Suit Up: Tracksuit Founder Matt Herbert Reflects on a Stellar 2024 and Plans for Doubling the Business in 2025

PLUS: Trump’s tariff chaos hits NZ, 470,000 borrowers in arrears, China’s AI race accelerates, Blackbird backs early-stage founders, NZ’s science sector shake-up, & Auckland Uni resets capitalism.

Welcome to your Tuesday morning fix.

Let’s talk about kiwi startups taking on the world and winning as a priority today! Consider it a counterbalance to some of the rather uncheery list of headlines that follow. Sigh.

• Trump Pauses Mexico Tariffs Amid Market Turmoil—NZ Still Caught in Trade War Crossfire

• NZ’s Science Shake-Up: Bold Promises, But Funding Must Follow

• 470,000 Kiwis Behind on Loan Payments as Businesses Face Tougher Times

• China’s AI Revolution: Meet the Contenders Challenging OpenAI

• Blackbird’s Giants Programme Is Back—Helping Early-Stage Founders Go from Idea to Reality

• Rethinking Capitalism: The University of Auckland’s Bold New Research Hub

• Ministry of Awesome Coffee & Jam #357: Christchurch’s Ultimate Founder Meetup

A huge thanks and welcome to all our new subscribers—you’re keeping us alive in this wild, unpredictable media world. Spot us 25 coffees and we’ll be in your inbox daily making sure you don’t miss a beat in NZ startup land. We also have some VERY exciting new features and a pod on the cards for subscribers. Do it.

Lauren & the Caffeine team