NZ Tech Podcast

New Zealand's aerospace sector continues to push new boundaries. In this Part 2 special from the Aerospace Summit in Christchurch, Paul Spain speaks with industry innovators and investors exploring what's next for New Zealand aerospace. From high-altitude solar aircraft and uncrewed aviation to space manufacturing, re-entry technology and deep-tech investment, these conversations reveal the technologies and opportunities helping shape New Zealand's growing aerospace ecosystem. Hear from: Daniel Price, Chief Scientist at Kea Aerospace Jamie France, Founder and CEO of Outlier Space Alexandra Vidyuk, General Partner at Beyond Earth Ventures Stuart Poppelwell, EagleFlight Technics Special thanks to our show partners: SAP, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, PwC New Zealand and Gorilla Technology.

Paul Spain is joined by Jonathan Brabant, New Zealand Director at Workday, to explore the rapid rise of AI agents and what they could mean for the future of work, including agentic AI, headless enterprise software, MCP integrations, and how platforms like Claude, Copilot and Workday are increasingly working together. They also discuss where organisations are drawing the line between automation and human decision-making. They also discuss the latest tech news including: NZ Expands Drone Surveillance Capabilities Gisborne council wins award for AI mapping project Last calls for New Zealand’s public phone booths Websites fighting back against AI agents Telsa’s Rocket-propelled flying car Thanks to our partners: One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, PwC New Zealand, SAP and Gorilla Technology.

New Zealand's aerospace sector is gaining momentum, and the recent Aerospace Summit in Christchurch brought together the people helping drive that growth. In this first of two episodes series, Paul Spain sits down with founders, investors and industry leaders, to explore the innovation emerging from New Zealand's aerospace ecosystem. From advanced aviation technologies and aerospace engineering to commercial opportunities, investment, and global ambitions, these conversations offer a unique look inside one of the country's most exciting industries. Here from: Stefan Powell - CEO of Dawn Aerospace Martin Cudd - General Manager Innovation and Business Growth at ChristchurchNZ Adam Wade - Founder of Abstract Space William Hunter - Co-founder and CTO of Astrix Astronautics Angus Blair - Managing Partner at Outset Ventures A big thank you to our show partners: One New Zealand, Spark New Zealand, PwC New Zealand, Workday, 2degrees, SAP, and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain and Craig Young (TUANZ) to discuss TUANZ’s role as an independent voice for technology users, including its priorities for responsible AI, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, and long-term technology planning. They also explore how AI-powered scams are getting faster, sharper, and harder to spot, and unpack sophisticated phishing and cloned voiced scams. Plus the latest tech news including: Cyber Smart Week Aerospace 2026 Summit 'Ghost job' concerns Bunnings new Buddy AI assistant Italy's top bank gets AI voice scammed Subsea cable internet disruption Trump’s ‘Super Intelligence’ rebrand Special thanks to our show partners: SAP, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, PwC New Zealand and Gorilla Technology.

On this episode, Paul Spain talks with Sacha Judd, co-founder and COO of Lume Music, to explore her journey from corporate lawyer and startup investor to launching a new digital music platform designed to help artists connect more deeply with fans. They discuss New Zealand's startup ecosystem, lessons from working with more than 100 startups, the challenges of building a tech company, internet culture and fandom, and why Sacha believes human creativity still matters in an AI-driven world. Plus, a look at how Lume Music aims to reshape the relationship between artists, albums and listeners. Lume — Own the Albums You Love, Beyond Streaming Thanks to our partners: One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, PwC New Zealand, SAP and Gorilla Technology.

Drummond Reed, a global leader in digital identity, privacy, and online trust joins host Paul Spain, as they unpack how self-sovereign identity gives individuals control over digital credentials, why privacy concerns remain central to government-led identity systems, and what approaches in Bhutan, India, Utah, and the European Union reveal about the future of digital identity. Drummond Reed also explores decentralised trust graphs, verifiable credentials, AI agents and the risks of increasingly sophisticated scams and surveillance. The conversation looks ahead to a world where individuals control more of their data, digital agents act on their behalf, and trusted relationships can be verified without relying on a single identifier everywhere online. A big thank you to our show partners: One New Zealand, Spark New Zealand, PwC New Zealand, Workday, 2degrees, SAP, and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain sits down with Peter Boyle (Exaba) as they discuss how Exaba is helping managed service providers build their own local clouds using commodity hardware, keeping data under local control while turning infrastructure costs into new revenue opportunities and building a successful deep-tech company from Hamilton. They also discuss the latest tech news including: Labour’s AI Regulation Plan AI leaders call for slowing the AI race Cybersecurity Alarm After Major NZ Breaches Kiwi start-up to create gravity-free drugs in space Apple’s Foldable iPhone Duo Special thanks to our show partners: SAP, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, PwC New Zealand and Gorilla Technology.

Join Paul Spain as he speaks with Dr Autumn Krauss, Chief Scientist at SAP’s Future of Work Research Lab, about how AI is transforming jobs, management, career development, and workforce planning. Discover why 57% of employees would consider an AI manager, what skills will matter most in the future, and how organisations can redesign work for greater impact, innovation, and human potential. Special thanks to our show partners: SAP, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, PwC New Zealand and Gorilla Technology.

How prepared is New Zealand for the next wave of artificial intelligence? Paul Spain speaks with OpenAI's Gawesha Weeratunga about the rapid shift from chatbots to AI agents, why New Zealand is emerging as a global leader in AI adoption, and what organisations must do to stay competitive. They explore productivity gains, cybersecurity, governance, workforce impacts, and the growing divide between businesses embracing advanced AI and those falling behind. The discussion also examines regulation, real-world New Zealand success stories, and OpenAI's vision for a future where powerful AI capabilities are accessible to everyone. Thanks to our partners: One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, PwC New Zealand, SAP and Gorilla Technology.

Professor Alexandra Andhov joins Paul Spain to explore the biggest questions facing AI today. From copyright lawsuits and social media harms to privacy, digital sovereignty and New Zealand's AI future, Alexandra explains why smarter regulation could fuel innovation while protecting people, businesses and society. Plus the latest tech news including: • 2degrees Completes AST SpaceMobile Satellite Connectivity Trial • One NZ and 2degrees Seek Infrastructure Sharing Deal • New Zealand Speeds Up Rocket Launch Approvals • Meta Settlement Highlights Global Child Safety Shift Online A big thank you to our show partners: One NZ, Spark, PwC, Workday, 2degrees, SAP, and Gorilla Technology.

Listen in as Paul sits down with Kevin Park, co-founder and CEO of Concord Visa, to explore how the Kiwi startup is helping fast-growing companies access global talent, expand into new markets, and scale internationally with fewer barriers. Kevin shares lessons from building a truly global business from New Zealand, the importance of hiring the right people, and what it takes to grow at startup speed. Plus, Paul delivers his hands-on verdict on some of the latest technology to hit the market, including: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Motorola Signature Kindle Scribe Colorsoft Vestaboard Note GoPro Mission One Pro Special thanks to our show partners: SAP, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, PwC New Zealand and Gorilla Technology.

Paul Spain is joined by motoring editor Damien O'Carroll to discuss technological advances in the Automotive sector, hands-on 2022 MG ZS EV and iPad price hikes, as well as: Government clean car rebate General Motors tech Ford technology advances Car Integration: Apple Car Play and Android Auto vs Tesla Autonomous Vehicles and Autopilot

Paul Spain is joined by Community Director of Kiwi Saas Brett Roberts to discuss how Kiwi SaaS is helping to accelerate the SaaS sector in New Zealand as well Tech news of the week including: US citizens at Chinese chip firms caught in the middle of US/China chip manufacturing clash Indian Village going offline daily to help stop screen addiction Elon musk's tweets and turnaround on Starlink and Ukraine Tesla update for NZ now allows car cameras to be live streamed to App Meta and Microsoft team up for Metaverse VR Product review of Amazon Fire TV Stick, 4K and HD for NZ market, and Huawei's FreeBuds

Jason Hosking joins Paul Spain in Queenstown to discuss cyber security and data privacy, along with the following: Cyber Smart Week 2022 for info on cyber security Pinnacle Midlands Health Network cyber attack How NZ telco companies are guarding against cyber threats Sky TV to stream Rugby through to 2029 Alternatives to streaming services YouTube test 4k restrictions to premium accounts

Paul Spain is joined by Tim Warren, CEO and Co-Founder of Ambit, to discuss Ambit’s virtual agents and AI, as well as tech news from the week, including: Deepfake in media Vodafone NZ will change to One New Zealand China tech firms desist in Russia and Ukraine Tesla's humanoid robot Google's Stadia to close the Latest from Amazon Apple iPhone14 production slows SaaStra annual 2022

Paul Spain is joined by Bill Bennett as they look into the latest tech news from around the world, including: Goodbye Vodafone TV Box, hello Sky Pod Optus data breach Meta and Google staff layoffs AI filling in for James Earl Jones The future of Air Taxis Alcohol detection in new cars “Angry developer” leaks ransomware builder

Paul Spain and Shannon Karaka (Deel) discuss how Deel is helping companies to hire globally and it's launch into New Zealand, plus tech news of the week including: Google to reduce R&D projects division by 50% Adobe acquires Figma for $20B US Zoom calls may reveal screen information in lens reflections GoPro subscription and Hero 11 Latest from DJI Deere software revenue

Paul Spain is joined by Samsung’s Todd Selwyn, to discuss the Samsung 5G network's Auckland suburban roll out for spark, and tech news of the week including, Technology through out the Queen's reign Apple iPhone 14 release Wifi 7 Digital drivers licenses Outcry over Moko image filters

Paul Spain is joined by Parkable co-founders Toby Littin and Brody Nelson to hear about Parkable's startup journey and recent success with Meta, as well as tech news from the week, including: NZ Aerospace Summit 2022 Teens dump Facebook for TikTok iPhone’s record market share Amazon’s ‘Rings’ ratings Quantum computer qualms

Jo Hilson (thl) joins Paul Spain to discuss thl digital’s response to a changing tourism environment, review Amazon Echo Show 15 and Oppo Find X5 Pro and talk about this week’s tech news, including: · Fresh strawberries in winter thanks to NZ vertical farming · M2X's management system makes transport more efficient · Meta’s customer service division to help those who have lost accounts · SpaceX and T-Mobile plans to boost mobile coverage in the US · NASA cancels Artemis 1 rocket launch

We continue the celebration of the 2022 Hi-Tech Awards. Paul Spain talks with David Downs (Chair of NZ Hi-Tech Trust), Brooke Roberts (Co-Founder and 3EO of Sharesies) and Greg O'Grady (Chief Executive of Alimetry), as they share their experiences and insights.

Paul Spain is joined by Savannah Peterson (Founder & Chief Unicorn at Savvy Millennial) to review what's happening in NZ's technology sector and its future, plus the top space and tech news from this week, including: Rocket Lab to self-funded mission to Venus to seek out life NASA’s Voyager mission 45 years on New Zealand Aerospace Summit New York’s speed limiter trial How some features on our devices can give us real peace of mind Up and coming New Zealand Tech companies NASA’s sonification of a blackhole

Paul Spain is joined by Mark Duncan (Cyclone Computers) and Andrew Fox (Aruba) to talk about the latest cyber security insights, as well as discussing some of this week's tech news, including: Invenco's $120m+ NZD sale to US firm Google Cloud to open NZ Cloud region Disney's subscriptions overtake Netflix Amazon buys IRobot Vaccum company Man sues Google after losing $800,000 in cryptocurrency Driverless taxi's cause traffic jam in San Francisco

On this special episode we celebrate and learn from three winning companies in the 2022 Hi-Tech Awards. Paul Spain talks with Chief Executives Graham Grant (Seequent), Clare Bradley (Agrisea) and Milan Cooper (First AML) to gain insights and inspiration from these award winning companies and their leaders.

Paul Spain and Bill Bennett discuss some of this week's Tech news from New Zealand and around the world, including the following: Vodafone NZ's new virtual network play NZ's Invisible Urban Charging looks to install 6000+ EV chargers in Florida Intel's revenue loss Samsung Galaxy's 'repair mode' hides personal data Nanogirl Labs launches “Creator Project” 275m people lose key internet services due to Indonesia's licensing rules Declining smart phone sales

Paul Spain is joined by Renee Mateparae (Spark NZ), to discuss Spark's recent rural trial of 5G mmWave, and fast speed connectivity. Tech giants sign NZ online safety code SpaceX breaks annual record of launches... in July Ford’s workforce cuts and EV expansion Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg face deposition about Cambridge Analytica Chess robot injures 7yr old opponent's finger Didi’s $1.2B fine Baidu's new self-driving taxi in China Flaws in GPS tracker enable “life-threatening” hacks

Paul Spain and Stephen Phillips (Snyk), discuss tech news of the week and how Snyk are helping developers to create safe and secure code. NZ mobile tower sales NZ's Authsignal a handy tool for developers Europe to limit speed on all new cars Beijing residents vs COVID surveillance Honda's security flaw makes some cars vulnerable to theft Jail time and tougher penalties for online insults as Japan tackles Cyberbullying Chinese-state sponsored blockchain org slam cryptos as ponzis

Paul Spain is joined by Gerard Quinn, Director of UC Centre for Entrepreneurship, to discuss tech news from around the world, and how UCE are helping future entrepreneurs and innovators begin their journey. NASA's Capstone Mission launched by Rocket Labs Wellington's Qual IT's offshore sale US and UK to share biometric data for border control MI5 and FBI warn of China's 'Immense' threat A billion Chinese citizen details leaked Starlink's satellite internet service for boats Dutch university makes profit from returned ransomware pay out

With the merger of Vocus NZ and 2degrees finalised, Paul Spain talks with Mark Callander (CEO, 2degrees) to discuss the past, present and future of the newly combined entity as they chart their future course.

Paul Spain is joined by Shona Grundy - COO of Winely and Exocule, and judge for NZ Hi Tech Awards, to discuss technology news and insights, and how bio tech industries like Exocule and Winely are using machine learning to help fast track alternative protein manufacturing, plus: NZ Spotify users can create video podcasts Keanu Reeves change towards NFT's Robotic finger with living skin Polestar now supports Apple Car Play Engineer claims ChatBot is sentient AI helping Type 2 Diabetes patients

Mark Duncan (Cyclone computers) and Andrew Fox (Aruba) join Paul Spain to discuss policing Social Media, RIP Internet Explorer, Firefox's Cookie protection, Sony/Honda’s in new EV company, Ford's push for 100% online EV sales, SnapChat+, Cloudflare blocks DDoS Attack, and how Cyclone Computers and Aruba are working together to provide solutions.

Paul Spain is joined by CEO and Co-Founder of Nanoleaf - Gimmy Chu, to discuss how Smart Home technology has progressed over the years, and why the future of Smart Homes and Nanoleaf are looking brighter than ever.

Paul Spain and Brett Roberts discuss bee inspired bioplastics, HP exits Russia and foregoes $1B, SailGP's local facilities, Musk’s email to employees, Apple Innovations, China’s big space plans and more.

Paul Spain talks with Logan Ransley (Co-Founder of property management app Landlord Studio) to discuss Cloudflare’s choice to continue in Russia, Walmart & DroneUp’s partnership for convenient delivery, the PM's speech and the call for Social media companies to do a better job, Lonestar’s plan for a lunar data center and the world’s smallest remote-control robots.

Paul Spain and Bill Bennett discuss NZ’s $20M Budget boost for Tech sector, tech to supersede liquids ban when flying, AMD's near 30% share of x86 CPU market and historical Vodafone FibreX drama is back. We also delve into the negative use of technology, including NZ businesses response to Ransomware, Canada’s blocking of China’s Huawei and ZTE and social media disinformation in Philippine’s election.

Paul Spain is joined by David McDonald to discuss Altered State Machine which David founded. Also on the agenda - Russian TV hack, NZ web3 focused VC fund, THEIA Diabetes discovery, a passwordless future, DJI drones not so secure, and more internet in Australia and USA.

Paul Spain is joined by Craig Young (TUANZ), to discuss this weeks Tech news including Elon Musk's successful bid to buy Twitter, NZ scientists research into volcanic predictions, subscription streaming failures for CNN and Netflix, Mobile usage in the Russia-Ukraine war and more.

Paul is joined by Vincent Heeringa to discuss the latest in Tech news including Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter, NZ's new energy developer Helios Energy, Calls to review New Zealand's GM regulations, Meatless meat, Russia/Ukraine drone wars, safety risks of E-Bikes, and more.

Paul Spain and Podcast Producer Jo-Ellen Bowen discuss this week's Tech news including, Elon Musk's latest happenings, WetaFX new Vancouver Studio, wearable's Heart monitoring reliability, Atlassian's outage, The Ax-1 mission, FIFA+ and more.

Paul Spain and Bill Bennett delve into the very latest in tech from around the world - including an NZ startup that's clearing fog, fruit packing robots, Tesla's Berlin factory flythrough, Google/Apple/Twitter return to the office, Elon Musk buys into Twitter, Russian delivery app data leak and UK's Royal Mint of the NFT kind.

Paul Spain is joined by Shaun Edlin - CEO and Co-Founder of Dotterel Technologies to discuss the latest in audio capture technology - plus coverage of EU's Digital Markets Act and its possible effect on leading Tech companies, NZ's #5 spot for OECD Broadband speed, Microsoft bribe allegations, and more.

Host Paul Spain and James Fuller (Founder/CEO, Hnry) discuss Hnry’s recent NZ$16m funding from Left Lane Capital and how Hnry are helping sole traders in Australia and NZ - along with NZ’s need for more digital skills, China’s tech hub getting back to work, a new government cyber incident, the importance of strategic technology selection (sparked by recent new costs for Vimeo customers), COBOL’s continuing legacy and James Webb Space Telescope’s alignment success.

Paul Spain and Frances Valintine (Tech Futures Lab, The Mind Lab) discuss shaping the metaverse, the changing state of vehicles, new Apple innovations, Frances’ new book ‘Future You’, and more.

Paul Spain is Joined by HeartLab's CEO Will Hewitt, to discuss how technology is affecting Russia and Ukraine's civil society, Electric Vehicles, HeartLab's innovation in Cardiology and more.

Paul Spain is joined by Paul Brislen to discuss NZ Telecommunications Forum, Russia-Ukraine conflict’s effect on chip production, newest tech devices and more.

We delve into the NZ Tech Story and how this initiative hopes to raise the profile of New Zealand’s tech sector globally to increase our export earnings, attract talent and investment. Paul Spain talks with Julie Gill (NZ Tech) and the Hon. Dr David Clark (Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications).

Paul Spain and Bill Bennett discuss the key tech happenings and predictions, including Soul Machine's $105m investments , NZ Government's draft 'Industry Transformation Plan' for next 10 years, Gartner's Metaverse prediction for 2026, Samsung Galaxy S22 vs Note and more.

Brett Roberts joins Paul Spain to discuss the latest tech happenings including Starlink for Business, More pain for Facebook, Spotify and Joe Rogan and a lot more.

Discussing the big tech stories in NZ and around the world – including NZ datacentre investment confirmed for Invercargill, defining crime in the Metaverse, UAE Driverless Taxi Trial concludes, flying car racing + more. This week Paul Spain is joined by guest Ben Moore.

Paul Spain (Gorilla Technology) and Stephen Phillips (Snyk) discuss the latest tech happenings – including the 2022 Cybersecurity landscape, 5G vs Flights, FLUF World’s $1m charity auction, Google’s end to free Google Workspace and more.