The Business of Tech

The National Science Challenges, a decade-long experiment in funding mission-led science has ended and the research shows it was a resounding success. 

Emeritus professor Sally Davenport joins us to explain what was learned over that time and how we can keep the spirit of mission-led science alive.

We also discuss the report out of the Treasury showing NZ lags in artificial intelligence adoption, and the Government Communications S...

150 New Zealand executives were given Spark-funded scholarships for a four-week course all about learning how to use modern AI tools to boost business productivity.

We talked to two of them, NZME's Matt Martel and the NZ Institute of Directors' Kristen 'KP' Patterson, who explained what they learned from the course and how it shaped their thinking about AI.

They outline the business cases they developed during the course and how th...

When you've had one of the most successful careers in business in New Zealand, what do you do next?

For Xero founder Rod Drury the answer is to spend days mountain biking around Queenstown, wing foiling when he gets the chance, and meeting with government and business leaders to get national improvement initiatives moving.

He's pushed for the separation of energy generation and retailing, campaigned for more water storage across th...

It's the fifth year for 2degrees' Shaping Business report that covers the state of business across New Zealand.

Once again, we're bringing you a deep dive into the report with a panel of eminent business figures.

This year, the panel includes 2degrees' chief executive Mark Callander, Deloitte partner Anna Fitzgibbon and Auckland Business Chambers chief executive Simon Bridges.

They cover business confidence, hybrid working, skills ...

There are a lot of great things about NZ; our relatively small population is one of them. But if we want to be a major player in the global software industry, we need to be where the people are: the US.

That's according to Nick Lissette, founder and chief executive of NZX-listed Blackpearl Group, who features this week in an interview about thinking big and bringing the export dollars home.

Plus, Peter jetted over to Sydney to chec...

News of the news media has been pretty grim throughout 2024, with cutbacks and closures dominating the headlines.

To many, this is a sign that the writing is on the wall for an industry that's been struggling since the heady paper-based days of the 1990s.

But Xavier English says those people are just looking in the wrong places.

English joins us to talk about five Kiwi companies he says are redefining what 'news media' means in 202...

As budget anxiety spreads across the nation, we're spending this week looking back at the good news in the tech industry in the last couple of weeks.

We're joined by David Downs - NZ's own tech industry cheerleader, relentless optimist and genetically modified organism - to discuss the NZ Hi-Tech Awards, NZ Story's See Tomorrow First initiative, and the potential for NZ as a base for CAR T-cell cancer therapy development.

We also h...

The ministry of foreign affairs and trade (Mfat) mishandled millions of dollars in an attempt to shift its IT systems to the cloud and roll out Microsoft Office.

BusinessDesk's Dileepa Fonseka, who broke the story, walks us through what he learned in his reporting.

Then, there's huge potential for digital twins in Aotearoa New Zealand but our approach has been siloed and slow.

We learn what it will take to get started from Keri Niv...

Mark Callander, CEO of our flagship sponsor 2degrees and Kiwi telco stalwart, joins us to talk all things telco.

He shares where 2degrees is up to in the Great Brand Merge, rolling out satellite to mobile connectivity, integrating AI into its business, challenging the electricity market, and more.

We also talk about the generative AI madness announced by Google and OpenAI this month.

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After spending time in Ireland, Simon Walker was amazed at how Ireland, especially Dublin, had pulled itself out of the doldrums of the 80s to become a world-class tech hub.

The CEO and founder of tech-focused marketing company Proposition brought those thoughts back to Aotearoa with him and, although there are many differences between us, he saw enough similarities that we could learn a thing or two.

Walker explains his vision for...

While the number of women in tech is increasing, senior technical roles are still too often locked away behind a glass ceiling.

On her way to becoming a senior platform engineer, Meena Satishkumar faced an array of challenges that almost drove her off the path she wanted to follow.

In response, she founded Tech Beyond Gender, an advocacy organisation that recently published research with some concerning findings.

Satishkumar talks ...

What is the purpose of the Callaghan Innovation? In the wake of the mandate to reduce headcount by about 7%, this was the question that Stefan Korn had to answer.

To answer it, he returned to the organisation's founding documents, looked at similar organisations overseas, and considered the unique position of Aotearoa New Zealand.

In this episode, Dr Korn discusses his vision of Callaghan's future and the thought process that led h...

Aotearoa New Zealand's startup and VC scene has a bit of a problem with some investors taking too much equity for their money, leaving founders with little incentive to put in the effort it takes to grow their businesses.

On top of that, using equity to attract talent is near-impossible when it just lands that talent with a big tax bill the day they start.

Rob Vickery, founder and managing partner of Hillfarrance Venture Capital, ...

Apple’s efforts to redefine the world of augmented reality with its Vision Pro have been slowly creeping across the globe.

In February, the device landed in the hands of the developers at Kiwi virtual reality games studio Beyond who developed Runaways, one of the first ever games for the ‘spatial computer’.

Speaking with Beyond co-founders Jessica Manins and Anton Mitchell, Peter digs into what it was like to work with the Vision P...

Being AI CEO David McDonald explains the huge aspirations for the newly-listed company and why listing on the New Zealand Exchange was a key step in those plans.

McDonald and his assembled team have a history of AI success underpinning the promise of future glory. The company's share price rocketed since listing, sparking a lot of attention and some criticism.

Is it tall poppy syndrome? Or just fair scrutiny for a listed company?

W...

What does it take to be a modern, competitive internet provider in 2024?

One NZ CEO Jason Paris has been focused on exactly that question for the last few years as he has transitioned Vodafone NZ into One NZ.

Now, one year since the official launch of the rebrand, Paris joins us to provide some insight into how the gears are turning inside one of Aotearoa's biggest technology companies.

Plus, more AI job displacement talk, and has ...

Finally, it's a fintech episode! With the Commerce Commission releasing a draft report that outlines all the ways our banking sector is uncompetitive, now is the perfect time to talk disruption in the world of financial services.

First, Dosh CEO and co-founder Shane Marsh weighs in on the state of the NZ financial services sector with a view on how we got to this point of staleness and lack of competition, with four Australian bank...

Kiwi futurist Ben Reid joins the (award nominated!) podcast for a second time to talk about his new book, Fast Forward Aotearoa, which unpacks the path to a future of technological success and positivity for NZ.

Peter speaks to Ben Reid about what systemic changes need to be made to ensure the best outcomes for all Kiwis.

Plus, we talk about Chorus' investment in datacentres, Uber's big Aussie settlement, and why news outlets are m...

What exactly is sovereign AI and why would we want it?

Machine learning and artificial intelligence expert Kiarie Ndegwa has been in the trenches with the tech for a decade, including working on Te Hiku Media's bilingual te reo Māori/NZ English transcription tool.

Ndegwa shares his unique perspective on what it means to truly own AI and data and dips into the technical details to debunk the claims that only Big Tech can deliver the...