As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina O'Keeffe each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice.  


This week, Many are counting the human cost of the Middle East conflict but there’s also an economic one too - so what does it mean for us? Back here, job numbers are on the rise, and more people are accessing their Kiwisaver for hardship reasons than first homes … plus is AI really on the fast track to taking our white collar jobs?

As business owners, you know how hard it is keeping up with your business, let alone the news. Join Wilhelmina O'Keeffe each week as she gives you a rundown of the biggest stories that could impact your business, so you can make informed decisions with expert advice. &nbsp;
 This week,&nbsp;Many are counting the human cost of the Middle East conflict but there&rsquo;s also an economic one too - so what does it mean for us? Back here, job numbers are on the rise, and more people are accessing their Kiwisaver for hardship reasons than first homes &hellip; plus is AI really on the fast track to taking our white collar jobs?

Looking for actionable business insights all in one place? 

We're here to help you find a way with a curation of the ‘best bits’ from top business podcasts. 

Save time searching; subscribe to the SME Stream where you can listen to relevant, timely, business-related content today. 

 

Looking for actionable business insights all in one place? 
We're here to help you find a way with a curation of the &lsquo;best bits&rsquo; from top business podcasts. 
Save time searching; subscribe to the SME Stream where you can listen to relevant, timely, business-related content today.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

The SME Stream

SME Stream Weekly Wrap - 06 March

Latest confidence survey shows 70% of farms are turning a profit. Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford joins the show to discuss.

Latest confidence survey shows 70% of farms are turning a profit. Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford joins the show to discuss.

Rural Update: Profitability at all-time high, but farmers remain cautious

This week on The Business of Tech, I talk to Neara co‑founder Jack Curtis about how a “physics-based digital twin” of electricity grids is changing the way we plan, build and protect electricity infrastructure – from Taranaki to Texas. 

Neara has just raised A$90 million in a Series D round led by US investment firm Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), which also invested in Netflix, Spotify, Facebook and Xero. That takes total funding in Neara to about A$180 million, as some of the world’s most exposed utilities rush to digitise their networks in the face of extreme weather and the clean‑energy transition.

Neara’s origin story isn’t very corporate. Software engineer and Neara co-founder, Daniel Danilatos, hacked together a better power line design tool over a weekend for his wife, a line designer frustrated with clunky legacy software. The prototype spread “organically” in an industry notorious for moving slowly.

Within a few years, it had become the basis for a company now modelling around 90% of Australia’s electricity networks and working with most major utilities in Texas and California, and with a roster of New Zealand clients.

Predicting when things break

Most “digital twins” in utilities have been glorified 3D maps – pretty visualisations that don’t give asset owners enough confidence to make high‑stakes decisions. Neara instead builds behavioural models where every pole, line and substation is infused with real‑world physics: how it bends in a storm, heats up as load rises, or fails when gusts hit a certain speed. 

As Jack puts it, if you look at the pole outside your house in a gale, it should behave exactly the same way in Neara’s model – right up to the moment it snaps.

We also look at how physics‑based models help solve “good problems” like renewables congestion. Neara simulates how much extra power can safely be pushed through existing lines, where new wind or solar should connect, and how different mixes of generation and load will behave over 10–30 years. 

That’s crucial for countries like New Zealand, which sprinted to 80–90% renewable electricity without fully modelling system‑wide side‑effects such as dry‑year risk and fossil‑fuel fallback.

I found this chat fascinating and I’m sure you will too if you are interested in how evidence-based digital twins can transform industries. 

Streaming on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks to our sponsor 2degrees.​

This week on The Business of Tech, I talk to Neara co‑founder Jack Curtis about how a &ldquo;physics-based digital twin&rdquo; of electricity grids is changing the way we plan, build and protect electricity infrastructure &ndash; from Taranaki to Texas.&nbsp;
Neara has just raised A$90 million in a Series D round led by US investment firm Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), which also invested in Netflix, Spotify, Facebook and Xero. That takes total funding in Neara to about A$180 million, as some of the world&rsquo;s most exposed utilities rush to digitise their networks in the face of extreme weather and the clean‑energy transition.
Neara&rsquo;s origin story isn&rsquo;t very corporate. Software engineer and Neara co-founder, Daniel Danilatos, hacked together a better power line design tool over a weekend for his wife, a line designer frustrated with clunky legacy software. The prototype spread &ldquo;organically&rdquo; in an industry notorious for moving slowly.
Within a few years, it had become the basis for a company now modelling around 90% of Australia&rsquo;s electricity networks and working with most major utilities in Texas and California, and with a roster of New Zealand clients.
Predicting when things break
Most &ldquo;digital twins&rdquo; in utilities have been glorified 3D maps &ndash; pretty visualisations that don&rsquo;t give asset owners enough confidence to make high‑stakes decisions. Neara instead builds behavioural models where every pole, line and substation is infused with real‑world physics: how it bends in a storm, heats up as load rises, or fails when gusts hit a certain speed.&nbsp;
As Jack puts it, if you look at the pole outside your house in a gale, it should behave exactly the same way in Neara&rsquo;s model &ndash; right up to the moment it snaps.
We also look at how physics‑based models help solve &ldquo;good problems&rdquo; like renewables congestion. Neara simulates how much extra power can safely be pushed through existing lines, where new wind or solar should connect, and how different mixes of generation and load will behave over 10&ndash;30 years.&nbsp;
That&rsquo;s crucial for countries like New Zealand, which sprinted to 80&ndash;90% renewable electricity without fully modelling system‑wide side‑effects such as dry‑year risk and fossil‑fuel fallback.
I found this chat fascinating and I&rsquo;m sure you will too if you are interested in how evidence-based digital twins can transform industries.&nbsp;
Streaming on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks to our sponsor 2degrees.​

Australia's new unicorn and its digital twins

Is the golden age of software over? Andrew Curtayne, tech sector specialist at Milford Asset Management, puts the industry under the microscope. While hardware giants like Nvidia are still projecting heady numbers, software providers like Salesforce are under threat from AI tools that enable anyone to write code.

With the central AI chip manufacturer sold out until 2028, what does that mean for the supply chain? Why do the biggest tech companies need to tap debt markets to fund a trillion-dollar construction spree? We discuss the "doomsday" scenario for white-collar jobs being automated, and why the market is currently favouring unglamorous sectors like consumer staples. 

Plus, the coming energy battle over data centers, $50 billion facilities that can consume as much power as a small city. 

For more places to follow Shared Lunch—check out http://linktr.ee/sharedlunch

Shared Lunch is brought to you by Sharesies Australia Limited (ABN 94 648 811 830; AFSL 529893) in Australia and Sharesies Limited (NZ) in New Zealand. It is not financial advice. Information provided is general only and current at the time it’s provided, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation and needs. We do not provide recommendations and you should always read the disclosure documents available from the product issuer before making a financial decision. Our disclosure documents and terms and conditions—including a Target Market Determination and IDPS Guide for Sharesies Australian customers—can be found on our relevant Australian or NZ website.

Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. If you require financial advice, you should consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.

Appearance on Shared Lunch is not an endorsement by Sharesies of the views of the presenters, guests, or the entities they represent. Their views are their own.

Is the golden age of software over? Andrew Curtayne, tech sector specialist at Milford Asset Management, puts the industry under the microscope. While hardware giants like Nvidia are still projecting heady numbers, software providers like Salesforce are under threat from AI tools that enable anyone to write code.
With the central AI chip manufacturer sold out until 2028, what does that mean for the supply chain? Why do the biggest tech companies need to tap debt markets to fund a trillion-dollar construction spree? We discuss the "doomsday" scenario for white-collar jobs being automated, and why the market is currently favouring unglamorous sectors like consumer staples.&nbsp;
Plus, the coming energy battle over data centers, $50 billion facilities that can consume as much power as a small city.&nbsp;
For more places to follow Shared Lunch&mdash;check out <a href="http://linktr.ee/sharedlunch">http://linktr.ee/sharedlunch </a>Shared Lunch is brought to you by Sharesies Australia Limited (ABN 94 648 811 830; AFSL 529893) in Australia and Sharesies Limited (NZ) in New Zealand. It is not financial advice. Information provided is general only and current at the time it&rsquo;s provided, and does not take into account your objectives, financial situation and needs. We do not provide recommendations and you should always read the disclosure documents available from the product issuer before making a financial decision. Our disclosure documents and terms and conditions&mdash;including a Target Market Determination and IDPS Guide for Sharesies Australian customers&mdash;can be found on our relevant Australian or NZ website.
Investing involves risk. You might lose the money you start with. If you require financial advice, you should consider speaking with a qualified financial advisor. Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance.
Appearance on Shared Lunch is not an endorsement by Sharesies of the views of the presenters, guests, or the entities they represent. Their views are their own.

SME Stream Weekly Wrap - 06 March

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