In this live NZVC Portfolio Day panel, Jovan Pavlicevic (Emerge & SquareOne), Dermot Butterfield (Wych), and Steven Zinsli (Extraordinary) join hosts Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau to show what it actually looks like to build fintech in New Zealand.
They talk candidly about lobbying for access to ESAS and Payments NZ, designing products around tax law to make public transport salary-sacrifice eligible, and navigating an industry where four Aussie banks still control the vast majority of the market. Along the way you’ll hear very human origin stories—firefighting, Intel R&D, healthcare reform—and why they still think New Zealand is one of the best places on earth to build fintech startups if you’re willing to play the long, regulated game.
🔗 Learn more about NZVC:
https://www.nzvc.co.nz
🔗 Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
🔗 Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
00:00 – Intro: why NZ’s fintech scene is bigger than people think.
00:37 – Jovan on SquareOne & Emerge: kids’ banking, business accounts, and launching personal accounts.02:00 – From 6–7 months to 6–7 minutes: fixing business onboarding.
03:15 – Dermot on Wych: “plug and socket” for data and payments.
04:25 – Steven on Extraordinary: 34k active cards and making public transport tax-free.
05:49 – Are regulators friends or enemies for fintech?
07:49 – When regulators ask for your “recipe” and why that’s risky.
09:14 – Lobbying to build New Zealand’s first digital challenger bank.
12:42 – Why it’s so hard to start a new bank in New Zealand.
14:14 – Designing NZ’s only pre-tax public transport benefit.
17:29 – Unique access to MPs and policy writers in New Zealand.
20:15 – Fighting “toll booths” on open banking and unfair pricing.
23:29 – Getting bank-grade licenses with a team of one-and-a-half people.
25:02 – Why Emerge is focused on New Zealand first, not “world by next week.”
27:08 – Founder origin stories: firefighter, Intel engineer, healthcare operator.
31:59 – Financial inclusion, socially capitalistic fintech, and lived experience.
36:05 – Why SquareOne and Emerge went card-first; prepaid vs debit vs credit.
40:09 – How each startup would handle another GFC-style shock.
44:39 – What transaction data says about NZ’s real economy.
47:17 – Sponsor plans, $4.99 subs, and cost-of-living pressure.
49:32 – Closing reflections and applause.
If this gave you a new lens on fintech, regulation, and startups in New Zealand, hit 👍, drop your questions or takeaways in the comments, and subscribe for more founder and investor deep-dives from the NZVC ecosystem.
#startups, #NewZealand, #business, #fintech, #openbanking, #payments, #regulation, #banking, #SaaS, #NZTech, #futureofmoney, #financialinclusion, #employeebenefits, #cards, #venturecapital, #founders, #australasia, #startupstory, #TechMates, #podcast