How founders, investors, and institutions are shaping the next decade of ANZ innovation.

Live on stage with TechMates (hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy & Hendrik Remigereau), three heavyweight voices dive into the state of the NZ startup ecosystem: Shaun Quincey (rowed the Tasman; now building Simfuni for insurers), Janine Grainger (co-founded Easy Crypto; exited earlier this year), and Jacques Richter (Investment Director at NZ Growth Capital Partners, managing the Aspire seed fund). They get specific on what’s great here—access, trust, regulators who take meetings—and what’s hard: under-capitalization, distance, and the cultural “tall poppy” tax on big ambition.

This panel strips out the fluff: how to use New Zealand as a sandbox then go global, why “enterprise infiltration” is a real skill, what investors actually fund at seed, and why exits, mafias, and more diverse founders are the next unlock. You’ll also hear hard numbers on ecosystem growth (6× since 2019) and a challenge to scale from ~1,000 to 5,000 startups in the pipeline.

🌏 NZ as incubator → world as market: high-trust access, global translation is the test.

🏛️ Regulation: open-door chats vs “regulation by enforcement” overseas.🧭 Enterprise infiltration: find the real buyer, ask for money early.

💸 Capital & culture: the comfy $10M plateau, under-capitalization, and fund size reality.

🌿 Tall poppy & ambition: cheer louder, tell a bigger story, survive the pivots.

👩‍💻 Diversity matters: “stop funding the same founder mold”; women still under-funded.🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Talent & bravery: remote-first teams, culture as hiring edge, lower the barrier for movers.

📊 Ecosystem math: 6× EV since 2019; aim for ~5,000 startups, not ~1,000.

Connect with the Guests

Shaun Quincey — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-quincey-53548132

Janine Grainger — https://www.linkedin.com/in/janine-grainger

Jacques Richter — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacques-richter-a216b324

Learn more about NZVC & Hosts

NZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz

Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/

Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/

If this sharpened your startup/business brain, hit 👍 and subscribe for more New Zealand founder deep-dives.

00:00 – Intro

02:59 – Would you build again in New Zealand?

04:21 – Working with regulators in New Zealand vs. abroad

05:18 – Investor perspective on scaling beyond NZ

06:28 – Comparison with building companies in Germany

06:50 – Pros and cons of building from NZ (Sean on access and ambition)

08:17 – The $10M lifestyle business trap in NZ

08:40 – Under-capitalization and growth of local VC ecosystem

10:12 – The importance of startup “mafias” in NZ

11:01 – Janine on exiting and mentoring new founders

12:28 – Investor view: learning from exits and spinouts

12:52 – Mark and Janine on founder culture in Silicon Valley

14:25 – Developing startup culture and access for new founders

15:29 – Underselling ambition: the Kiwi mindset

16:41 – Sean on Tall Poppy syndrome

17:57 – Janine on selling to an Australian company and founder ambitions

19:53 – Jacques on VC fund maturity and exit sizes

20:46 – How investors decide which founders to back

22:19 – What investors look for: meaningful problems and narratives

23:18 – What needs to change in the NZ startup ecosystem?

23:47 – Sean’s vision: capital, education, and share options reform

26:00 – Janine: Stop investing only in “Mark Zuckerberg types”

26:53 – Jacques: NZ’s VC growth and what’s next

28:22 – Audience question: Where do the best startup ideas come from?

30:15 – The role of passion in solving problems

31:03 – Human capital and building great workplaces

32:00 – Sean on attracting global talent to NZ

33:10 – Discussion: Is NZ talent density enough?

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