November 2024: New Zealand's tech news headlines

RAND: Artificial Intelligence and ML for Space Domain Awareness

New Zealand: Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in NZ, allowing merchants to take contactless payments with Adyen, ANZ Bank, Stripe, Windcave and Worldline participating / full item
As of 2024, the cryptocurrency market in New Zealand is projected to generate around USD 134.7 million in revenue, with an anticipated 1.94 million users by 2025. / full item
New Zealand: Dawn Hypersonics, part of Dawn Aerospace, achieved supersonic flight with prototype, completing a 66,000 foot ascent in just 118.6 seconds / full item
New Zealand: Airwallex, Australian-founded financial platform, is launching ‘Airwallex for Startups’ program in NZ / full item
New Zealand: OpenStar Technologies hit nuclear fusion energy milestone, generating plasma for the first time / full item
New Zealand: X/Twitter is reportedly testing free version of Grok AI chatbot, with early tests confirming access in regions including New Zealand / full item

KPMG Fintech Australia Landscape 2024

New Zealand gov’t finalises Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, mandating rules and regulations for service providers / full item
Bank of New Zealand acquires Māori-led BlinkPay fintech, looking to further build out open banking services and products / full item
Australia & NZ: ‘AI and Music’, a study on the impact of technology on Australia and New Zealand music creators / full item
‘AI & Music Market Development of AI in the Music Sector and Impact on Music Creators in Australia & NZ’ “…by 2028, 23% of music creators’ revenues will be at risk due to Gen AI…” / full item
Australia & NZ: A quick intro to the 7 startups graduation from the Founder Institute pre-seed accelerator, with solutions in battery recycling, AI-driven health-tech and more / full item
Malaysia’s Entomal Biotech takes overall win at the Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2024 in Japan, with New Zealand’s Formus taking 2nd place / full item

Heritage Foundation: The Pacific Pivot – US Strategy for the Pacific Islands

Australia’s Gilmour Space gains launch permit from Australian Space Agency for first flight of Eris small launch vehicle from Queensland’s Bowen Orbital Spaceport…
SpaceX launched its first mission for the Indian Space Research Organisation, delivering a 4700kg satellite to orbit in the 3rd scheduled SpaceX launch in 24 hours…
Malaysia: Gov’t is considering small modular reactors as a power source, seeing SMRs as a small, safe, and more cost-effective energy option into the future…

November 2024: New Zealand