Emily Blythe skipped university to launch a quad-bike accessory business, spent years trying to clear airport fog with drones, and eventually pivoted to solve aviation’s biggest headache through data.
In this episode of TechMates, we sit down with Emily Blythe, the New Zealand tech entrepreneur and CEO of Pyper Vision. Coming from four generations of pilots, Emily seemed destined for aviation—but instead of flying planes, she’s saving them from being grounded.
She shares the incredible story of her first startup "Flatpak," the brutal reality of deep tech R&D, and the gut-wrenching decision to pivot Pyper Vision from fog dispersal (using chemicals and drones) to fog forecasting after discovering a flaw in the fundamental science.This is a masterclass in resilience, "missionary" founder mindsets, and how to build a global deep tech monopoly from New Zealand. If you are interested in aviation, hard pivot stories, or the reality of building hardware and software for high-stakes industries, this episode is for you.
✈️ A 4-generation legacy in aviation
🚜 Skipping uni to build "Flatpak" (her first exit)
🌫️ The "Fog Factory" myth & early experiments
🚁 Trying to clear fog with drones & chemicals
📉 The painful pivot: When the science doesn't work
🔮 How Pyper Vision now predicts fog with 84% accuracy
Connect with Emily Blythe:
Pyper Vision: https://www.pypervision.com/
Emily’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-blythe-2b4125156/
Connect with NZVC & Hosts:
🔗 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/
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:55 - Emily's deep aviation family history
08:49 - Launching "Flatpak" & skipping university
15:36 - Lessons from bootstrapping a hardware business
20:39 - The "Fog Factory" lie & discovering weather modification
29:15 - How airports & pilots actually handle low visibility
46:37 - Early experiments: Fog chambers & modified leaf blowers
53:14 - Testing drones in Australia during COVID
55:09 - The Big Pivot: Why dispersal didn't work
1:00:19 - Shifting to high-accuracy forecasting
1:10:18 - Advice for New Zealand founders going global
If you found value in this story of resilience and innovation, please hit the like button, leave a comment with your thoughts on deep tech pivots, and subscribe for more conversations with world-class founders!
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