Far Out!
A Cannonball Run Of Investors Speeds Into Christchurch
What happens when you put Christchurch startup founders and execs in a room with venture capitalists from Silicon Valley?
Lots of deals – eventually. But first came lots of car talk, as this revved-up group of VCs, mostly from the United States, were part of the Far Out four-wheel drive convoy from Auckland to Queenstown. In 22 4WD vehicles, they got to drive some of the best back-country roads in New Zealand during the day and spend their nights meeting with entrepreneurs. Ōtautahi Christchurch was the only city where they spent two nights, which meant they had time to visit the Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre at Kaitorete before filling the Limes Room at Christchurch Town Hall on 5 February to mix and mingle over the best produce and beverages from the region.
ChristchurchNZ CEO Ali Adams had scored an invitation to ride along from Nelson to Christchurch via the legendary Rainbow Road and said being driven by Alex Roy, who was part of the team that set the “Cannonball Run” record for the fastest drive across the continental US in 2006, was the most adrenalin-pumping experience she’d had in her economic development career. Alex is now a deep-tech VC but he hasn’t lost his need for speed.
Far Out founder Rob Coneybeer, from Shasta Ventures, told the NZ Herald that bouncing around on gravel roads beat elevator pitches, or even a golf date. “When you’re on a road trip with someone for four or five hours, you get to know them quite well.”
Rob was part of a panel along with Ali Adams and Andrew Davis from Toyota at the Christchurch dinner. He told the crowd that Christchurch was “where the entrepreneurs know each best”, calling this connectedness “a real hallmark of Christchurch innovators.” One of Rob’s many investments into New Zealand’s thriving startup scene was Christchurch software company Partly, and the evening featured a conversation with co-founder and CEO Levi Fawcett.
Partly is working to make the giant global car parts market (worth US$1.9 trillion annually) more accessible for all the industry’s players and Fawcett said being based in Christchurch was part of the company’s success at attracting top software engineering talent. Partly has hired lots of software talent from Silicon Valley and Seattle and said Christchurch’s “good balance for families” made it a very liveable city and a draw for talent.
As Partly has shown, being based in Christchurch, which has direct flights to San Francisco, can be part of the recipe for success.
Ali Adams said she’s had messages from guests telling her that concrete deals are going to get done based on the introductions made at the Far Out evening.
Stay tuned for updates.
