Six insights from founder Will Hewitt to mark HeartLab’s sixth anniversary
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Good morning Caffeinators!
Phew. After all that chat, we’re finally here. Welcome to Substack. We’ve got a plan for daily content themes, but don’t worry, the team wisely vetoed my idea to give each day a name. You’ll still get your daily shot of news, plus some extras we think you’ll enjoy. And hey, let us know what you think - good, bad, or somewhere in between. We’re all about testing, learning, and getting better.
Today there’s (as usual) a lot to talk about in the AI world so grab your coffee and let it warm your veins like that Spring sunshine finally sneaking into our lives.
Lauren & the CAFFEINE team
Six insights from founder Will Hewitt to mark HeartLab’s sixth anniversary.
This month med-tech company HeartLab turns six before its founder turns 25.
Founders starting companies in their twenties is impressive enough but HeartLab turning six before its founder turns 25 is enough to make the biggest overachievers feel behind in life.
“I spent a quarter of my life working on this thing, so I guess it better go well,” founder and CEO Will Hewitt laughed when Caffeine caught up with him ahead of the anniversary later this month.
HeartLab uses artificial intelligence to automate and streamline the process of echocardiograms, a bread and butter scan for doctors checking heart health.
HeartLab caught the eye of major investors from Peter Beck to Peter Thiel early on and while he wouldn’t give specifics, Hewitt says HeartLab now services a ‘decent chunk’ of scans in both Australia and New Zealand. Read the six insights here.
Climate VC Fund Backs Teiny to Bring Nutritionally Complete Oat Milk Powder to Market. The Climate VC Fund (CVCF) led Teiny’s early-stage round, bringing their innovative oat milk powder to market with added support from friends and family. Teiny’s product combines dairy’s nutrition with the sustainability of plant-based milks, filling a crucial market gap. Read more.
New Zealand fintech Debut eyes first local AI-based open bank. Debut is set to be the first locally-owned bank in an open banking environment, driving competition and accessibility. With AI tools and a focus on financial inclusion, Debut is attracting strong interest, ready to revolutionize banking for underserved communities. Read more.
10 Key Takeaways from IceHouse Venture Growth Fund I Annual Report. Icehouse Ventures' Growth Fund I spotlights New Zealand's thriving startup scene, featuring successes like Halter and Hnry. The report emphasises the importance of strategic capital, resilience, and the long-term value of entrepreneurship in tackling global challenges. Read more.
If you haven’t heard of Notion AI, it’s a game-changer for founders juggling countless tasks — because, let’s face it, that’s the job.
Notion AI elevates project management, content creation, and team collaboration, acting like a super-smart assistant within your Notion workspace. Need to brainstorm, draft a pitch, or automate time-sucking tasks? Notion AI has you covered.
Why you’ll love it:
Content Creation: Quickly draft emails, blog posts, or marketing copy, freeing up time for the big picture.
Task Automation: Automate workflows and focus on what truly matters.
Knowledge Management: Keep your company’s knowledge organised and accessible for the whole team.
For founders looking to boost productivity and keep things running smoothly, Notion AI is the tool you didn’t know you needed—but won’t want to live without.
Did you see?
The infamous 2023 conversation between NYT Tech Columnist Kevin Roose and Sydney the chatbot in which it tried to break up his marriage set alarm bells ringing in Silicon Valley and likely changed the course of AI progress worldwide. This episode of the (excellent!) Hard Fork podcast follows Roose realising how that story's immense reach has poisoned the answers chat bots write about him and as he tries to figure out if there's an easy way to game AI into being more positive about a public figure. Spoiler alert: There is and it's so shockingly effective that AI companies are likely already scrambling updates. Listen here.
