The Business of Tech

The Business of Tech

The Business of Tech, hosted by leading tech journalist Peter Griffin. Every week they take a deep dive into emerging technology and news from the sector to help guide the important decisions all Business leaders make. Issues such as cybersecurity, retaining trust after a cyberattack, business IT needs, purchasing SaaS tools and more. New Episodes out every Thursday. Follow or subscribe to get it delivered straight to your favourite podcatcher. @petergnz @businessdesk_nz Proudly sponsored by 2degrees Business!

Episodes

August 27, 2025 34 mins

New Zealand’s workforce is bracing for the rise of artificial intelligence, but University of Auckland economist and organisational behaviour expert Dr Kenny Ching argues it’s not the jobs apocalypse many fear.

AI will reshape roles rather than eliminate them, and thanks to a resilient agriculture-based economy, the country is better positioned than most to adapt and even lead in agricultural innovation. 

“AI...

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As the global race to develop quantum computers heats up, New Zealand is working on specialist areas of technology that could add crucial elements to the quantum supply chain.

That’s according to the University of Oxford’s Professor Andrew Daley, a principal investigator in the UK’s national quantum programme tasked with developing more accurate and functional quantum computers.

In the latest episode of The Busine...

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As US tech companies double down on artificial intelligence, pouring billions into new data centres and offering eye-watering compensation packages to secure the best talent, a different path is emerging for New Zealand.

Catalyst Cloud co-founder Don Christie returned to The Business of Tech podcast this week to lay out his vision for sovereign AI, one where open source models and local infrastructure pave the way for the country&r...

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This week's episode of The Business of Tech marks a historic moment: the 60th anniversary of Datacom, New Zealand’s largest homegrown IT company. 

I was joined by Datacom’s Group CEO Greg Davidson, who has overseen nearly two decades of remarkable change, steering the Christchurch-founded company through tidal waves of technological innovation. 

“It is older than me, I'm going to hang on to that for as l...

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Concrete might be the backbone of modern society, but it comes at a steep carbon cost.

As global climate pressures intensify, the business of “greening” this essential material is heating up, and few are more determined to crack the code than Zarina Bazoeva, co-founder of Neocrete.

In the latest episode of The Business of Tech, Zarina sits down for an in-depth interview about how her New Zealand startup is tackling one ...

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With Big Tech hyperscalers investing billions in local data centres and the Government taking a cloud-first stand, the migration of our data and applications to cloud platforms is in full swing.

But as David Reiss, my guest on this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, told me that moving to the cloud isn’t necessarily the panacea if you are looking to lower the ongoing costs of running your IT systems.

The co-CEO of ...

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One of New Zealand’s most ambitious startups, Zenno Astronautics, is undertaking pioneering work with superconducting magnets to address one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity’s future in space - space junk.

On The Business of Tech podcast this week, Max Arshavsky, co-founder and CEO of Zenno Astronautics, charts his journey from the steppes of Siberia to the University of Auckland, where in 2017 he founded...

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J.D. Trask, the Wellington-based entrepreneur behind global software success Raygun, is back with a new venture, one he believes could have an even greater impact than the internet itself. 

In the latest episode of The Business of Tech podcast, Trask sat down with me to introduce Autohive, a platform designed to make AI automation accessible for every business, not just those with deep technical resources.

Trask’s well-e...

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By now, you’ve probably participated in a video conference call that’s been recorded and automatically transcribed, with a meeting summary sent to you within seconds of the meeting ending.

The likes of Teams, Otter, Zoom and Fireflies are using artificial intelligence to parse our language for insights and meaning, translating long, meandering meetings into useful summaries.

But Christchurch startup Contented AI is taki...

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This week on The Business of Tech podcast, we unpack the sixth annual 2degrees Shaping Business Study, a barometer for the mood and ambitions of Kiwi business leaders as we hit the midpoint of 2025. 

The headline? Optimism is back, at its highest level since the research began, with more New Zealand companies describing themselves as thriving rather than just surviving.

Optimism on the rise

After years of economic turbulence, ...

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Tracy Sheen isn’t your typical artificial intelligence guru. “I am looking forward to stirring the AI pot with you, Peter,” Sheen told me at the start of an entertaining discussion on this week’s episode of The Business of Tech. 

The award-winning Australian business coach and technology strategist has always been passionate about making technology accessible.

Her latest book AI & U: Reimagine Busin...

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As chief data officer for Australia and New Zealand at Publicis Groupe, Maurice Riley stands at the intersection of data, technology, and advertising strategy.

On this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, Riley outlined the trends reshaping the advertising industry, highlighted the growing importance of the "middleverse" in customer journeys, especially during sluggish economic times, and offered practical advice for New Z...

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June 4, 2025 42 mins

Wellington, once a vibrant hub for New Zealand’s tech innovation, has faced stagnation in recent years. 

Last week, a packed audience at a Vision for Wellington event on Wellington’s waterfront heard from the city’s tech luminaries about how the city can embrace its strengths, particularly in technology, and foster a more supportive, connected ecosystem.

Sitting in the audience was Ralph Highnam, founder of b...

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If the novelty of seeing AI-generated videos popping up in our newsfeeds has started to
wear off, Google has something new for you to feast your eyes on.

Last week, the AI giant released Veo 3, the latest version of its AI content generator. Its claim to fame? Veo 3 not only generates short video clips based on prompts from users, but also audio, syncing sound effects and character dialogue with the video.

That’s...

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Litmaps, a Wellington-based startup that’s just raised $1 million in a Series A funding round, is redefining how scientists navigate the sea of academic literature by merging citation network analysis with generative AI. 

Founded in 2016 by Axton Pitt and Kyle Webster, the platform now serves over 2 million researchers globally, including institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Cambridge. Its mission? ...

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The Technology Users Association has issued a stark warning that New Zealand risks falling further behind in the global digital economy unless the government urgently reforms its approach to digital and technology skills, with a particular focus on vocational training. 

In a wide-ranging interview on this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, TUANZ CEO Craig Young expressed deep frustration at the lack of strategic lea...

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Reuben Davidson, Labour’s new spokesperson for science, innovation, technology, broadcasting and the creative economy, isn’t shy about the scale of the challenges facing New Zealand’s high-value sectors, or the damage he says the current government is doing. 

In this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, the former TV producer, who won the Christchurch East seat in the 2023 general election, is scathi...

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New Zealand, like many smaller nations, has become deeply reliant on American technology platforms for everything from government operations to daily business functions. 

In this week’s episode of The Business of Tech, Canadian journalist and author Paris Marx warns that this dependence is not just a matter of convenience, it’s a growing vulnerability that puts the country’s digital sovereignty at risk.

The i...

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As global trade becomes increasingly protectionist, New Zealand’s tech sector faces a welcome anomaly for now: digital exports are tariff-free. 

Unlike goods, software and digital services still move relatively freely across borders, and nowhere is this opportunity greater than in India—a vast, fast-growing market hungry for innovation. 

The story of Valocity Global, founded by Auckland-based serial entreprene...

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Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative has sparked global debate about balancing disruptive reform with sustainable public sector innovation. 

In a panel discussion on this week's episode of The Business of Tech, former Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell, futurist Ben Reid, and crypto expert Paul Quickenden critique Musk’s approach while proposing alternative strategies for New Zealand to dr...

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