Lots of Ingenuity, Not So Many Cows
Forbes correspondent Rebecca Fannin visited New Zealand in search of old fashion Kiwi ingenuity in the form of start-ups and small businesses hoping to take their ideas international.
Despite having a young start-up scene and not a fledgling venture capital market, Fannin quickly realised that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in New Zealand, with some of the more inventive and creative businesses successful breaking into the international market despite not having the same financial support as their US based peers.
“Kiwis have a tradition for ingenuity — a trait in common with China’s tech entrepreneurs who had to start from scratch. New Zealand is the place that invented the jet boat engine and the electric fence, and it’s known for its number 8 wire attitude, a reference to the way Kiwis can make do with a gauge of steel wire popularly used in rural fencing and apply it for all kinds of practical uses.”
Fannin visited several successful businesses during her visit including LanzaTech, LiveLinkConnect, Snapcomms, VEND, Booktrack, Rex Bionics and PowerbyProxi. She also met with The Icehouse, a leader in helping New Zealanders create and grow their small businesses.
