A column about competing in international markets. And winning.
News from the New Zealand startup ecosystem, straight to your inbox thanks to today's Presenting Partner, Vanta.
Good morning Caffeinators!
Welcome to a Wednesday newsletter so well stacked that Substack told us we had to trim things down or it wouldn’t send properly 😬
With all eyes on America in the countdown to election, we thought now was a perfect time to debut our latest column unpacking how to crack the all-important US market [and beyond].
And as well as your usual Daily Shot of news, podcast pick, and parting shot, we’re following up our first Founder in the Wild entry with a brand new nomination thanks to you. Paid subscribers are also getting special discounted access to their very own ‘cabin in the wild’ thanks to Unyoked.
Plus our partner Vanta is offering the Caffeine community $1k off their trusted compliance and security platform. Click here or see more below.
Thank you once again to everyone who has donated, upgraded to paid, or just got in touch with some kind words. Hearing your feedback and seeing your support quite literally keeps us going.
Finn & the Caffeine team
NZ AI-based management tool to be backed by the US global startup network: Shutterspeed, an AI-based management tool for the creative sector, has been backed by global pre-seed venture capital firm Techstars, marking it as the third New Zealand company to receive their investment. Co-founders Freddie Mckenzie and Henry Collinson designed the software to automate time tracking across production stages, helping content creators focus on their work by reducing administrative tasks. With deep industry knowledge, they built Shutterspeed to help production companies better manage time, resources, and billing. More here.
Spark announces new tech summit to bring global expertise to New Zealand: Spark has announced the upcoming Spark Accelerate Summit in Auckland this November, a first-of-its-kind event designed to showcase advanced digital technologies and bring global expertise to New Zealand’s business leaders. The two-day event at Viaduct Events Centre will feature keynote speakers including Ayesha Khanna (CEO of Addo), Tom Gruber (co-founder of Siri), and Edmundo Ortega (AI expert and lecturer). Attendees will experience cutting-edge technologies like AI, IoT, and cloud solutions through showcases and interactive exhibits. Complimentary passes are available for the business and tech community, offering a unique opportunity to see how these innovations can drive productivity in Aotearoa’s businesses. To learn more or register click here.
Spring Cohort applications open for Founder Catalyst: Founder Catalyst is the startup programme for ambitious Kiwi founders obsessed with discovering and solving customer problems on a global scale. Powered by Ministry of Awesome. Founder Catalyst offers hands-on learning and real-world application for aspiring founders. Participants collaborate with like-minded peers, engage in group think tanks, and receive mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. The programme focuses on developing the skills needed for high-growth startups while providing direct access to industry experts and valuable networking opportunities. No fees and no need to give up equity. To register for the October intake apply here.
Opinion: The startup ecosystem we wanted, virtually overnight: We want the stories from this incredible community of ours to be featured far and wide and to make them ‘the’ business news stories of NZ. We enjoyed this opinion piece from Canterbury-based Ben Kepes on why he believes the NZ startup world has created something akin to an overnight success…in 15 years. Read more HERE to find out what he’s talking about here: “Unlike Silicon Valley events, which often feature aggression and posturing, this event showcased a group of impatient yet calm and egalitarian young Kiwis.”
A column about competing in international markets. And winning.
Beyond excited to introduce our brand new column with Heather Gadonniex. Heather is a US born and bred tech executive specialised in GTM. As CMO and Operating Partner at GD1, she’s passionate about translating best practices for growth and scale to the NZ ecosystem. She also serves as an Independent Director and Pavilion Envoy.
First Things First: Get Your First Team Sorted
In the fast paced world of scaling technology companies, we tend to obsess over the next big product release, revenue growth (profitable, efficient revenue growth in today’s market), or closing that new deal that will take us to the next level. While all of these activities are important, many founders and leaders miss a fundamental keystone - growth and scale are built on an effective First Team. After all, in the thrilling business of global expansion, nothing screams winning like a well oiled team ready to take on the world.
If you’re serious about scaling your company, making an outsized impact, and expanding internationally, you need to get your First Team sorted. Here’s why.
Who’s going bush next?
We’ve had such an incredible response to our new ‘Founders In The Wild’ column in partnership with Unyoked. After Brooke Roberts from Sharesies set such a high standard with her storytelling from her digital detox in nature we asked you who we should send next. It was a bloody tough call but we couldn’t go past Auror CEO & CO-Founder, Phil Thomson who has been recovering from tonsil surgery. Can someone get him to call us?! Unyoked have also been awesome and given us a 20% discount code for our paid Caffeine subscribers [hint hint…become a supporter on the button below]. Support us and you can all get some time out in nature…
Girls That Invest
After interviewing her last week and solidifying our immense admiration, we suggest you listen to Sim Kaur’s podcast ‘Girls That Invest.’ Sim & her friends break down the intimidating and not-so-well-taught world of investing and growing wealth, minus the jargon [sharp eyes on that link will note she also just happens to be Young New Zealander of the Year 2024].
Monday = they share their thoughts on your deepest, darkest money secrets or hot takes with Money Confessions.
Tuesday = they deep dive into investing topics, minus the jargon.
Thursday = they spill the tea on how to create a seven-figure side hustle with Girls That Startup - because no one saves their way to wealth.
We’re really proud to partner with Vanta because they offer something game-changing for founders: a faster, smarter way to tackle compliance. Whether it’s SOC 2, ISO 27001, or other standards, Vanta automates the process, getting you audit-ready in no time and saving you up to 85% of the costs. Plus, it helps build the trust that your customers value. To support the NZ startup community, Vanta is offering $1,000 off—just click here to claim it. We're all about solutions that make life easier for founders, and this is definitely one of them. If you’d like to know more, here’s a webinar they’re hosting next month.
SAVE THE DATE: VANTA WEBINAR
Unveiling the Future of GRC Roadmap
Date: Wednesday 16 October
Time: 12 pm NZDT
SIGN UP HERE
Looking to future-proof your GRC programme? Join Vanta on Wednesday, October 16th at 10 am AEDT / 12 pm NZDT for What’s New in Vanta: Unveiling the Future of GRC Roadmap. In this exclusive webinar, Vanta’s CPO, Jeremy Epling, will showcase the latest product updates and roadmap insights designed to help security teams scale more effectively. Whether you're growing your GRC strategy or staying ahead in compliance, this is the session for you.
The Kiwi Startup Employee Survival Guide 2025
Dean Watson is a great friend of Caffeine and along with Adam Walmsley, Sierra Thuy Truong, and Natalie Walmsley, has written The Kiwi Startup Employee Survival Guide 2025 to help Kiwi startup employees and their partners thrive in the fast-paced world of startups. With 13,000 words of practical advice, this guide offers something valuable for everyone, no matter where they are in their journey. The team plans to update the guide regularly, so if you have any questions or suggestions, they’d love to hear them. Be sure to share this guide with anyone who could benefit from its insights! Great work team. People like you are everything to this community.
