Jagiya is a new alcoholic drink but is far from the traditional soju drink that Founders Ho Lee and Mark Callan are inspired by.

Seeing how popular the Korean drink has become in New Zealand, both Lee and Callan wanted to create a new product, looking at the popular RTD culture embedded in the country.

It’s a carbonated mango-flavoured drink that is sold in boxes of 10 cans, as opposed to Soju which is consumed as a spirit from a shot glass.

“Russia has vodka, Japan has sake, Korea has soju,” says Lee.

“We have the only fizzy soju RTD in the market. We’ve not come across another carbonated soju out there.”

Read more: Kiwi RTD company quadruples revenue in a year

For Jagiya – which is a term of endearment in Korean – Lee and Callan decided to go for the RTD format to give consumers options instead of choosing a drink that has a range of 17% to 24% alcohol content.

“People just want to have a few drinks while chilling out with their friends. We want our soju to be the new way that people perceive soju, drink soju and think of soju.”

Unlike normal soju, Jagiya has 7% alcohol content and can be found in a box, unlike the one singular bottle.

Callan does say that Jagiya is stronger than usual RTDs in the Kiwi market – but those who love soju will be able to enjoy this as it doesn’t stray too far away from the traditional drink.

Since its launch in September 2024, Jagiya has already sold out its first batch of 8000.

Both Lee and Callan say that the popularity of Jagiya was thanks to the Auckland bar scene, a big driver in sales, which saw the company revenue go up.

Now the start-up is seeking angel investors and business mentors to further generate growth in the year ahead as it aims to go nationwide.

Founder Ricjohn Genoguin says that this platform comes at a time of rising unemployment and an increasingly competitive job market that is leaving Kiwi job seekers to face the challenge of poor communication from potential employers.

Ghosting – providing no response at all – or offering vague and generic rejections, many companies are falling short of best practice when it comes to recruitment.

Ghostedd allows job seekers to report these experiences, share stories and push for transparency and respect in the hiring process.

“At a time when talent teams are managing an influx of applications, it’s more important than ever to prioritise transparency,” says Genoguin.

“A simple, honest response can go a long way in building goodwill with candidates, and ultimately, it strengthens an organisation’s employer brand. Ghostedd is here to ensure that every job seeker gets the feedback, respect, and closure they deserve.”

Read more: New job platform ditches CVs and cover letters

By shining a spotlight on the lack of meaningful feedback and closure, Ghostedd hopes to drive real change in how businesses handle recruitment.

Genoguin adds that as a New Zealand-founded platform, Ghostedd is embodying Kiwi ingenuity with global ambitions to improve recruitment practices not just in Aotearoa, but also worldwide.

“Our goal is to take this innovation worldwide, ensuring job seekers everywhere get the respect and closure they deserve during the recruitment process.”

Accountability while on the job hunt is necessary, he adds, saying providing feedback is what helps job seekers grow, especially in a competitive and challenging job market.

And for employers, this means building a stronger and more reputable employer brand.

Originally coming from Zimbabwe, Nicki Peek came to New Zealand missing what she was so used to in Africa: animals.

Back in Zimbabwe, Peek was passionate about caring for animals such as warthogs, badgers and piglets, but New Zealand was quite the opposite.

“I thought, ‘what am I going to do?’” says Peek.

“I wanted to get involved in something to do with conservation here and at that time there was a lot of publicity on the plight of the bees.”

For Peek, her passion of animals led her to the bees. After watching countless documentaries and educating herself about the black and yellow flying creatures, Peek took a beekeeping course and the “rest is history”.

From finding solace in the bees to fill the gap that Zimbabwe left her, Peek wanted to share this passion with the rest of the world, and she wanted to do so through the medicinal properties of Mānuka honey.

She was thinking of a convenient way of taking honey and taking it with yourself.

“The Mānuka industry is incredibly competitive and it’s sort of saturated because nobody’s done anything different really,” says Peek.

Advice that really stuck for Peek was at a conference where an industry leader said that what the Mānuka honey industry needed is innovation.

That was where the idea of Mānuka honey snaps stemmed from, an innovative take on the industry and a world-first.

Collaborating with scientists from Oxford, Stanford and Harvard, Honuka was born.

Essentially these honey snaps are liposomals, or in layman’s term, a special way of packaging vitamins and delivering it efficiently.

They’re sweet from the get-go, but once the taste settles in, there is no denying that they are delicious.

Read more; New Zealand’s largest honey retailer expands into Asia

Peek’s idea of Honuka, before being available to the public, garnered attention from industries in the US where they told her it would thrive.

But she was insistent on keeping it in New Zealand.

“We were actually under a lot of pressure to take it into the States before getting it into New Zealand,” she reveals.

“We wanted to have New Zealand as I guess a big learning curve, so that we could prove that we could do it in this country and we could learn all the things that we needed to learn.”

Already Chemist Warehouse has taken on the product before it has been placed anywhere else.

Peek says the large pharmacy chain believes that the brand will be loved by Kiwis.

“I always believed it could work, even though there were times when it was incredibly tough. I don’t know why. I don’t know why it didn’t feel like that, but I just knew it was going to work,” she adds.

Despite launching in New Zealand, Peek is still dreaming on bringing the brand into the US.

She says that whatever she learns on her home soil, she’ll be comfortable taking it on when entering the “ginormous market” that is the US.

“I’d love to always stay as a New Zealand product and keep that because I think this country is incredibly special and I think makes products unique that come from here, but we’ve got a little way to go,” Peek says.

“There’s a lot to prepare for the US, but that’ll be the next step once we take a breath.”

Jade Barber (Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Kahungunu, Tainui) and Aleisha Roulston are longtime friends who started Rita Edited after identifying a gap in the market for supporting small scale producers, makers, artists and designers across New Zealand.

The problem for these small producers was that they weren’t able to achieve online exposure.

“We knew between us, we had the skill set and drive to solve the problem,” says Roulston.

Rita Edited is a marketplace that has over 120 sellers across a number of disciplines, from ceramics to fashion – by creators all across the country.

“Through our research and market validation, we knew a curated and considered online marketplace would be well-received for both sellers and buyers, so we set out to create one as another sales tool for the small businesses,” they say.

Using Roulston’s experience running maker markets in Hawkes Bay and Barber’s Masters of Technological Futures with a particular research project focused on small businesses and their connection to their communities, the friends knew exactly how to operate the marketplace that benefitted Aotearoa’s smaller creators.

“We see Rita Edited becoming a game changer for small producers and makers, especially those who may need a lift up,” adds Barber.

Read more: The Duo: The luxury gifters disrupting the market

They set out to make themselves unique from international platforms like Etsy where small creators get lost amidst drop-shippers and vintage resellers.

Both Barber and Roulston are focusing on the high calibre that Aotearoa creatives offer.

“We’re all aware that small businesses are doing it tough right now. We want to fight the tide of the mass produced, the big chain stores and international mega sites. We are passionate about supporting small businesses in our local communities and keeping money within our local economy,” they say.

“We want our makers to focus on creating their excellent products and to be rewarded for that. Being a seller on Rita Edited takes the pressure off maintaining a consistent online presence to drive sales or having to give a large profit margin to retailers.”

Rita Edited works on a commission structure of 10.5 percent, with an additional annual membership fee for those selected to list their products on the site.

Not only are the friends focused on creating a product the benefits smaller creators, but they are excited to develop Rita Edited to truly reflect Aotearoa, with ambitions to introduce a search capability in te reo Māori and have a dedicated Pakihi Māori collection.

Their efforts are about empowering both shoppers and sellers.

“We’re not looking to replace bricks-and-mortar boutiques, physical markets or other buy-sell marketplaces,” says Barber.

“Rita Edited is simply another tool for makers and artists to use to get exposure, and for customers to source beautiful new locally made or designed pieces to enrich their lives.”

Using cutting-edge technology, Road Ninja is streamlining the hiring and recruitment process for the transport industry by giving businesses access to a network of skilled and ready-to-work driving professionals.

As an industry first, Road Ninja is breaking away from traditional recruitment models by introducing a subscription offering.

Bodhi Vette, CEO and Founder says that he first started the company because of his passion for the transport industry and by recognising the potential drivers have.

The platform caters to businesses in the transport industry by allowing them to recruit skilled drivers permanently or through the gig economy model, without any restrictions, additional charges, or commissions.

Read more: NZ-made dating app replaces endless swiping with deep matching tech

Drivers on the platform are personally vetted by the team before their profiles go public, providing a comprehensive tech-based ecosystem designed to support both businesses operating in the market and the drivers.

Through Road Ninja, drivers will be able to create the most-advanced digital CV in the transport industry, enhancing their marketability.

“Our ultimate goal for Road Ninja is to sign up as many businesses as possible and deliver exceptional value to the industry. We will therefore introduce the industry’s first-ever subscription-only driver-hire and recruitment plan to the market and will not charge any commission fees. This is a game-changer for the entire transport and logistics industry,” says Vette.

“Unlike traditional recruiter models, where fees and commissions are often hidden and factored into the cost’s businesses incur, thereby reducing the wages passed on to drivers, Road Ninja is setting new precedents.”

As an industry first, this subscription-based model is an innovative approach to ensuring drivers are put first.

Titled Unfaze.ai, Kiwi Harvard grad Soumil Singh has created a first of its kind for individuals, SMEs and influencers – an AI tool that can create an entire video based on text prompts.

Singh says that the programme was made with SMEs in mind and hopes to reduce barriers that they face when it comes to using social media platforms such as TikTok or YouTube to promote their products organically.

Videos require hours of production and design, but with Singh’s tool, SMEs will be able to reduce these hours and manpower and use AI to generate images and short-form videos that can include voiceovers all within minutes.

He adds that though the current technological state of the world has a number of AI tools, Unfaze is the first to allow users to generate images of their products with multiple backgrounds using generative AI models and then convert these images into the creation of short-form video content.

Already, the company has acquired multi-million dollar investments by US and NZ investment funds – including Y Combinator, the world’s top accelerator and the first investor for Airbnb and Dropbox.

While video creation tools from OpenAI and Google are not yet available, start-ups like Unfaze are moving rapidly to secure market share before global tech giants release their own business and individual-focused offerings.

Read more: Creative and tech studio, Daylight creates AI-powered marine search tool

Unfaze comes at a time when market potential for the technology is significant, particularly within the fastest-growing social media platforms such as TikTok which has 1.1 billion monthly active users globally and is available in over 160 countries. The app’s audience is expected to grow by over 64% to surpass 1.8 billion users by the end of 2024.

Singh first left New Zealand seven years ago when he went to Boston to study applied mathematics and computer science at Harvard. During his time in the US, he realised the demand to create content is resource intensive and cost prohibitive in a world where everyone is wanting content.

“What we know about these social media and video platforms is that they rely heavily on high volumes of fresh content for users to maintain visibility and engagement,” he says.

“With traditional tools, you have to think of an idea, write a script, collate all the images and video snippets and then decide how to bring them together. Alternatively, now you could just upload your product image, tell AI your idea, press a button and have it generate one or multiple versions of the video and even automatically schedule and post them to your social media accounts.”

Now, Unfaze has raised $5.5 million and will be using the funds to further develop the technology and support the video creation software launch in July 2024 on their existing online platform.

Soon enough, Singh says they will be able to create a software that is able to make videos that is indistinguishable from manually created content.

“This is really the Holy Grail of video creation and with the speed at which AI is evolving, we expect to reach this point within a matter of months, not years.”

12.5 million tonnes of waste is created per year in New Zealand – roughly 571 Sky Towers. To combat this whopping number, Sara Smeath has created CiRCLR.

Early in May, in the heart of Auckland, Smeath chatted to a crowd in Spark Arena for the Future State conference, alongside Jayden Klinac of anew and Rachel Brown of the Sustainable Business Network on what businesses can do to better combat this pressing issue.

The answer to tackling this problem is being a collective and working together.

With that answer in mind, Smeath talked about her venture, CiRCLR.

CiRCLR is an app that connects those who contribute to the 12.5 million tonnes of waste to those who are using waste to make new solutions.

“The whole idea around CiRCLR wasn’t necessarily about being circular, it was about connecting circles and building business community where they can exchange and grow brand value through that,” she says.

“It is really important to understand that everyone plays a part and trying to make it as easy as possible. I don’t think it’s necessarily about being perfect as well, but it’s about trying and actually having the data actual. I think that’s really important. You don’t have to have the solution for everything. It’s a start because you’re being honest.”

Before founding the platform, Smeath worked within the fashion industry at brands such as H&M where she focused on sustainable practices that could combat the waste that fast fashion generates.

“I think the fashion industry is a really good industry to come from, because we were so scrutinized,” says Smeath.

Read more: The trend of climate innovation in New Zealand

Her experience working in the industry motivated her to create CiRCLR, an app that allows for both bigger and smaller businesses to put sustainable practices in place by connecting each other and ultimately giving consumers a product or experience that is better for the world.

“So much weight gets put on the consumer, and we don’t know the financial situations of different people and why they’re having to buy from different markets. I don’t necessarily think it’s the consumer fault that there’s not infrastructure in place,” she adds.

“There are things within the supply chain that we can identify where the infrastructure is needed. I think that’s where, again, the accountability, the measuring and the recording of different waste streams, why it’s so important because it is not just better for your business, it’s better for the community and for the people at the end.”

Through CiRCLR, Smeath is transforming how Kiwi businesses see their supply chains and give those consumers a chance at an infrastructure that supports sustainable options.

With the help of the app, Smeath adds that businesses can quantify their waste, a good start to making their business more sustainable, and those who are using waste to create solutions can pick up your waste.

“It comes down to the quantification of what their waste is, how much they’re making, how often they are making, even if there’s not actually a solution right now, it’s actually having that knowledge so that you can understand what other businesses around you are having this problem as well. How big is this problem? Do we need infrastructure to help solve this problem? Is there an innovation or a solution that will solve this problem?” explains Smeath.

“Things are changing and we needed to understand what resources were available within different markets and different countries.”

CiRCLR, founded in 2022, is making waves in the cleantech industry, with Smeath and her team invited to Singapore by the Cleantech Group to connect with policy makers, industry, corporations and technology solutions to support greater outcomes for the future.

Just like you, I was stumped when I first heard the words ‘olfactory wellness’ – for me, it started when an email came in on new Marlborough-based start-up dubbed INXHALE. So, what is it?

“Olfactory is your sense of smell. It follows the direct pathway to the brain, and so it has significance. It has been scientifically proven that carefully formulated aromas can impact your memory, memory function and emotional centres, so it’s an emerging market, an emerging product category,” says founder Kate Guthrie.

Guthrie was first exposed to the world of olfactory wellness from her now product developer, Stacey Fraser, while they were on a wellness retreat together. Just like me, Guthrie heard the word and immediately searched it up.

Following the retreat, Guthrie undertook a mission of a nine-hour drive back from Kurow in Canterbury to Blenheim, where she faced the biggest struggle: staying awake. Coffee wasn’t doing it for her, neither was chewing gum.

“I was sort of like ‘imagine if there was something else that could just either blow on your face that could keep you alert’ and that’s when it came to me,” Guthrie explains her a-ha moment.

Immediately, Guthrie found Fraser from her wellness retreat and started talking about the what-ifs of olfactory wellness. The more she dived into the world, Guthrie realised the opportunity for something unique and innovative that could answer issues that not only her, but a lot of people were facing.

Olfactory wellness is not a new concept, it has been around for years, even a main component of Chinese medicine which dates back to ancient times. Guthrie looks at her venture, INXHALE, as an evolution of it to fit the needs of New Zealand audiences.

Read more: Start-up behind plastic free toothpaste hits supermarket shelves

For INXHALE, Guthrie brought onboard perfumer and professor at University of Canterbury, Conan Fee, to back her work, as her goal is to become “the forefront” of olfactory wellness in New Zealand.

“It has been driven by science, it’s not a gimmicky sort of thing,” she adds.

With the help of Fee, Guthrie was able to create two products, inhalers that support being alert, and being calm in certain situations.

“Through our research we learned quickly that while up and coming functional fragrances and wellbeing-centered diffusers are emerging in this space, the science tells us that for the olfactory system to be stimulated in a way that has lasting effect, its got to be direct – with a nasal inhaler,” she says.

“What I have produced, especially with the calm one, is that even though I produced it specifically for helping you be calm, it’s got so many other benefits as well, like it’s helping people sleep.”

Prior to the inhalers that work with a simple sniff, Guthrie revealed that they were in the works to create car diffusers but were met with a number of variables that stopped them before they came up with the end product.

INXHALE partnered up with award-winning Thai inhaler innovators, Apaul to create the best possible way for consumers to receive the benefits of Guthrie’s products.

Though she has two products in the market, Guthrie stated that she wanted to be at the forefront of olfactory wellness and for her, that means being the go-to for education and showing people the benefits of what this has to offer.

“I’m not here to make lots of money. I would love to make lots of money, don’t get me wrong, obviously, but it is that thing is that I’ve always been that sort of person that wants to make a difference in people’s lives,” she says.

“I’m driven by that sense of purpose and wanting to help others. And if I can make a change in say, 10 people’s lives, then hopefully that will flow on even throughout their whole circle.”

So, what is olfactory wellness to Guthrie? To her, it is clear as day that this venture is her passion project and she is keen to let the entire world know.

Amor, the New Zealand made dating app is taking a different approach compared to what is currently on the market in the vast global online dating industry.

“So many people have dating app fatigue,” says Heazlewood.

“They’re searching for love and connection but dating apps don’t get to the heart of what makes two people right for each other.”

Unlike most apps, Amor by Heazlewood focuses on advanced matchmaking technology utilising psychology and relationship science to help users find their perfect match.

Heazlewood was inspired to create her own app after her own frustrations searching for a romantic partner.

“I knew there had to be a better way than endless swiping through unlikely candidates,” she says.

“True compatibility goes much deeper than a few shared interests and what someone looks like and that’s why I created Amor.”

Prior to Amor, Heazlewood helped create Romer, an app described as the ‘Tinder for activities’ and helped more than 120,000 people discover new local experiences.

From Romer, she is applying her learnings to create Amor.

Read more: Ex-Tinder CEO launches AI relationship advice app in NZ, Aus and Finland

Applying the power of technology to the science of romantic compatibility, Amor is distilling years of research on love and relationships into a platform that uncovers users’ perfect match based on personality type, core values, attachment style, lifestyle choices, and more.

For users, they will be prompted to complete a comprehensive profile to support the app’s matchmaking algorithm.

“We know from our research that New Zealanders are searching for secure, loving relationships,” she adds.

“But most dating apps are only good for delivering fast hook-ups. We wanted to slow things down so people could find fulfilling connections.”

How the compatibility works for users is by showing them four bespoke makes that each have a compatibility score of above 70 percent. Profile images are hidden for the first 24 hours, giving users the opportunity to get to know their match first without seeing what they look like.

“We want to grow a safe, respectful dating community with a focus on meeting up in real life, which is where the magic happens,” she adds.

As a dating app start-up, Amor is focusing on in-person events to go hand-in-hand with their app.

“We know there’s a loneliness epidemic out there and healthy relationships are so important to our wellbeing. I’m really proud of this app and can’t wait to help a whole lot of New Zealanders connect with that special someone.”

Amor is now available in Auckland and Christchurch.

Wanting to create a “unicorn” in the recruitment environment that Fenwick describes as “dry, dull and draconian”, Futureful is a platform that puts personal passions and compatibility as the main focus.

Harnessing the magic of human-centric candidate matching, Fenwick is disrupting the traditional industry that sees organisations and job candidates connect solely based on the role.

This creates a transaction that is focused on the job and salary, and not what is most important: shared values, transparent needs, required skills, relationships, job satisfaction and so much more.

“Traditional job ads were designed during the second Industrial Revolution, more than 100 years ago, and they haven’t changed much since then,” says Fenwick.

“But the model has. The majority of our current workforce are Gen X (in their 40s and 50s) down to Gen Z (in their 20s) and are more deeply interested in forging meaningful connections, not just firing off a standard CV and cover letter and playing the waiting game.”

With Futureful, Fenwick is allowing organisations to celebrate the holistic values they can offer employees.

This is the sort of “hyper-personalised” approach to job-seeking that is fit for the modern workforce.

Read more: New Zealand’s first ‘real’ investment platform: Goldie

Futureful is allowing candidates to know upfront what the business stands for, rather than finding out their requirements are not likely to be met in the last few minutes of a job interview, or worse, six months into a new position.

But not only does Futureful work in creating a hyper-personalised experience, the platform uses talent pools instead of job ads, which traditionally only capture a tiny percentage of the total potential candidate pool.

The way it works is that candidates join the pool of their dream company, giving that company access to off-the-market talent who would leave their current role for the right opportunity, within the right organisation.

“Our research shows that almost half of those aged 20-40 in employment in New Zealand have turned down a job because it doesn’t align with their values.

“Only one in 10 surveyed said they didn’t care about the values of the business they worked for. Which means organisations in New Zealand really need to up their game if they hope to attract our country’s epic talent.”

Already, Fenwick has been able to get Deloitte, Chapman Tripp, Silver Fern Farms and Zespri onboard their platform, meaning there is a real demand for a platform like this from big and small companies.

“Futureful is a radical way to look at recruitment, and we can’t wait to see talented Kiwis use their power for good, encouraging business to prioritise people and the planet.”