? Moodi is a trailblazing mental wellness supplement brand dedicated to helping women feel their […]

In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and change-makers working on innovative startups, social enterprises and SME’s around Aotearoa New Zealand. At a glance Founders: Jonathan Ring and Prof. Aaron Marshall Business: Zincovery Founded: 2020 HQ: Canterbury Can you tell us a bit about your business? At Zincovery it’s our mission to decarbonize zinc recycling. We […]

A US investor-backed Auckland company, MACSO, is using artificial intelligence to detect and measure air impurities arising from vaping and cigarette smoke. In trials the technology has already been proven to reduce illicit vaping in one New Zealand middle school. MACSO is partnering with US-based Piera Systems, who has developed a family of ‘intelligent particle […]

Entrepreneur and businessperson Wendy Thompson was already an experienced board member when she took the Institute of Director’s Company Directors’ Course (CDC), but she says there was still much to learn. “I thought it would be a great experience and I would meet interesting people,” says Wendy, founder of Thompson Spencer, one of New Zealand’s […]

Watch/Listen to the Video Interview now: Following a recent story in which New Zealand biotech leaders say our biotech industry is in danger of falling behind after years of under investment, Richard Liew takes a deeper dive with two leading proponents for Kiwi biotechs. He’s joined by Dr Zahra Champion, Executive Director at BioTech NZ […]

A comparison between New Zealand and Australia’s approach to biotech shows we’re doing a lot of things right, but that government support for the sector in New Zealand could be improved. New Zealand biotech leaders say that if a comprehensive government biotech strategy isn’t prioritised soon, the sector will continue to fall behind in many […]

A New Zealand company that uses Artificial Intelligence-enabled audio sensors for respiratory health monitoring of animals on commercial animal farms, is going global after signing two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with a Chinese pig farm and a Chinese AgTech solution provider. MACSO is a pioneering new Auckland-based company set up to establish the building blocks […]

At only 24 years of age, Lucy Grunfeld isn’t what many would consider a ‘typical’ entrepreneur. And in a startup ecosystem that is usually dominated by SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions, she’s bucking the trend with a product that has the potential to revolutionise women’s rehabilitation after breast cancer surgery.  “It was my last […]

In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and change-makers working on innovative startups, social enterprises and SME’s around Aotearoa New Zealand. At a glance Founders: Alyona Medelyan and Nathan Holmberg Business: Thematic Founded: 2015 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? We use Artificial Intelligence to help companies improve their products and […]

In Founder Focus we introduce entrepreneurs and change-makers working on innovative startups, social enterprises and SME’s around Aotearoa New Zealand. At a glance Founder: Melanie Butzbach Business: Bedrock by Melanie Founded: 2022 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? Welcome to Bedrock, the foundation for natural beauty – a range of professional, […]