NZ Innovation & Export Podcast

Episode 18: What started with a panel beater building a better horse float for his daughter has grown into a specialty vehicle manufacturer approaching 100 staff.

Alyssa Wade, Managing Director of Wade Group, shares how the family business moved from luxury equine coaches into motorsport transporters, prisoner vehicles and the national New Zealand Police contract, while building new technology and expanding into Australia.

It is a story about succession, manufacturing, calculated growth and continually finding new problems worth solving.

Episode 17: What does it take for a Hamilton software company to win major healthcare contracts across New Zealand, Australia and the Middle East?

Ross Wilson, founder of CBS, shares how the company grew from running hospital costing calculations on a laptop to supporting hundreds of hospitals.

Ross explains why cracking Australia took around a decade, how proof-of-concept projects help win enterprise clients, the unexpected realities of doing business in the UAE, and why relationships remain at the centre of CBS’s international growth.

Episode 15: From New Zealand to the World: 70 Years of Aircraft

Aircraft manufacturing is not an industry most people associate with Hamilton or New Zealand.

New Zealand is one of only a small number of countries with commercial aircraft design and manufacturing capability, and NZAero is keeping that expertise alive from its Hamilton factory.

CEO Stephen Burrows joins Josh Moore to discuss the company’s remarkable aviation history, why aircraft sales alone cannot provide a stable business model, the importance of global relationships, and how NZAero is exploring the next generation of flight through hydrogen-electric technology.

Episode 15: Can Kiwi VR Compete on the World Stage?

How does a Hamilton software company end up working with multinational technology businesses and developing immersive training systems for the New Zealand Defence Force?

Company-X CEO Jeremy Hughes explains how complementary co-founders, Kiwi problem solving and a focus on difficult problems shaped the company’s growth.

Jeremy shares why simulation technology presents an export opportunity, what New Zealand businesses need before entering overseas markets, and the experience that convinced him technology should play a greater role in New Zealand’s economic future.

 

Show Notes:

Sir Paul Callaghan’s impactful speech on Mapping our Future, from Strategy NZ 2011 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhCAyIllnXY

Episode 14: How Quantec Turned NZ Milk into a Global Health Ingredient Business

What if one of milk’s most valuable ingredients is found in only a tiny concentration, but can deliver significant health benefits?

Quantec co-founder Rod Claycomb explains how an unsuccessful on-farm technology project led to the discovery of IDP, a high-value milk protein ingredient now used in supplements, skincare and other health products.

Rod shares the pivots, failed ideas, export lessons, and commercial decisions behind a business earning more than 95% of its revenue offshore.

Episode 13: What If New Zealand’s Next Major Export Is Expertise

Atlas Studios founder Omer Hazer explains how New Zealand agencies can leverage their expertise to help local product brands expand into Australia, North America, and other international markets.

Omer discusses how he built a 12-person e-commerce consultancy business, generating 60% of its revenue from overseas clients, maintaining trust through rapid growth, and how moving to New Zealand at 13 shaped his self-reliance and approach to entrepreneurship.

Episode 12: From Garage-Built Bike To NZ’s Only Motorcycle Manufacturer

From a BMX frame with batteries strapped on, to 160 pre-orders, cost reduction, production challenges, customer feedback, test ride events and early export traction.

Luke Sinclair from FTN Motion shares how a garage-built electric bike became New Zealand’s only motorcycle manufacturing business in the retail space. Luke unpacks the real work behind building a hardware startup from New Zealand. It is a candid look at innovation, manufacturing, pricing, product-market fit and why FTN Motion thinks in cities, not countries.

Episode 11: Building a Māori-Owned Wellness Brand from Native Plants

Mānuka honey may be world famous, but it is only one part of New Zealand’s native plant story.

Helen Paul-Smith, co-founder of Ōku, a Māori-owned wellness brand using native plants like kawakawa, horopito and mānuka to create teas, balms, elixirs and soaps. Helen shares how the business grew from farmers markets and boxes under the bed into a New Zealand and export-focused brand, and why sustainability, culture and long-term thinking have shaped every major decision.

Episode 10: From an Auckland SaaS Startup to a Global Tool for Lenders

FileInvite Founder James Sampson on SaaS Growth, Export Revenue and Enterprise Sales James Sampson from FileInvite shares how an internal tool built inside a New Zealand web agency became a global SaaS platform serving banks, lenders and financial institutions.

James talks about the pressure of moving from service business to software, the shift from small customers to enterprise contracts, why niching down changed the business, and how FileInvite now earns 96% of its revenue offshore. He also shares the unusual story behind his first investor.

Episode 9: Why a New Zealand Business Coach Built an 80-Person Global Team

Scaling A Coaching Business Across Four Countries

Tony Fraser-Jones has taken Profitable Tradie from one-on-one business coaching in New Zealand to a global coaching company with 80 staff, 700+ clients, and revenue across New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada.
In this episode, Josh Moore talks with Tony about scaling beyond yourself, hiring better people, building a values-led culture, entering overseas markets, and why New Zealand business owners need to think bigger about what is possible.

Episode 8: Taking a Kiwi-Owned Pharmaceutical Brand Into the US

How Kiwi-Owned US Pharmaceutical Company Healthtex Launches OTC Products in America

Tim O’Donoghue is the co-founder of Healthtex, a Kiwi-owned US pharmaceutical company built around a simple but powerful idea: listen closely to what customers actually say.

Tim explains how decades of pharmacy conversations led to Asteroid, an over-the-counter (OTC) haemorrhoid product designed from real customer feedback, and how Healthtex is now navigating FDA listings, Amazon reviews, ecommerce, crowdfunding and the challenge of taking on far larger pharmaceutical competitors in the United States.

Episode 7: Buy Now Pay Together, Shopify And Fintech Innovation

How PaySquad Is Building “Buy Now, Pay Together” For E-Commerce

Cam Richardson is building something different: buy now, pay together. Cam shares how a surprising 21st birthday gift sparked the idea for PaySquad, a Kiwi fintech startup creating a “pay with friends” checkout option for retail, ticketing, and travel. Josh and Cam unpack the customer problem, the merchant opportunity, the funding journey, and the bigger vision behind multiplayer commerce.

Episode 6: The Hidden Industry Behind Cleaner Lakes, Ponds & Public Waterways

How Parklink Is Solving Water Quality Problems Across New Zealand and Australia

Regan Senior from Parklink, a Hastings-based company working in one of New Zealand’s more niche environmental industries. Regan shares how Parklink moved from wastewater bacteria dosing into broader freshwater solutions, why the business chose to manufacture selected products in New Zealand, and how it is navigating Australia, regulation, R&D, and global interest in its Oxyjet technology. It is a practical conversation about focus, timing, and knowing when to walk away from good revenue.

Episode 5: Taking a Kiwi Road Case Innovation to the US Live Events Market

Can a Kiwi company’s innovation crack the US live events market?

Joe Bradford, co-founder of Fiasco Cases, shares how a small Cambridge company became a supplier to major names across sport, entertainment, and live events, including the NBA, Disney, Fox Sports, UFC, and more. In this episode, Joe explains how Fiasco rethought the humble road case, pushed into the US market, survived the collapse of live events during COVID, and rebuilt momentum through sharp product thinking, social media, and export-focused growth.

Episode 4: How a Kiwi Farmer Turned One Practical Fix Into an Export Business

What happens when a farmer solves a problem no one else has cracked, then turns it into an export business?

In this episode, Wilco Klein Ovink shares the Number 8 Wire story behind The Wrangler, from farm-built prototypes and Fieldays wins to distributors in Australia and the US. This conversation goes beyond invention into commercialisation, export lessons, patents, distributor strategy, and what it takes to keep practical innovation moving.

Other Websites:
www.pollensmart.co.nz
www.rideovergate.com

Episode 3: Solving Complex Problems by Connecting Technology

What does it take to turn everyday warehouse risks into controlled, trackable systems?

Jason Buckley from ARC breaks down how combining cameras, GPS, and custom coding created a safer working environment for a major manufacturer. From preventing forklift incidents to unlocking unexpected efficiency gains, this conversation explores how practical innovation happens on the ground.

Episode 2: Building a SaaS Business From Cambridge to 30+ Countries

Rocketspark didn’t raise millions or outspend competitors. Instead, it focused on something most SaaS companies overlook. In this episode, Grant Johnson shares how a small New Zealand team built a global product by doubling down on customer insight, operational discipline, and smart AI execution.

Episode 1: How Q-Golf Turned an Unusual Idea Into a Global Product Business

In this episode, Jamie Moore shares how Q-Golf went from a rough prototype and a COVID-era grant to a patented product sold in more than 60 countries. This conversation covers Kickstarter, manufacturing in China, quality control, shipping, branding, and the real-world impact of influencer marketing. It is a practical look at what happens when a New Zealand company decides to build for the world from day one.