Born Global: Founding from New Zealand to the World

From early days at Rocket Lab to running global marketing for Les Mills, these founders reveal exactly how to build world-class startups from the edge of the world.In this "Born Global" panel from NZVC Portfolio Day, we explore what it takes to launch a company in New Zealand that is designed to dominate international markets from Day One.We are joined by Jamie France (Founder of Newton Space & early Rocket Lab engineer), Anna Henwood (CEO of Stickybeak & former Les Mills CMO), and Steph Kennard (Co-founder of Bonnet).The conversation cuts through the noise of startup advice, offering real-world truths about fundraising across borders (and why US VCs "divide everything by two"), the scrappy advantage of Kiwi talent, and the surprising reality of balancing a high-growth startup with family life. Whether you are building deep tech, a consumer app, or B2B SaaS, this panel proves that geography is no longer a barrier to building a unicorn.🌍 Global Day 1 Strategy: Why Stickybeak and Bonnet looked offshore immediately.🚀 Deep Tech Fundraising: The reality of raising capital for space tech in NZ vs. the US.💰 The "Divide by Two" Rule: How US investors view Kiwi startup projections.🧠 The Talent Advantage: Why New Zealand’s "scrappy" generalist culture wins.👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Parenting & Startups: How having kids can actually make you more ambitious.Connect with the Guests:Anna Henwood (Stickybeak): https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-henwood/Steph Kennard (Bonnet): https://www.linkedin.com/in/steph-kennard/Jamie France (Newton Space): https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiefrance/Connect with NZVC & Hosts: 🔗 Learn more about NZVC: Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/ Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction01:01 - Meet the Founders: Stickybeak, Bonnet, Newton03:07 - Strategy: Going Global from Day One04:26 - Navigating Global Regulations in Auto Tech06:40 - Fundraising for Deep Tech: NZ vs. US07:58 - The "Divide by Two" Rule for American VCs10:51 - Silicon Valley's Perception of NZ Startups13:40 - Hiring Talent: The "Roll Up Your Sleeves" Culture15:16 - Culture Lessons from Rocket Lab & Les Mills19:12 - Pros & Cons: Moving to the US vs. Building Remotely20:35 - Balancing Kids, Family, and Ambition25:29 - Advice to Early-Stage FoundersIf you enjoyed these insights on building global companies, please hit the Like button, Comment with your biggest takeaway, and Subscribe for more content from world-class founders!#startups, #NewZealand, #globalbusiness, #entrepreneurship, #deeptech, #SaaS, #marketing, #automotive, #spaceindustry, #venturecapital, #fundraising, #founderstories, #womenintech, #RocketLab, #LesMills, #Stickybeak, #Bonnet, #NewtonSpace, #NZVC, #innovation