About Icehouse Ventures

About Flux

Flux is New Zealand's leading accelerator. We are a combination of an early stage fund and mentor community who provide hands on support to every founding team we invest in. Our mission is to build the ultimate place in NZ to start a high-growth, venture-backed company.

Since the inaugural Flux programme in 2017, we've backed 18 startups around NZ, including: Genoapay (acquired by Latitude), Narrative, First AML, Jasper, Rocos, Social Club, Vidapp, Compostic and more. Flux alumni employ >110 people (and counting), and have raised >$16m from investors like Founders Fund, Chris Heaslip and Elliot Crowther (PushPay co-founders), iFlytek, M7, Tuhua, Eden Ventures, K1W1, Ice Angels and many more.

About the Role

What You'll be doing:

Deal Sourcing

• Actively source new early-stage investments around NZ. Engage founders and educate them about Flux and Icehouse Ventures. Use creative strategies or our network to identify promising early stage teams that may not have heard about us yet.

• Evaluate hundreds of early stage startups who seek investment, help or both from our team each year. Become a first port of call for seed stage startups within our team at Icehouse Ventures. Help identify prospective investments to run through due-diligence with support of our wider team.

• Progress prospective investments, build trust with entrepreneurs through hands on help, and activate our mentor/ investor/alumni network to support their mission. Create advocacy for our brand among founders.

Network

• Actively seek to build new relationships with exited entrepreneurs, investors, prospective mentors and partners that can add value to our community of founders.

• Manage existing community relationships and activate them through timely, regular connection into our companies.

Operations

• Host weekly office hours with each new intake of Flux teams (during their first 6 months at our office). Find ways to impact our startups on a regular basis.

• Create and manage our regular event series for Flux companies. These dinners and lunches are a focal point in bringing our founder community together, and include sessions held by alumni founders, notable entrepreneurs, thought leaders and visting VC's.

• Foster the community connection between Flux participants, alumni and mentors. Onboard all new companies to our space, and activate our wider community to support them.

• Manage our pipeline of Ventures Talent (kiwis applying for startup roles in our portfolio). Spot opportunities to connect relevant applicants with startups in our portfolio who are hiring.

• Keep track of company activities, metrics and press for reporting purposes.

• Manage our Flux social accounts and keeping the website up to date with new investments and events.

What you could bring to the role:

• Operating experience from starting, or playing a defining role in a high-growth startup/ high performing team.

• Infinite curiosity, eager to learn about new ideas & industries.

• Sharp critical thinking and desire to uncover the truth in our evaluation of startups.

• Empathy for the founding teams we work with, paired with a willingness to go above and beyond to help them succeed.

• Ability to manage internal and external stakeholders.

• Persuasive written and verbal communication skills.

• An ability to juggle multiple projects, in a number of different areas, at the same time.

• A bias for action, ownership of your work.

We are accepting applicants from all backgrounds. We encourage you to apply even if your experience isn't a perfect match with our job description. This position is a full-time salaried role in Parnell, with further upside through carry on funds invested (aligned to the success of the companies you work with).  

Apply by email before February 25th: talent@icehouseventures.co.nz

Icehouse Ventures Investment Manager

About Icehouse Ventures

We have collectively invested over $120m into 180 startups since 2001 as part of The Icehouse. Icehouse Ventures was established in 2019 with investment from Simplicity Kiwisaver, Jarden, Sir Stephen Tindall's K1W1, and The Icehouse. 

About the Role

The purpose of the investment manager role is to originate new investment opportunities, lead the investment process and work with the companies post investment. The investment manager role will work across the Flux Accelerator, Eden Ventures and Tuhua Ventures.

Deal Sourcing

• Actively sourcing new deal flow from within the early-stage investment ecosystem.
• Developing a personal investment thesis whilst synthesizing the collective views of the Icehouse Ventures team to see genuine opportunities for globally scalable companies.
• Developing relationships with founders and adding value.
• Negotiating deal structures with founders and leading the investment process.
• Meeting prospective investments and giving feedback to the company.

Investor Relations

• Building trust with investors.
• Articulating the various funds and investment opportunities available within Icehouse Ventures.
• Raising capital for the Icehouse Ventures funds.
• Contribute to quarterly investor reporting for the companies you are the closest to.

Network

• Actively seek to build new relationships with entrepreneurs and prospective mentors/advisors that could benefit our portfolio
• Build relationships with ecosystem stakeholders and upstream investors.
• Manage these relationships and activate them by connecting them to investee founders

Resources

• Assist in building templates and resources that entrepreneurs could benefit from.

Position Requirements

Experiences and skills should include:

• Experience in working on a startup or investing in startups.
• Experience in raising capital from investors or managing investment products.
• An insatiable curiosity and desire to learn about new industries and technologies.
• An ability to build high-quality relationships with entrepreneurs and investors.
• A hard work ethic and desire to go above and beyond to help build iconic companies. 

We’re looking for someone who is as passionate as us about building an iconic investment business. You must have a high ownership mentality and the ability to take responsibility for goals and outcomes.

To apply email - talent@icehouseventures.co.nz

Community and Marketing Manager

Icehouse Ventures is looking to hire a Community and Marketing Manager to ensure we deliver a world-class experience to the founders in our Icehouse Ventures family, add value through our network and events and build the Icehouse Ventures brand in the early-stage investment ecosystem.

About Icehouse Ventures

Icehouse Ventures is an investment group that backs New Zealand's leading high-growth companies. The group includes the Ice Angels and ArcAngels investor networks, Tuhua Ventures, Eden Ventures, First Cut Ventures, a number of passive funds and the Flux Accelerator.

We have collectively invested over $120m into 180 startups since 2001 as part of The Icehouse. Icehouse Ventures was established in 2019 with investment from Simplicity Kiwisaver, Jarden, Sir Stephen Tindall's K1W1, and The Icehouse.

About the Role 

The purpose of the Community and Marketing Manager is to build upon the brand framework we have as Icehouse Ventures and create a program of activities and processes to add value to our portfolio companies, share common learnings, help our founders learn from one another and demonstrate our value proposition through active engagement.

Here is a brief overview of some examples of work:

Founder Experience

• Design, lead and execute an annual calendar of activities to add value to our portfolio investments and prospective investee companies.

• Actively manage the onboarding of new investee companies into the Icehouse ventures family.

Press and Marketing

• Lead press building activities for Icehouse Ventures and portfolio companies.

• Oversee the execution of social channels across the various Icehouse Ventures brands.

• Work with the team to ensure there is sufficient content planned and a high level of quality across all public facing communication.

• Champion execution of high quality content that is generated by the Icehouse Ventures team to be shared with the early-stage ecosystem, both investors and entrepreneurs.

Talent Pool and Network

• Actively manage the Icehouse Ventures talent pool, driving more in bound enquiries and matching them to prospective companies to help our companies hire high quality talent.

• Actively seek to build new relationships with successful entrepreneurs, investors and prospective mentors that could benefit our portfolio.

• Manage these relationships and activate them by connecting them to investee founders.

Position Requirements

Experiences and skills should include: 

• Experience in working on a startup or with startups.

• Experience in marketing management and building B2B brands.

• An insatiable curiosity and desire to learn about new industries and technologies.

• Being great at communicating both internally and externally and a hospitality mindset in dealing with all stakeholders.

• A hard work ethic and desire to go above and beyond to help build iconic companies.

We’re looking for someone who is as passionate as us about building an iconic investment business. You must have a high ownership mentality and the ability to take responsibility for goals and outcomes.

This is a full-time role, based in Parnell, Auckland.

To apply email - talent@icehouseventures.co.nz

FAQs

What is Icehouse Ventures?

Icehouse Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm. The firm includes all of the previous startup related activities of The Icehouse including the Flux Accelerator, partnerships with angel networks Ice Angels & ArcAngels; and funds Tuhua Ventures, Eden Ventures and First Cut Ventures, which collectively manage $50 million in funds. Tuhua Ventures second fund, Tuhua II is more than 75% subscribed and will close shortly.

More than $106 million has been invested into 165 New Zealand companies since The Icehouse first began channelling capital to startups with the establishment of its incubator in 2001 and Ice Angels in 2003, with more than half this amount raised within the past four years. In 2018, the Icehouse community invested $22 million into 56 startups.

Icehouse Ventures will continue to be majority owned by The Icehouse Limited. New shareholders will include KiwiSaver funds manager Simplicity; Sir Stephen Tindall’s investment company K1W1; investment banking firm FNZC and a group of other investors and staff that will join with the partners.

How much are the new partners investing in Icehouse Ventures?  

The Icehouse is raising $4 million to power up Icehouse Ventures and grow its business. The investing partners have committed $3 million of investment into Icehouse Ventures between Simplicity, FNZC and K1W1, leaving $1 million of investment to be raised from interests associated with The Icehouse. The investing partnership has also indicated they will be investing in Icehouse Ventures’ funds and investing platforms in their own right. Simplicity will start by investing $2 million into Tuhua Ventures’ second fund, Tuhua II and it expects to invest up to $100 million over the next 5 years in other Ventures funds that are funding emerging high growth New Zealand companies. FNZC will also be investing across the platform and also releasing products that enable its clients to access the portfolio opportunities of Icehouse Ventures best companies.

What is the ownership structure of Icehouse Ventures? 

The new investing partners will own 23% of the company. The Icehouse owns the remaining shares and will be launching an employee share ownership programme.

Who is Robbie Paul? How did he become CEO?

Robbie joined The Icehouse in 2008 and trained under former US Angel Capital Association Director Dan Rosen and New Zealand Angel Association Arch Angel Bill Payne. He became CEO of Ice Angels in 2015. He is the Managing Partner of Tuhua Ventures and was a founding investor in 2016. He will take on the role of CEO of Icehouse Ventures from 1 May. You can find out more about Robbie here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertjpaul/

How many people does Icehouse Ventures employ?

Icehouse Ventures will initially employ 8 full-time executives who were previously employed by The Icehouse which now falls under the umbrella of Icehouse Ventures. More staff will be hired as the company grows.

How does the Icehouse work with Icehouse Ventures?

The Icehouse retains majority control of Icehouse Ventures and in simple terms, it is sharing a load of investment with its new investment partners to create more impact and returns. Everything else says the same, the organisation will work from the same place, acting as one business focused on supporting New Zealand’s founders and SMEs to reach their potential. The Icehouse will have a shared services contract with Icehouse Ventures to deliver its back office and compliance together with the support of marketing and executives such as The Icehouse CEO, Andy Hamilton who will continue to be actively involved in the Icehouse Ventures business and operations. This shared services arrangement has an initial period of five years. See diagram below.

Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Vodafone Xone. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand, with the interview available as both audio and a transcribed excerpt. This week Simon talks to Ben Reynolds about how his company Spalk is making sports commentary more accessible. 

Have you ever turned on your favorite live sports game to be disappointed by the commentators? Maybe it is an Aussie butchering Māori or Pasifika names, maybe it is just that they are talking out of their hats.

Well, Ben Reynolds and Michael Prendergast did something about it. They used internet software to do their own commentaries, growing to thousands of fans who would tune in despite audio delays, lags from live action and all sorts of technical shortcomings – shortcomings in which they saw an opportunity.

So they built the perfect system to allow multiple commentaries on a single stream of video.

They prototyped, launched and have now built the tool into Spalk, a service that has let millions view video with their audio and is used by Māori TV, FIBA and soon lots of American sports outfits to allow choice for viewers and savings for broadcasters.

It’s an idea driving up viewership, engagement and getting backing from capital. It’s earned them a place at the Vodafone Xone accelerator that kick-started their growth. To talk the journey so far and the plans ahead, Ben Reynolds joined the podcast. 

You started out with the idea of providing alternate commentary for sports, pretty much for fun. Did you see pretty soon that there were actually people whose home team was playing and they weren’t getting their side of the story out?

Yeah, exactly, so what we did after we built this little hacky version of Spalk was we went out and said to a bunch of amateur sports organisations, hey, you’re not actually streaming anything, can we put some of your content online so us and our friends can commentate it?

So our first partner was Auckland Cricket, who streamed a bunch of their Plunket Shield matches and a bunch of their county level cricket games, and so we’d be sitting there with a camcorder following the action on the side of the field, streaming it to YouTube, it would go onto our system, and then people would be commentating it from all around New Zealand.

Soon we had a commentator in Australia, and then one in London. The commentators were growing and growing. We started doing a lot of work with other amateur sports organisations, the likes of New Zealand Swimming and New Zealand Squash and a lot of those other sports who weren’t quite at the broadcast stage but were really keen to get content online so their fans could commentate it.

We were getting good numbers of people tuning in and listening to all this good commentary. We had professional players coming on and commentating tournaments, and kids who’d just finished up at their high school champs coming on to commentate their friends and all sorts of things like that.

We started seeing a lot of grassroots people coming in and getting really really excited about what we were doing.

Did you have to build out the infrastructure to actually film everything and live stream it in order to get the Spalk idea off the ground? 

It was interesting, at that stage we didn’t really think that places like SkyTV or Māori Television who are one of our really good partners now would ever take us seriously. So we said to ourselves, what’s the easiest way that we can get access to some content? And the easiest way was to just do it ourselves. 

I borrowed a camcorder from Mum and Dad and figured out how to stream everything online and it was a pretty hacky setup with a camcorder on the side of the pitch and me sitting there texting scores through to the commentators so that they could give score updates because there was no score graphic or anything up on the screen.

We got the numbers and that really validated that we had a kernel of something interesting.

With that kernel you then went to Māori TV who were one of your first big broadcast partners. Was that driven by the horrendous mispronunciations of Māori and Pasifika names you hear?

Yeah that was part of it. It’s funny because they actually ended up coming to us. They got in touch and said hey, we’ve seen what you guys are doing and think it’s really interesting from the ability to have multiple different languages.

Obviously as a state broadcaster they’ve got to provide a certain level of coverage in te reo Māori so for them it was a really easy way to say here’s a really easy way to do English commentary, Māori commentary, and hey, if we want to throw in Fijian and Samoan and a variety of other Pasifika languages so we’ve got a really broad broadcast and a really appealing product to different demographics around New Zealand. 

Really for them it was where they saw the use case and so for us what it meant was we had to go back and rejig our entire infrastructure to be able to deal with being on a product like Māori Television.

Rather than dealing with a camcorder, suddenly we were on broadcast-level content coming out of the New Zealand High School Basketball champs, and we’ve got a certain level of service that we’ve got to provide, and so it was a really good opportunity for us to go and build a proper product and take the time to go and do a bit more research and development and really mature where the product was at.

A commercial facility for salvaging high-value metals such as gold, silver and palladium from electronic waste is being planned, after a partnership deal between two Kiwi companies. 

Mint Innovation and Remarkit Solutions have signed a deal to build the factory and expand the company across the country, and then internationally.

New Zealand Cleantech company Mint Innovation has developed the low-cost recovery process using specialised microorganisms which purify the metals from e-waste in what chief executive Will Barker says is an environmentally benign process.

"Our team, led by Dr Ollie Crush, has successfully extracted precious metals on a small scale and it is now time to take the technology further," Barker said.

"It's very exciting for us - we have developed a technology that we are very satisfied can be scaled and taken global and the first step for us is to build a New Zealand facility," Barker said.

"We're currently looking at Wellington and Auckland [for the facility], and Remarkit as a leading e-waste recycler is a key partner to enable us to have access to the waste that we need to process." 

Barker said the current process for most e-waste was for it to be broken into parts and sent to various areas of the world that could break it down into specific metals.

IMeasureU, a division of the Academy Award-winning motion capture leader Vicon, today announces the release of IMU Step, a new piece of motion-sensing wearable tech designed to track the movements of professional and amateur athletes. Early units are already being used by both professional sports and collegiate programs alike, including the NBA, Pac-12 schools and Harvard University to help train and rehabilitate athletes across a wide variety of sports.

Consisting of two small, lightweight sensors that produce highly accurate movement data, IMU Step gives coaches and athletes the ability to precisely measure the movements and stress put on athletes’ bodies in any running-based sport. While IMU Step will soon be available to the public, IMeasureU has been working with professional and collegiate athletes for years. Harvard University recently used IMU sensors to study the impact of runners in the Boston Marathon, and Pac-12 schools the University of Oregon, Stanford, USC and the University of Colorado are also currently using the sensors to help understand the injuries commonly sustained by cross country runners.

“IMU sensors allow for the collection of biomechanics data in the wild,” said Harvard Medical School’s Dr. Irene Davis. “Devices like IMU Step allow the assessment of movement patterns on the court or in the field, and help to bridge the gap between laboratory research and applied sports science.”

Along with the Boston Marathon, Harvard is also preparing to use the sensors in an NBA/G co-funded study designed to measure bone stress injuries in collegiate and professional basketball players, and monitor changes as a result of fatigue. Thanks to the recent acquisition by Vicon, the world’s largest supplier of precision motion capture and tracking systems, IMeasureU hopes to offer its IMU Step technology to participants around the world in any sport.

IMU Step records movement data through two synchronized sensors placed above the ankle bone. The data is then interpreted through algorithms and software that precisely quantify the impact of each step an athlete takes. Unlike most single-sensor wearables that treat the body as a single unit of mass and only focus on distance, speed and heart rate, IMU Step precisely measures and classifies how hard each limb hits the ground to calculate asymmetries and workout intensity in order to offer an accumulative “bone load” score for each athlete’s training session. For running-based sports like basketball, where over 40-percent of injuries are sustained on the foot and ankle, these metrics can help coaches and trainers remove the guesswork from a player’s journey back from a lower limb injury, and dramatically reduce the risk of re-injury. 

The analysis of an athlete’s lower limbs and bone loading impact generated through IMU Step offers a first of its kind look at each athlete’s body and the impact of workouts on their musculoskeletal system. With enough data, IMU Step can create individual profiles for athletes, making it easier to produce personalized workouts and rest schedules. Even if the players themselves feel fine, constant metrics alert trainers and coaches to potential problems before they happen, ensuring that their athletes are at optimal strength for when it’s time to compete. The data can also help with recovery by enabling effective observations and strategic planning that personalizes the rehabilitation process and prevents future injuries.

“IMU Step brings about a new understanding of injury biomechanics as we move outside of the lab and obtain accurate measurements in the real world,” said Dr. Thor Besier, co-founder and chief scientist at IMeasureU. “Using the data collected with IMU Step, athletes, coaches, trainers and support staff can make informed decisions about how to get athletes healthy, and how to keep them that way.”

By: Rebecca Howard

Chief executive and founder Shaun Quincey says Genoapay is signing five new merchants a day and forecasts show the platform is on track to be available in more than 1,000 stores by the second quarter of 2018, enabling transactions for some 80,000 qualified users.

"I am delighted with our current growth trajectory, and we are learning every day how to grow faster and add more value to our merchants in the process," said Quincey.

The platform is bankrolled by Finance Now, a finance company owned by Southland Building Society, and uses Debitsuccess to manage its payment systems and credit services. Finance Now has a 10 percent stake in Genoapay.