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: Dorenda Britten and Chris Cole Business: Unlock Innovation Founded: 2021 HQ: Canterbury Can you tell us a bit about your business? Unlock Innovation was founded to address a skills shortage in […]

A startup aiming to streamline the heavy haulage and ‘lifting and shifting’ industries has created a digital dispatch management system for drivers to run their operations more smoothly and directly from the cabs in their vehicles. Mother Trucking, a Nelson-based limited liability startup launched in March 2023, wants to shape the future of the heavy […]

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: Luke Irving Business: Fingermark Founded: 2006 HQ: Hawke’s Bay Can you tell us a bit about your business? Fingermark is a technology company that specialises in optimising and empowering those in […]

We are living in uncertain times. To me it almost feels like we are in a pressure cooker of social, economic, political and environmental stew. In such times it’s natural for the prehistoric “lizard” part of our brain to kick into survival mode. This is a problem because if we are here because of our […]

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: Nicole Bourne Business: All Things Foil Founded: 2024 HQ: Taranaki Can you tell us a bit about your business? My name is Nicole, a qualified hairdresser for 12+ years, two years […]

Michelle Cole, Executive Director of the Angel Association NZ, hopes to encourage more investors to see the wide range of opportunities out there – particularly when it comes to those that are often on the ‘fringe’ of founderdom. “We want to be able to show early stage investors, and the ecosystem, that there are a […]

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: Emma Michelsen Business: Daisy Founded: 2023 HQ: Auckland Can you tell us a bit about your business? Daisy is a pioneer in women’s health, focusing on innovative over-the-counter antenatal products to […]

Nelson’s leading tertiary education provider is readying its students for the next wave of tech innovation under the guidance of a globally experienced AI specialist who is supercharging the capabilities of the school’s IT and Computing programme. Ali Kahwaji, an IT tutor in Digital Technologies at the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT), spent many […]

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: Prof. Keith Alexander (Founder and Director), Richard Shepherd (CEO), Dr. Alex O’Keefe (CTO) Business: Hapai Transfer Systems Founded: 2018 HQ: Canterbury Can you tell us a bit about your business? Ageing […]

Avnet and MACSO Technologies have entered a strategic relationship to accelerate and scale IoT deployments for customers worldwide by advancing artificial intelligence (AI) models on hardware and electronic components through Avnet’s IoTConnect Partner Program. Auckland based MACSO trains advanced artificial intelligence models that can simultaneously use different types of sensors on Avnet’s components. “MACSO is […]

Watch/listen to the Interview: Here Richard Liew talks with Paul Wilkes, founder and CEO at national marketing consultancy company MyMarketer. In the interview Paul talks about the unique business model behind MyMarketer which enables professional marketers to set up and run their own marketing businesses with the support of an established national brand and operating […]

When an accounts manager working in the farming sector in the Canterbury region decided it was time for a career change, a new opportunity came in the form of a plumbing business – however, there was a twist. The plumbing company in question was not only looking for an employee with an accounting background, but […]