Open the Pod Bay Doors

Manuri Gunawardena is the Founder and CEO of HealthMatch. HealthMatch was founded in 2017, after Manuri won TechnCrunch’s Startup Battlefield. It is a Medtech platform built to help patients connect with clinical trials. It operates as a marketplace, allowing patients to have access to the latest treatments and trials.Manuri is an ambitious founder with an extensive medical background. She is the winner of the 2021 Bold Future Award by Veuve Clicquot and has been named as one of The Australians top 100 innovators of 2021. As a former medical student turned entrepreneur, Manuri is passionate about combining her medical experience and technology to deliver better healthcare.Ian & Manuri discuss a variety of topics, including…The importance of patient accessibility to clinical trialsEmpowering patients as drivers in healthcareManuri’s journey from medical student to entrepreneurThe impact the Covid-19 vaccine development had on the medical worldThe consumer approach of HealthMatchHealthMatch’s recent expansion to the United States...and much more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben HorowitzPodcast: The Twenty Minute VC News Source: Twitter, social media platforms App: Instagram Productivity Tool: Miro Favourite Tech CEO: Whitney Wolfe Herd (Bumble) & Melanie Perkins (Canva) Favourite TV Show: SuccessionTed Talk Topic: The shift that is happening in healthcare toward more empowered patients HealthMatch is hiring! More info here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Max Cunningham is currently the Group Executive of Listings at ASX. Previously, he was the Head of Equity Capital Markets at Goldman Sachs in New York and the Director of the Macquarie Group in London. Max has a wide array of global experience and provides unique insight into the state of the Australian market.Max and Ian discuss many topics, including…The emergence and growth of the tech sector in AustraliaTech becoming the largest sector for issuing secondary capitalWhy some US companies choose to list in AustraliaThe potential future of work in AustraliaMacro-trends that could positively impact the ecosystemThe importance of building community...and much more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs by Walter IsaacsonPodcast: The Ideas Exchange Podcast, Conversations with People Who Hate MeNews Source: The New York TimesApp: PhysiAppProductivity Tool: “My wife”Favourite Tech CEO: Richard White, WiseTechFavourite TV Show: Ozark, FaudaTed Talk Topic: “The confluence of capital power and political power”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of the OTPBD News Special, our series which analyses the news that matters for Australian and Kiwi startups. This week, we’re focusing on news stories centred around climate tech and renewable energy.Meet this week's panel…Mick Liubinskas, Climate SaladAli Cluines-Ross, ArtesianTopics we discuss: Australia's goal of net zero emissions by 2050, The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Grok Ventures becoming Australia’s first $1b VC fund to invest in climate tech, Loam Bio raising a $40m Series A with backing from Marc Benioff (TIME Ventures) and Mike Cannon-Brookes (Grok Ventures), Australian energy company Woodside partnering with US-based solar startup Heliogen, Square Peg backing waste reduction startup Zero Co in $6m raise, Bitcoin mining coming to Byron Bay with a data centre powered by renewable energy, and Atlassan’s new 40-storey HQ which will operate on renewable energy.Additional information can be found below:https://www.climatesalad.com/https://events.humanitix.com/climate-salad-showcase-2021https://www.globalclimatelandscape.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Fanale is the CEO and Founder of DriveYello, a company that helps businesses provide last mile delivery service to their customers. DriveYello’s mission is becoming the smartest gig economy management platform. Steve has been an active member of the startup ecosystem since the early 2000s, before it was fully established in Australia. Steve’s story of founding and building DriveYello is one of tenacity, resilience, talent, and leadership. He is an open and passionate founder, who shares a variety of insights around his experience.Steve and Ian discuss...What Steve learned during his time as a professional sportsmanSteve’s varied career history and how it led him to where he is todayHow the idea of DriveYello came to be in 2014The gig economy in Australia and how gig economy businesses operate and scaleHow DriveYello was able to enable businesses to survive during Covid-19 lockdownsSteve’s experience as a Summit member and how it has provided him supportWhat is next for DriveYello...and much more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: Fanocracy by David Meerman Scott and Reiko ScottPodcast: The Prof G Pod with Scott GallowayNews Source: Listening to podcasts and news and doing an investigation to validateApp: Stake (investment app), Apple FitnessProductivity Tool: TrainualFavourite Tech CEO: Mike Cannon-Brookes & Scott Farquhar, AtlassianFavourite TV Show: Ted LassoTed Talk Topic: “the mental health of startup CEOs”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nicky Jackson is the founder and CEO of RangeMe, a product discovery and sourcing platform that allows retailers and suppliers to connect. RangeMe owns and dominates within the United States market, where they currently have 200,000 active suppliers and 10,000 retail buyers in their network. RangeMe works with over 75% of leading US-based retailers.Nicky has spent several years working for large multinational companies, bringing brands to market. RangeMe was founded in 2013 after Nicky developed her own skincare range and found it difficult to get a foot in the door at major retailers. She recognised this pain point and sought to create a platform that could seamlessly connect retailers and brands to one another. Nicky’s story is an amazing one of tenacity, hustle, product focus, and team culture.Ian and Nicky discussed a broad range of topics, including…The challenge of securing funding for RangeMe prior to the existence of a thriving startup ecosystemThe story of RangeMe’s acquisition and why they decided to go forward with itWhy RangeMe expanded to the US with a base in San FranciscoHow RangeMe built an efficient team and established an effective team cultureThe growth of the Australian startup ecosystem since RangeMe was foundedRangeMe’s current focus on globalising the platform...and much more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: The Happiest Man of Earth by Eddie Jaku OAMPodcast: How I Built ThisNews Source: Family group chat, LinkedIn, SMHApp: Smiling Mind, Spotify, Peloton appProductivity Tool: SlackFavourite Tech CEO: David Shein, Our Innovation FundFavourite TV Show: Looking for recommendationsTed Talk Topic: “the power of going global and expansion” or “the fear of failure”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of the OTPBD News Special, our fortnightly series which analyses the news that matters for Australian and Kiwi startups.Meet this week's panel...Matt Allen, Tractor VenturesAndrea Kowalski, Tidal VenturesTopics we discuss: The Global Startup Genome Report, Clearco tapping into the Australian e-commerce boom, early stage venture capital fund Tidal Ventures launching Tidal’s Expert Network, new Sydney VC fund Black Nova, the Iconic teaming up with circular economy provider Airrobe, Lawpath’s recent $7.5m raise, Kate Morris & Justin Ryan joining together in a new private equity venture: Glow Capital Partners, and several recent raises in Fintech.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of the OTPBD News Special, our fortnightly series which analyses the news that matters for Australian and Kiwi startups.Meet this week's panel...John Henderson, AirTree VenturesStew Glynn, TEN13Topics we discuss: Christian Porter resigning as Industry Minister, Immutable securing $82 million in funding, Canva raising $200 million at a $40 billion valuation, Microsoft acquiring Brisbane-based Clipchamp, BNPL platform Scalapay becoming a unicorn, Delegate Connect’s $10 million seed round, Insurtech Open raising $31 million in a series B, and Startmate proposing a change to startup investment rules.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alex McCauley is the Founder and Executive Director of Tech Council of Australia. Previously, he was the Founding CEO of StartupAUS, which recently morphed into Tech Council of Australia. Prior to joining StartupAUS, Alex worked as a Diplomat for the Australian government in Israel. Alex is an intelligent and dynamic founder who is passionate about technology and the startup ecosystem. He has a wide range of knowledge on policy, technology, innovation, advocacy, and more!Ian & Alex discussed several topics including…The growth of the Australian startup sectorAlex’s experience over the past 6 years as CEO of StartupAUSWhy StartupAUS is becoming Tech Council of AustraliaThe process of establishing the Tech Council teamThe release of The Crossroads ReportAlex’s experience at Stanford and how it will benefit him going forwardWhat Alex hopes Tech Council will achieve...and more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: Masters of Rome Series by Colleen McCulloughPodcast: Reply AllNews Source: The EconomistProductivity Tool: TripItApp: WhatsAppFavourite Tech CEO: Steve Jobs (Apple) & Elon Musk (Tesla)Favourite TV Show: The West WingTed Talk Topic: “The role consumers have in solving climate change”For more information about Tech Council of Australia, visit https://techcouncil.com.au/.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of the OTPBD News Special, our fortnightly series which analyses the news that matters for Australian and Kiwi startups.Meet this week's panel...Lauren Capelin, StartmateMichael Batko, StartmateAlex Scandurra, ex-Stone & ChalkTopics we discuss: Alex Scandurra stepping down as CEO at Stone & Chalk, Startmate's plan to build an "Innovation City," we get the inside line from our host Ian about Jelix Ventures doing their first $17m close, AfterWork Ventures closing a $10m fund, Canva ranking #3 in the Forbes Cloud 100, the transition of StartupAUS to the Tech Council, Bendigo acquiring Melbourne-based fintech Ferocia for $116m, Latitude acquiring lending fintech Symple for $200m, the 2021 Mid-Year Global CVC Report, & Kevin Rudd joining the advisory board of Crimson Education.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben Pfisterer is the CEO and Co-Founder of Zeller, an alternative to business banking. Prior to founding Zeller, Ben was the country manager for Square in Australia. Zeller was founded in early 2020 and has seen massive growth since then, with several rounds of capital raises and a team of 100. Zeller is just getting started, with sights on becoming a multigenerational business that changes the landscape of the Australian payments industry and expands globally. Ben is an ambitious, fast-moving, and highly capable founder with many insights to share.Ian sits down with Ben to discuss…A high-level view of the payments industryHow Zeller raised a large amount of money in a short period of timeWhy each employee should be part-owner of the businessSquare’s recent acquisition of AfterpayThe growth of the Buy Now, Pay Later sectorHow resilience played a role in Ben’s journeyThe mental health pressures that many Founders experience...and much more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah HarariPodcast: The Dropout, How I Built This, The DollopNews Source: AFR, The Age, The Australian, TechcrunchTech CEO: Mike Starkey (Athena)App: YR (Weather app)Productivity Tool: Slack, FigmaTV Show: Loki, Silicon ValleyTed Talk Topic: “Resilience and the difficulties faced when founding a startup”Zeller is hiring! Check out available opportunities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.