See Tomorrow First See Tomorrow First

At the launch of Techweek24, CEO of NZ Story David Downs sat down with 2 leaders in the NZ space sector to talk about how NZ ingenuity is shaping humanity's future in space. Our panellists were:

Morgan Connaughton, Director of Comms, Rocket Lab

Stefan Powell, CEO and CTO, Dawn Aerospace

Aotearoa is home to space tech innovation that’s rapidly putting us on the international space map, in fact, we’re the 4th largest player in space in the world.

We  have the world’s first fully private orbital launch site, capable of 120 launches a year. Our space innovators have developed a rapidly reusable, rocket-powered space aircaft as well as a fuel-free, solar-powered satellite control and propulsion system. We partner internationally on world-leading research to reduce climate change, minimise space debris, and gather data to improve life on earth.

All this is backed by an agile space industry that empowers us to think bigger, move faster, aim higher.

At the launch of Techweek24, CEO of NZ Story David Downs sat down with 3 leaders in the NZ gaming sector to talk about how they're taking NZ creativity global. Our panellists were:

Sam Ramlu, CEO and Co-Founder of Method, Mighty Eyes and Mad Carnival

Mario Wynands, CEO and Co-Founder of PikPok

Antony Blackett, BDM of Synty Studios



New Zealand’s gaming sector is booming, in fact it’s poised to become a billion-dollar industry in the next few years.

Our rich history of creativity and ingenuity is the foundation of our globally competitive gaming industry. New Zealanders are behind some of the world’s most downloaded games, and our games studios draw on award-winning visual effects expertise and the latest technology to create immersive, impactful games and content, and to supply the world’s best 3D art packs to developers all over the planet.

It was excellent to kick-off Season 2 of the podcast by sitting down with Toby Littin, Co-Founder and CEO of Parkable.

Parkable is a marketplace and SaaS solution that aims to make parking painless and profitable. Toby was one of 3 founders who came together in 2015, united in the knowledge that parking is a universally terrible experience, with an ambitious goal to build a company that would make it better for everyone.

Toby believes that better parking has a part to play in a more sustainable future, and he and his growing team are scaling globally with that vision, operating in the US, UK, Australia and Europe.

This insightful and wide ranging conversation spanned from the company’s origins, to its pivot to SaaS, to the importance of team culture when scaling to the world, and what Parkable’s customers love about working with them. Toby shared Parkable’s story with such honesty and humour, we hope you enjoy the conversation as much we did. 

Join us as we talk to Doctor Brian Ward, founder and CEO of Aroa; a soft-tissue regeneration BioTech company that develops, manufactures and distributes medical and surgical products to improve healing in complex wounds and soft tissue reconstruction.

Brian steps us through Aroa’s beginnings, from investigating and developing a ruminant forestomach extracellular matrix (ECM) technology, through to the company’s global presence today. He shares the challenges faced in the life sciences sector, especially around raising capital and regulatory considerations, and how Aroa has navigated these to scale and make regenerative healing available to people worldwide.

Hear more from New Zealand’s inspiring tech innovators intent on building a better tomorrow by listening to other episodes in this series. Listen to unique founding stories, from beautiful brand tracking software and a widely acclaimed gothic fishing game, to a seaweed-derived sustainable nanocellulose hydrogel -  an ingenious green alternative to petroleum-based polymers.

Join us as we talk to Maru Nihoniho, founder of Auckland-based interactive game design and development studio, Metia Interactive. Metia’s foundational project and labour of love is Guardian Maia; a hybrid historical, science-fiction story inspired by Maru’s whakapapa and Māori culture in Aotearoa.

Maru’s foray into gaming development began more than two decades ago – it’s a story of perseverance, resilience and clarity of vision. She steps us through her journey, how her culture has greatly inspired Guardian Maia, and the potential for cultural learning and empathy building through the game play experience.

Hear more from New Zealand’s inspiring tech innovators intent on building a better tomorrow by listening to other episodes in this series. Listen to unique founding stories, from beautiful brand tracking software and a widely acclaimed gothic fishing game, to a seaweed-derived sustainable nanocellulose hydrogel -  an ingenious green alternative to petroleum-based polymers.

Join us as we talk to Ben Gleisner, founder and Global CEO of Cogo; a sustainable FinTech company that has been working to combat climate change by understanding and positively influencing consumer spending. 

Ben talks about Cogo’s origins as a New Zealand based start-up with a mission to find a smarter way to take action on climate change, empowering consumers to at an individual level. He takes us through the company’s evolution since 2010, their move to put boots on the ground in the UK, and the integral role that played in allowing Cogo to scale with success.

Hear more from New Zealand’s inspiring tech innovators intent on building a better tomorrow by listening to other episodes in this series. Listen to unique founding stories, from beautiful brand tracking software and a widely acclaimed gothic fishing game, to a seaweed-derived sustainable nanocellulose hydrogel -  an ingenious green alternative to petroleum-based polymers.