The founder of ASX-listed accounting platform Xero is now Sir Rod Drury after being appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Sir Rod was knighted for his services to business, the technology industry and philanthropy in New Zealand’s New Year honours Drury founded Xero in 2006, taking it public in just a… Read more »
Writing the story of our journey wasn’t something I ever imagined doing, until recently. While overseas on a work trip – with a bit of R&R at the end – I met a woman who was genuinely curious about MyTrucking. She asked me, “Have you ever thought about writing some of this down? Your learnings,… Read more »
New Zealand voice-based 360 feedback platform, Huckleberry, has raised NZ$2.1 million ($1.84m) in pre-Seed funding. The round was led by US VC Oregon Venture Fund, with support from Archangel Ventures, plus US and NZ founders, including Mineral CEO Nathan Christensen, TradeMe’s Rowan Simpson and M-Com’s Serge Van Dam. Huckleberry enables people to talk rather than… Read more »
Auckland-based NZVC is planning to invest in 50-60 Australia and New Zealand early-stage founders with its new NZ $50 million Fund II. Fund II invests from Pre-Seed to Series A, with smaller initial cheques and significant follow-on reserves. General partner Mark Pavlyukovskyy founded NZVC in 2021 as Aotearoa’s first operator-led venture fund, having relocated to… Read more »
Blackpearl has brought Wilson Asset Management and other Australian funds onto its register via an oversubscribed placement, using proceeds to settle the B2B Rocket deal and ready the company for a late-November ASX debut.
Wellington startup PAM (Personal Administration Manager) has raised NZ$570,000 (A$502k) in the first close of its Seed round to help parents deal with the life admin of raising a family. Initial support was led by Flying Kiwi Angels, with participation from Icehouse Ventures, Even Capital’s Sarah Park, Easy Crypto founder Janine Grainger, Foggy Valley, Wainot… Read more »
Cloud-based insurance software-as-a-service scaleup Javln has raised A$6 million for its Australian expansion. The round was led by boutique fund manager Microequities Asset Management and alongside crossing The Ditch, will be used for R&D and entry into other markets New Zealand entrepreneur Dale Smith founded Javln in 2011. It simplifies clients, policies, claims, and document management… Read more »
New Zealand fintech Wych has raised NZ $1.5 million (A$1.32m) to accelerate open banking delivery in New Zealand and Australia . The round was New Zealand FinTech Fund (NZFF) with participation from the NZX-listed Booster Innovation Fund (BIF) and other strategic investors. Wych provides secure, real-time financial information and data exchange to power the next generation… Read more »
An AI assistant designed for financial advisers, developed by New Zealand fintech Marloo has trousered A$4.2 million in pre-Seed funding. This round was led by Blackbird Ventures, with support from CoVentures, Brand Fund and a Who’s Who of angel investors, including Xero cofounder Philip Fierlinger, Stake’s Matt Leibowitz, Halter’s Craig Piggott, Heidi Health’s Tom Kelly,… Read more »
New Zealand ocean security startup Starboard Maritime Intelligence (SMI) has banked a NZ$23 million (A$20.7m) Series A. The round was co-led by SMI’s first backer, Kiwi VC Altered Capital, with new investors OIF Ventures and King River Capital, supported by Co:Act Capital, Icehouse Ventures, and Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation. The funding is for global expansion into… Read more »
Aether, a Kiwi AI startup turning marketing presentations into a live documents, has raised NZ$3.8 million (A$3.4m) in Seed funding. The AI-powered SaaS platform, cofounded by former TikTok NZ country manager Carsten Grueber, has emerged from stealth mode with backing from Icehouse Ventures, and support from Brand Fund 2. The startup has emerged out of New+Improved,… Read more »
Unruly Partners has tapped newly honoured plant scientist Dame Alison Stewart DNZM as scientific partner. She’ll help the Kiwi investment firm spot and scale biological crop-protection breakthroughs, including work with portfolio company Cellora.
When Halter raised a $155 million Series D last month, turning the Kiwi agtech scaleup into a unicorn, Icehouse Ventures was once again among the investors. Now the New Zealand VC is gearing up to back the next wave of Kiwi tech startups and has already secured NZ$15 million in commitments towards a new $30… Read more »
Last week’s announcement of the loss of a methane-detecting satellite, just days before New Zealand was meant to take over mission control, is a blow to the country’s space research sector. New Zealand invested NZ$29 million in the MethaneSat mission, built and operated by the US nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, with a goal of growing… Read more »
Black Pearl Group founder Nick Lissette had an idea for a AI-driven sales agent for small business about five months ago. It took 90 days to develop and launch Bebop, the latest product from his New Zealand listed tech company, and within 45 days, it hit $1.2 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). Black Pearl’s… Read more »
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