Host Paul Spain is joined by Ben Rose, Head of Financial Services at AA New Zealand. Together they discuss lessons from Money20/20 Bangkok, the rise of agentic commerce, stablecoins, digital finance and how AI is transforming financial services.

They also delve into the latest tech news including:

• Google Maps' new Māori pronunciation update
• Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) v14 arrives in New Zealand
• UK High Court backs police use of live facial recognition.
• AI helps uncover a major vulnerability in ticketing platform
• NZ company CarbonScape secures investment and partnership with CATL
• Invest NZ's ambitions for large-scale data centre investment

Thanks to our partners: Fortinet, One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, PwC New Zealand, and Gorilla Technology.

In this episode, host Paul Spain chats with Alain Richardt, founder of Atomic Tessellator. Learn about Alain’s unconventional journey from global tech consultancy to bootstrapping world-class innovation from his living room and discover how this Kiwi deep tech startup is using AI and physics-based simulation to design new materials at the atomic level, before they are physically created.

Plus, the latest in tech news including:

• Minister David Seymour urges Pharmac to use more AI
• Rocket Lab Acquires Iridium in $14B Deal to Challenge Starlink
• SpaceX plans mobile service to rival U.S. carriers
• Global “Operation Endgame” disrupts cybercrime assembly line
• Apple price hike due to memory costs
• Anthropic calls for action over alleged Alibaba Claude cloning

A big thank you to our show partners One NZ, Spark, PwC, Workday, 2degrees, Fortinet and Gorilla Technology.

Join Paul Spain and JD Trask (Raygun & Autohive) as they dive deep into the future of AI, SaaS businesses, and the evolution innovation. Discover JD Trask’s journey from founding Raygun to launching Autohive, hands-on insights from adopting AI across teams, and candid commentary on innovation, risk, security, and growth in a rapidly changing tech landscape. Essential listening for anyone passionate about technology, entrepreneurship, and AI’s impact on business.

Special thanks to our show partners: Fortinet, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain is joined by Glenn Maiden, Chief Security Officer at Fortinet and Director of Threat Intelligence Operations at FortiGuard Labs, Australia and New Zealand. Glenn brings invaluable insights into today’s rapidly evolving digital threat landscape with practical advice for organisations of all sizes on how to bolster cyber defences against current and future threats.

Paul and Glenn also dive into the latest tech news including:

• TUANZ call for cross-party tech strategy for New Zealand’s digital
• Anthropic Suspends latest AI Models Following US Security Directive
• SpaceX launches largest IPO in history
• The emergence of autonomous AI drones in warfare

Thanks to our partners: Fortinet, One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, PwC New Zealand, and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain sits down with Jonathan Good, Co-Founder and CEO of Scentian Bio, to dive into the "digitisation of smell and taste “and what it means for industries in New Zealand and beyond. Jonathan shares about the realities of fundraising both locally and abroad, and the challenges and opportunities of bringing cutting-edge chemical sensing technology to market.

Plus, Paul and Jonathan explore the latest tech news, including:

• Health New Zealand’s Hybrid Cloud Migration
• Spark’s Verified Call Feature Against Scams
• Workday’s Go Platform expands to NZ & AU
• 2degrees’ Shaping Business Study 2026
• Is AI More Expensive Than Humans?
• UN Report warns of the Environmental Impact of AI

A big thank you to our show partners One NZ, Spark, Workday, 2degrees, Fortinet and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain is joined by Sam Allen and Nick Walton, co-founders of NZ Boat Register, to explore how Kiwi innovation is improving marine visibility and asset tracking using AquaGPS, a Starlink-enabled GPS solution. The conversation also covers the latest in tech news, including:

• Game changing Nvidia chip coming to Windows laptops and PCs
• MSD Welfare decisions moving to AI Automated Decision-Making
• New Zealand’s First Deepfake Porn Prosecution
• One New Zealand AI Trust Report (2026)
• New Zealand Government budget’s impact on the tech sector
• Experimental chip demo shows 1000x performance gains

Special thanks to our show partners: Fortinet, Workday, Spark New Zealand, One New Zealand, 2degrees, and Gorilla Technology.

The 2026 NZ Hi-Tech Awards highlight a sector reaching new heights in innovation, global growth, and impact, celebrating the organisations and individuals driving New Zealand’s tech success story. In this special episode, host Paul Spain speaks with several of this year’s standout winners. Hear from Dr Yoram Benit, CEO of Tait Communications, named NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year, and Matty Blomfield, co-founder and CEO of Hectre, winner of both the NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution and the Greenmount and Poutama Trust Māori Hi-Tech Company of the Year. We also recognise Vaughan Fergusson’s contribution to the industry as this year’s Flying Kiwi, alongside insights from Jock Richardson and Peter Tait of TCS, winners of the Kiwibank Most Innovative Hi-Tech Solution for a More Sustainable Future. Plus, Arash Tayebi and Noreen Wilson of Kara Technologies share their journey after taking out the 2040 Ventures Hi-Tech Startup Company of the Year. With tech now contributing $24 billion to New Zealand’s economy, this episode explores the momentum behind the sector’s growth and what’s next.

Thanks to our partners: One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, Fortinet, and Gorilla Technology.

Join Host Paul Spain and Bill Bennett, tech and telecommunications journalist, for a wide-ranging discussion on the latest tech news from New Zealand and beyond, including:

• Car-sharing startup Mevo goes into liquidation
• Rural connectivity funding report
• Mobile Network Outages and Resiliency
• Hydrogen-fuelled vehicles in New Zealand
• Chrome’s Silent AI Download
• AI backlash at US university graduations
• Apple’s privacy moves to auto-delete Siri/AI conversations
• Intel Core Ultra Series 3

A big thank you to our show partners One NZ, Spark, Workday, 2degrees, Fortinet and Gorilla Technology.

Paul Spain visits Mike Casey at Electric Cherries in Central Otago for an inspiring dive into tech-driven sustainable farming. Discover how Mike went from tech startup success in Sydney to building New Zealand’s first fully electric cherry orchard, where self-generated solar power slashes costs and future-proofs the business. Explore practical insights on electrification, energy economics, and why making smarter tech choices at every level can transform New Zealand’s prosperity and sustainability.

Special thanks to our show partners: 2degrees, Fortinet, One New Zealand, Spark New Zealand, Workday, and Gorilla Technology.

Host Paul Spain is joined by Cam Richardson, founder of Paysquad, to dive into the latest in tech news and innovation. They discuss Amazon scrapping its West Auckland data centre plans, the expansion of AI-powered infrastructure in Invercargill, EV charging with ChargeNet, movie deal for a Kiwi-led Roblox game, Apple’s Vision Pro headset future and data security concerns around Chinese EVs. Plus, they break down new rules at the Oscars regarding AI-generated content and Taylor Swift’s play for control in the AI era. Cam also shares the origin, mission, and future vision of Paysquad, a Kiwi fintech making group payments possible at checkout.

Thanks to our Partners One NZ, Workday, 2degrees, Spark, Fortinet and Gorilla Technology

Listen in as Paul Spain sits down with Shan Moorthy, Chief Technology Officer for APAC at Workday, for an in-depth conversation on the rapid evolution of AI in the workplace. They explore the latest trends around generative and agentic AI, discuss real-world successes and setbacks from AI adoption, and dig into strategies for organisations looking to leverage AI safely, efficiently, and at scale. This episode offers valuable insights on navigating the complexities of AI integration, covering everything from proof-of-concept pitfalls, governance and compliance to the future of hybrid human-agent workforces.

A big thank you to our show partners One NZ, Spark, Workday, 2degrees, Fortinet and Gorilla Technology.