TechMates

He flipped a coin on a café table and accidentally rewired how New Zealand invests. New Zealand entrepreneur Leighton — co-CEO of Sharesies, ex-Army trumpeter and accidental brewery founder — walks us through the wild arc from $50 teenage investment clubs to running an 800-thousand-user wealth platform. You’ll hear how a three-week basic-training stint, a coin toss, and a missed $2 000 Ethereum bu...

Daniel Batten's life is anything but conventional. He grew up off-grid on the wild beaches of New Zealand, studied philosophy and drama, became an actor, then accidentally launched one of NZ’s first angel-funded tech startups—without writing a single line of code or knowing much biology. Today, he’s a climate tech investor, startup coach, and one of the most vocal voices on why Bitcoin could h...

Stefan Powell transitioned from early rocketry experiments to co-founding Dawn Aerospace, a company pioneering rapid, reusable spaceflight. As CEO and CTO, he's leading the development of the Mk-II Aurora—a rocket-powered aircraft designed to fly to space twice in a single day, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional launch systems. And yes, Elon Musk is watching....

David Inggs went from catching snakes in South Africa to building robots that Fortune 500 companies rely on. As co-founder of Rocos (acquired by DroneDeploy), he cracked the code on how to remotely control robot fleets at scale—and now he’s revealing what most AI robotics startups get dangerously wrong. What You’ll Learn in This Episode: ✅ The "gold rush" trap – Why most robotics startups fail (a...

From backyard experiments to securing defense contracts, David Moodie , founder of Foundry Lab , is revolutionizing how industries prototype and produce metal parts. By combining 3D printing with microwave technology , his team is making metal casting faster, cheaper, and more accessible than ever before . What You’ll Hear in This Episode: ✅ How frustration with traditional casting led to an indu...

Philip Fierlinger co-founded Xero, a global accounting powerhouse, but his journey didn’t stop there. Now, he's reshaping the B2B wholesale industry with Upstock, a platform transforming how businesses order supplies. Hosted by Mark Pavlyukovskyy, a Silicon Valley success story, and Hendrik Remigereau, a former leader in Europe’s largest AI ecosystem turned venture capitalist, TechMates dives...

Philip Fierlinger has always been ahead of his time. As a kid, he built his first CRM on a Radio Shack computer. By his 20s, he was designing mobile devices before smartphones even existed. He worked at the legendary General Magic, pioneered VR for the Beastie Boys, and helped turn Xero into a billion-dollar SaaS giant. Hosted by Mark Pavlyukovskyy, a Silicon Valley success story, and Hendrik Remi...

🔥 The Story You Won’t Believe: At 7, Luke Campbell was mastering World of Warcraft while his peers barely had internet access. By 17, he was struggling academically, battling scoliosis, and dreaming of space. Today, he’s the founder of VXT —a SaaS tool automating workflows for 500+ law firms globally and processing 100,000+ calls weekly. 🎧 What You’ll Hear in This Episode: ✅ Why 5,000+ hours in...

From a $10K Debt to Building 20+ Startups – Sam Kim’s Unstoppable Journey What does it take to go from crashing a Maserati to launching a global startup school? Sam Kim’s path is anything but ordinary. From hustling to pay off debt to founding an accelerator that helps first-time entrepreneurs launch their businesses, his story is packed with lessons on resilience, execution, and thinking big. Joi...

From the frozen plains of Siberia to the cutting edge of space tech—Max Arshavsky, founder of Zenno Astronautics, is rewriting the rules of the cosmos. Born in the USSR, he grew up near a Soviet space monument, dropped out of university, and bet everything on a radical idea: superconductors as the backbone of future space missions. Join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau—seasoned entr...

New Zealand’s banking system is one of the most profitable in the world—but also one of the most outdated. Jovan Pavlicevic, CEO of Emerge, is on a mission to change that. From volunteering as a firefighter to building a game-changing neobank, his journey is packed with bold moves, high risks, and lessons every entrepreneur should hear. Join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau—leveragi...

🌟 Dive into the story of Erika Palmer — from her roots in a small New Zealand town to creating a revolutionary app for couples! 🌟 Join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau—leveraging their expertise from building successful companies in Silicon Valley and Europe—as they uncover the inspiring stories of entrepreneurs shaping Australasia. In this TechMates episode, you’ll discover: ✅ H...

🌟 Dive into the inspiring journey of Ben, CEO of KiwiFibre! 🌟 Join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau—leveraging their expertise from building successful companies in Silicon Valley and Europe—as they explore the stories of entrepreneurs redefining industries in Australasia. In this episode of TechMates, they uncover Ben’s inspiring journey from hands-on engineering roots to leading...

🌟 Dive into the incredible journey of Eric, CEO of Vessev! 🌟 Join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau—leveraging their expertise from building successful companies in Silicon Valley and Europe—as they uncover the inspiring stories of entrepreneurs shaping Australasia. In this episode of TechMates, they explore Eric’s unique path, from leading innovations at Apple to revolutionizing s...

🌟 Discover the inspiring journey of Arash Tayebi, Co-Founder of Kara Technologies! 🌟 Join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau—leveraging their experience from building successful companies in Silicon Valley and Europe—as they dive deep into the inspiring personal stories of entrepreneurs shaping Australasia. In this episode of Tech Mates , they explore the fascinating journey of Aras...