Infoblaze New Zealand

25/07/2026

Rising fuel costs, natural gas supply challenges and weather-related disruptions mean building energy resilience is becoming increasingly important for exporters.

Join our Energy Resilience webinar on Tuesday 4 August to explore practical ways to improve energy efficiency, strengthen business resilience and reduce exposure to energy cost volatility. You'll also hear how these actions can help support long-term growth and meet evolving expectations in international markets.

Hear international perspectives from Becky Lloyd (NZTE Beachhead Advisor), alongside insights from Aimee McCammon (Pic’s Peanut Butter) and Richard Briggs (EECA), on taking practical action and building resilience for future growth.

Register now: https://my.nzte.govt.nz/attend/Future-proof_your_Export_Business_Through_Improving_Energy_Resilience3130102115

25/07/2026

New Zealand and Philippines form

The Foreign Ministers of New Zealand and the Philippines have announced a Comprehensive Partnership.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Philippine Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa P. Lazaro formalised the Comprehensive Partnership during a meeting in Manila, while also discussing priority bilateral and regional issues.

“New Zealand and the Philippines are close friends and trusted partners on the world stage – and today we turn this friendship into concrete action,” Mr Peters says......
http://infoblaze.com/news/details/118412

25/07/2026

25/07/2026

Congratulations to Aaron Coxhead of Coxhead Wines, crowned the 2026 Tonnellerie de Mercurey North Island Young Winemaker of the Year!

After placing second in 2024 and gaining international experience, Aaron returned home with a goal to take home the trophy and became the first winemaker from Waikato to do it.

A huge congratulations also to Ngaun Siao (2nd) and Katelyn Church (3rd), along with all the talented young winemakers who showcased their skills, passion and commitment to the future of New Zealand wine.

Aaron now heads to the National Final in Martinborough on 25 August. Best of luck! 🍇✨

Read the full media release at the link below 🔗
https://bit.ly/ni-young-winemaker-2026

25/07/2026

18/07/2026

Marine Tactics for Surviving the Trillion-Dollar SaaS-pocalypse

At the heart of this disruption is the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence agents from giants like OpenAI and Anthropic, which are beginning to perform the work of entire departments with startling efficiency. For Auckland-based tech leader Devin Deen, the founder of ThinkGo, this is not merely a period of market volatility but a necessary evolution that will separate the true innovators from those simply riding a wave of what he calls vibe coding.

Deen observes that the SaaS-pocalypse is specifically targeting the per-seat licensing model that has been the bread and butter of the industry for decades. As AI enables individuals to do more than ever before, the demand for dozens of software licenses for a single team is evaporating. “If I can swap ten people with two to three people working with AI agents, am I going to need those many licenses for that particular product?” Deen asks.

This shift is forcing companies to rethink their pricing and deliver value based on outcomes rather than headcount.

Another real terror for SaaS startups is the new reality that any SaaS product that can be replicated in a weekend by a competitor using AI, is effectively a commodity. Deen warns that, “SaaS was already in shaky grounds in terms of what vibe coding can replace. Your software can be replaced in one weekend by someone who likes what you did”.

For a software business to remain competitive and investable today, Deen says it must look beyond its generic code and embrace the concept of the whole product model. As Deen explains, “It’s not just your product that’s the value. It’s your integrations, how open your partnerships, your community that you have built with your customers, the engagement, how they feel about your brand”.

Success in this era requires a radical departure from complicated business strategies and rigid corporate structures, a lesson Deen carries from his formative years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.....
http://infoblaze.com/news/details/118338

Devin Deen
NZ Entrepreneur Magazine

18/07/2026

Congratulations to Nick Lamain of Isabel Estate, crowned the 2026 Tonnellerie de Mercurey Marlborough Young Winemaker of the Year.

Facing strong competition from nine other talented young winemakers, Nick excelled across a range of practical and technical challenges and also won the Indevin Wine Judging Award.

Congratulations also to Katasha Pearce from Saint Clair Family Estate, who came in second place, and Paiqi Cao from Indevin, who came third.

Read the full media release at the link below 🔗
https://bit.ly/marlborough-young-winemaker-2026

18/07/2026