University of Auckland Leads Australasia in Start-up Success
News from New Zealand's startup ecosystem, straight to your inbox.
Good morning Caffeinators,
The weekend is in sight and we can kick off this morning with some positive news out our academic sector, with UoA leading Australasia in active startups.
We’re also checking in around the globe and it seems like the AI arms race is well and truly going nuclear, as Google orders construction of the first new US reactors in decades to feed its ever hungry data centres.
And to finish off, a very…innovative use of LinkedIn for re-branding…👀
Sit back, sip that coffee and enjoy your Caffeine.
Finn & the Caffeine team
University of Auckland Leads Australasia in Start-up Success: The University of Auckland has been named the top institution in Australasia for active start-ups in the 2023 Survey of Commercialisation Outcomes from Public Research (SCOPR), beating out the University of Queensland and CSIRO. With 47 active start-ups and spin-outs, Auckland leads in supporting innovation. This recognition reflects the university's commitment to translating research into impactful businesses. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater highlights the university’s strategy to empower students and staff in creating ventures that benefit society. Read more here.
Unlock the Secrets of Extraordinary Workplaces: Our friends at Best Places to Work have launched their first full-day BPTW Masterclass on Leadership on November 4th in Auckland. You’ll discover strategies, mindsets, and best practices that can help transform your business into a Best Place to Work. Learn from the 2024 Best Places to Work winners and partners Heather Polaschek (Head of People and Culture at RUSH), Jayne Alldred (Retail Director at House of Travel), Melissa Cheals (CEO of Smartly) and Nicola Taylor (Co-founder of Tax Traders and Taxi), all experts in leadership, high functioning culture, and people-centric workplaces. These exceptional experts and businesses will share their insights on creating world-class employee engagement, building an authentic culture, and leading in ways that drive extraordinary results. Find out more here.
Wild Hearts Podcast: JJ Fiasson on Leonardo, Ai’s Rapid Growth and AI’s Creative Future: This week on Wild Hearts, JJ Fiasson, co-founder and CEO of Leonardo.Ai, shares how the platform skyrocketed from 14,000 to 19 million users in under a year. JJ discusses building the world’s third-largest Discord community, the creation of Phoenix, Australia's first foundational AI model, and his philosophy on rapid product velocity. If you're interested in the intersection of AI and human creativity, this episode is a must-listen here.
Designer Wardrobe Expands to Australia, Bringing Sustainable Fashion Across the Tasman: New Zealand’s popular pre-loved fashion marketplace, Designer Wardrobe, has officially launched in Australia. With over 325,000 members in New Zealand, the platform allows Kiwis and Aussies to buy and sell pre-loved clothing, promoting sustainable shopping. CEO Aidan Bartlett emphasised the expansion as a way to reduce landfill waste and encourage circular fashion. Shoppers will now have access to thousands of listings from both countries, including popular Australian brands. More here.
Inflation hits lowest level in 3.5 years: New Zealand's inflation has dropped to a 3.5-year low, with the annual consumer price index (CPI) rising by 2.2%, down from 3.3%. Key drivers of inflation include rising food, medical costs, and local rates, while cheaper fuel and childcare subsidies helped reduce overall costs. Domestic inflation remains high, notably in rates and rents. The Reserve Bank’s forecast aligns with this trend, supporting the possibility of an official cash rate cut in November. Despite this, relief in rent and utility costs may take time to materialise. More here.
Google orders modular nuclear reactors: Fresh off news that Microsoft is restarting Three Mile Island to power its AI ambitions, now Google is also going nuclear to feed its power-hungry data centres. It is the first tech company to commission completely new reactors to do so however, with six to seven small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) on order from Kairos Power. As the Financial Times reports: “The two companies declined to comment on the agreement’s value, or on whether Google would fund the construction of the SMRs upfront or simply pay for power once they were built.” Read more here
Meet the Kiwi founder who says he can get your 11 year old into Harvard: In a lengthy feature for the WSJ, Crimson Education Founder Jamie Beaton discusses how he helps clients from all around the world get into their dream colleagues. He himself attended Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Tsinghua, UPenn and Yale. The bad news for anyone thinking its not too late for that world class education, he starts working with prospective Ivy Leaguers as young as 11 to get them properly prepared for the ultra exclusive admissions process. Read more here.
Anyone Can Turn You Into an AI Chatbot and there's Little You Can Do: Fascinating and harrowing piece from Wired showing how terrifyingly easy it is to turn virtually anyone into a chat bot without their consent. The piece opens with a father finding out his murdered daughter had her likeness turned into an AI bot by a stranger without his knowledge. It’s a challenging read but speaks to an urgent issue around Deepfakes and how simple it is becoming for anyone with any amount of online presence to have their voice and likeness stolen and used, even after death. Read more here.
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Would you tattoo the new name of your company on your body?
HealthNow Founder Steve Zinsli is promising to do just that if his post reaches 500 likes. He will announce the new name of his company and give away a $500 employee rewards card. We have to respect his commitment but please do not expect any future Caffeine rebrands to to be announced in this fashion. He still has a while to go though so if you want to see this happen, check out his post here.
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. We’ll be back tomorrow morning. Want to get in touch with a news tip, bit of feedback or just to chat? Email hello@caffeinedaily.co.