Movac Deep Tech Jam
The biggest challenges of growing a deep tech business: the three things I wish I knew
A deep tech founder's journey includes scaling false summits, endless rabbit holes, longer amounts of time, larger amounts of capital, surprise setbacks, tough calls, and hopefully, BIG wins.
As a long-time investor in early-stage deep tech companies, we know that building a business that is a giant leap in innovation can feel like wrestling a dragon blindfolded!
In other words, it is f*cking hard.
That's why we are bringing the deep tech community together with a few people who have travelled this road before. Hear raw stories, practical tips and encouragement for the journey on the topic of 'The biggest challenges of growing a deep tech business: the three things I wish I knew' from:
* Fady Mishriki - Founder and ex CEO at PowerbyProxi
* Rob Shaddock - ex CTO for Motorola and TE Connectivity
* Sean Simpson - Founder and Chief Scientific Officer Lanzatech
* Hanie Yee - CCO and Chief of Staff Alimetry
This is a structured but informal event, with plenty of time to mingle with your peers afterwards.
This in-person forum is solely for deep tech founders/CEOs building a deep tech ventures. As a sponsor, KiwiNet have a limited number of tickets available for researchers, commercialisation professions and the Emerging Innovators program - if you wish to attend, please reach out to May Low who is managing allocation.
This event is delivered by Movac and KiwiNet.
Workshop: 2.00 pm - 5.00 pm
Networking drinks and canapes: 5.00 pm - 6.30 pm
Movac is a full lifecycle venture investor, investing in companies from pre-seed through to Series C, across deep tech, hardware and software. Currently, Movac has c$40m reserved for deep tech companies from the pre-seed stage. Our current investments in this fund include BSpkl, Miruku, RespirAq and Wellumio. Movac is New Zealand's largest and longest-standing venture capital funds with deep tech investments including Mint Innovation, Alimetry, PowerByProxi, Dawn AeroSpace, NanoLayr and Aroa Biosurgery. Our goal is to generate the next wave of iconic kiwi companies!
KiwiNet is the combined power of 19 of New Zealand’s universities, Crown Research Institutes, and other research organisations, working together to transform early-stage discoveries into products and services that will have social, environmental, cultural, and economic impact for NZ. Through PreSeed Accelerator funding from MBIE, training programs, support, and industry connections, KiwiNet helps commercialisation teams and entrepreneurial scientists take their discoveries from the lab to the world.
Fady Mishriki is a globally recognised entrepreneur and innovator, most widely known as the founder and CEO of wireless charging technology company, PowerbyProxi. Founded in 2007, PowerbyProxi grew into one of the largest wireless power firms globally before it was acquired by a leading listed US technology company in 2017. The transaction was one of the largest hardware technology acquisitions in New Zealand and required government approval. Movac first invested in 2009, and Fady has worked with the Movac team ever since.
Hanie Yee is a senior industry leader with over 23 years of international experience working in the commercialisation of biotech, pharmaceutical, and medical device industries. Hanie is currently the Chief Commercial Officer and Chief of Staff at med device company Alimetry. Prior, she was a Clinical Business Lead and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. Hanie has a BSc in Molecular Biology, a Post Graduate Diploma, and MSc (Hons) in Medical Science from the University of Auckland and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management and Leadership from Darden Business School, University of Virginia.
Sean Simpson founded LanzaTech in 2005 in New Zealand and served as the company’s Chief Scientific Officer from 2010-2022. LanzaTech has successfully developed, scaled, and commercialised a novel industrial platform for the manufacture of sustainable fuels, chemicals and materials from waste streams. Today, multiple commercial plants produce 100’s of thousands of tons of sustainable products from waste streams via the LanzaTech process. The company has raised over US$500 million in private investment since its inception, spun out a new venture (LanzaJet) to produce sustainable aviation fuel and diesel in 2020, and was publicly listed on the NASDAQ in early 2023. Dr Simpson has published over 20 journal articles and holds over 200 patents. His awards include the 2015 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Presidential Green Chemistry Award, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of York (UK) in Biological Sciences, an M.Sc. from Nottingham University (UK) in Molecular Genetics and a B.S. in Process Biotechnology from Teesside University (UK).
Rob Shaddock was the CEO of several start-ups in the 80s and 90s and went on to hold senior roles at large technology companies, such as CTO of TE Connectivity and Motorola Mobile Devices. Rob’s experience and interest lies in consumer electronics, digital manufacturing, robotics, sensors and optics. Rob has also served as an advisor to numerous US-based scientific research and development organisations, including SRI Ventures. Currently, he is a Director on the board of Kiwi start-ups BSpkl, Kry10, and Basis, and he is a Venture Partner at Movac and WNT Ventures.