Mothers Ruined Gin Partners with Brianne West’s Insprie Labs for Ethical Growth
News from the NZ startup ecosystem, straight to your inbox.
Welcome to a new week, Caffeinators!
What a weekend for New Zealand on the world stage! In Barcelona, the America's Cup once again saw Kiwi ingenuity take the spotlight, and just this morning in Dubai, the White Ferns claimed a thrilling victory in the T20 World Cup. Both wins are a reminder that no matter the odds, with the right strategy and determination, small nations can achieve huge things.
Here’s a fully packed shot of news to get your week off to a winning start!
Lauren & the CAFFEINE team
Mothers Ruined Gin Partners with Brianne West’s Insprie Labs for Ethical Growth: Brianne West, founder of Ethique, has invested in Wellington-based gin company Mothers Ruined through her ethical investment fund, Insprie Labs. Led by founders Jo Davy and Helen Gower, Mothers Ruined impressed West with its sustainable approach, including paperboard packaging. The partnership aims to accelerate growth while staying true to ethical values. West believes in supporting businesses that balance profitability with sustainability, with plans to guide Mothers Ruined in rebranding and potential equity crowdfunding. Read more here.
Rocket Lab Launches Scholarships to Foster STEM and Aerospace Talent: Rocket Lab’s scholarships are literally out of this world! They’re offering $20,000 for a bright STEM mind (preferably with a Mahia connection), and a $10,000 Women’s Scholarship to lift women and gender minorities into the aerospace stratosphere. And the best part? Mentorship from real Rocket Lab engineers. It's like getting a backstage pass to rocket science. Applications close November 4th, so if you've ever wanted to say, “It’s not rocket science”—but it is—now’s your chance! 🚀 Learn more and apply here.
Why WordPress’s CEO is spooking the internet: Internal drama at WordPress is shaking up the internet, as founder Matt Mullenweg battles WP Engine (WPE), accusing them of exploiting WordPress without contributing to its development. Mullenweg banned WPE from accessing WordPress, leading to a lawsuit and mass employee walkouts. The feud centres on whether open-source platforms should allow others to profit without contributing, with Mullenweg’s actions sparking concerns across the developer community about the future of open-source projects and 43% of the internet. Morning Brew shares a great piece here.
Business Leaders Push Back on Seymour’s Treaty Campaign, Survey Reveals: In Duncan Grieve's take on Fran O'Sullivan's Mood of the Boardroom survey for the NZ Herald, he highlights how the business community has voiced strong disapproval of David Seymour and the ACT Party's focus on Treaty principles campaigning. Despite support for ACT's regulatory approach, which could have benefited businesses, leaders feel Seymour's Treaty stance has become a divisive distraction. This shift has left many in the business world frustrated, as they initially saw Seymour as an ally to drive economic progress. The survey shows that this sentiment crosses political lines, with resistance to the Treaty Principles bill not just from the left, but also from business-aligned conservatives. Read more here.
This week we’re chatting with Olivia Dyet, Founder and CEO of Empathix for our Founders in 5 series — five questions with NZ’s startup leaders. Empathix is a tech startup that allows recruiters and hiring managers to have access talent 24/7 at their fingertips. It was selected to be one of 10 Companies out of 1000+ Companies that apply each year to go through the Startmate Accelerator. Olivia is Mum of 3 with a 16, 6 and 3 year old. She is obsessed with learning everything, and genuinely, wholeheartedly and deeply loves people and technology.
What do you wish you had known before becoming a founder?
That I could have been a founder when I left school 😂
What's the most useful advice you've ever received [and followed]?
If you can dream it, you can do it.
And the worst? [Followed or not]
Fake it til you make it. I genuinely don't think anyone needs to fake things. If you are, perhaps figure out why.
What do we need to do to take the NZ startup ecosystem to the next level?
We need a focused community where ambition (and exposure to what big ambition is) is celebrated and backed—especially for minority group founders—because the amount of of untapped talent I’ve met who just need the right support is literally mind blowing.
What's the hardest thing about being a founder?
The challenge is what fuels me. I am drawn to hard...always have been. But I recognise my personal life likely suffers more than it should because I find it hard to step back from solving a problem that matters so much. That’s not to say my personal life matters any less because I like the idea of showing my kids anything is possible, I just think the hardest part for me is shifting gears when I am so drawn to the work.
Founder Coffee | Tue 22nd Oct, 12pm | COIN South, 25 Don Street, Invercargill | A chance to pop in, meet other founders, talk about wins, challenges and know that you’re not the only one on the rollercoaster in the deep south. Read more.
MUV Talks | Fireside Chat with Eugene Yao (@ADHDfounder) | Tue 22nd Oct, 6:30pm | GridAKL/John Lysaght, 101 Pakenham St West, Auckland | Join Pauli and friends for a fireside chat with Eugene Yao, ADHDfounder, who grew from 0 to 1M followers in 6 months. Perfect for entrepreneurs and social media enthusiasts! Read more.
Ever wondered what your pet is really thinking? Now there’s a collar that’ll tell you. Shazam, a new talking collar for cats and dogs, responds with prerecorded human voices to make you feel like your furry friend is finally chatting back. Whether it’s asking for a walk or reminding you it’s kibble time, this gadget adds some sass to pet parenting. Though it won’t deepen your bond, it might give you a few laughs—if you’re willing to shell out $595 USD! Learn more here.
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Want to get in touch with a news tip, a slice of feedback or just to chat? Email hello@caffeinedaily.co