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: Lizzi Whaley and Anna Johnson Business: CircularBuild Founded: 2023 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? CircularBuild is on a mission to transform the design and construction […]

When Zoë Reece completed her Engineering degree, she never imagined that she would one day be using those skills to establish and lead an innovative New Zealand company specialising in medicinal cannabis products, called Ora Pharm. Zoë’s story is one of both hard work and good luck, a journey with decisions made at pivotal points […]

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: Bruce Jackson and Ronel Schodt Business: Kai’s Education Founded: 2019 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? Kai’s Education is shaping the future of learning through innovative […]

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: Olivia Dyet Business: Empathix Founded: 2023 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? Empathix is changing the recruitment game by creating a new market category: human-centric, advanced […]

NZ startup Shutterspeed has been selected as part of the 2024 Techstars Sydney accelerator, accompanied by $US120,000 funding. 4,400 companies have worked with the US global startup network Techstars, with a US$116B portfolio market cap.   Shutterspeed is developing a cutting-edge AI-powered business assistant for content creators and creative professionals. This investment highlights the growing recognition […]

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: Rob Stirling and Gene Dower Business: Scannable Founded: 2020 HQ: Otago Can you tell us a bit about your business? Scannable exists to streamline safety equipment management for ‘work-at-height’ industries, such […]

Launching a startup is exciting, particularly given New Zealand’s thriving and innovative startup ecosystem. However, the journey can be a steep learning curve and present numerous challenges, especially for first-time founders. This article explores five of the most common mistakes startup founders make and how you can steer clear of them. 1. Choosing the Wrong […]

Take a stroll through the heart of the South Island city of Nelson and you may be surprised to come across a new ‘store’ on the block that’s being hailed as a world-first in the field of artificial intelligence. The store is the Nelson AI Sandbox – a community education hub where anyone can walk […]

When Emma McMulkin found herself staring into the void of post-restructure unemployment after 17 years working for a multinational software company, she couldn’t help but feel a little daunted. But following a chance discussion with a friend, she discovered a new opportunity that let her take control of her career and leverage her well-honed marketing […]

Who: FoundrPR What: PR (Public Relations), PR Coaching NZ HQ: Auckland Who do you work with and what key challenges do you help them solve? At FoundrPR we help founders of startups and small to medium enterprises (“SME’s”) grow awareness for their businesses in the media. We also provide PR services to many organisations that […]

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: Jim Grierson and David Eder Business: The cGP Lab Founded: 2020 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? We offer health supplements containing a dipeptide called cyclic […]

New research reveals that seven in ten (70%) SMEs are feeling stressed and burnt out, made more alarming given that SMEs make up 97% of all businesses in New Zealand. The latest RFI Global research commissioned by Prospa highlights the ongoing uncertainty in New Zealand’s business climate, with business confidence continuing to trend downwards despite […]