Speakers
Mitali is a Technology Incubator Specialist at Callaghan Innovation,
overseeing commercialisation of deep technologies through the technology
incubator programme. Mitali has experience in early-stage investment and
commercialisation of technologies in both the private and public sectors,
specifically in agbio, biotechnology and engineering.
Mitali has extensive experience in deep technology ventures, having
previously worked for Icehouse Ventures, NZ’s largest angel investor,
Pacific Channel, a biosciences investment firm, and AUT Ventures, a
commercialisation arm of AUT University. She’s passionate about working with
ventures that have a strong social and environmental impact, and is a
staunch supporter of female entrepreneurship
Warren Bebb
Warren Bebb is investment manager at Sprout Agritech, a business accelerator
designed to fund the next generation of global agritech & future food
entrepreneurs. Warren has many years’ of experience creating and developing
business opportunities, having founded, and worked in and with startups
since 2004. From 2013 to 2019, Warren was chief executive of BioLumic, an
agritech startup that increases crop yields by using its ultraviolet light
technology at the crop’s early growth stage. He led BioLumic from pre-seed
stage through to the Series A round, raising more than $14 million in
funding.
Prior to that, Warren worked as a business growth advisor at the BCC, a
business development partner for startups, mentoring new businesses and
providing early-stage investment advice
John is an executive at Bridgewest Group and is General Manager of Bridgewest Ventures NZ. Prior to moving to NZ in 2002, John was a portfolio manager in London’s Merril Lynch specialist investment team, where he managed more than US$6 billion of equity and bond investments for public investment funds. Since then, he’s held senior roles across technology, finance, and strategy, including Head of Investments for the National Bank Private Bank and Head of Emerging Technology for ANZ. For the past 12 years he’s been largely involved in strategy and finance as the CFO for multiple NZ software and technology startups. John is on the board of the One Percent Collective, a charity that strives to make a difference by encouraging people to donate 1% of their income to charity.
Carl is the founding CEO of WNT Ventures, having joined in December 2014.
Carl has more than/"xperience in investment, finance, funds
management and venture capital in the UK and NZ at ASB Bank, Craigs IP,
Ruffer Asset Management (UK), Summit Capital, McConnell Group and NZ Growth
Capital Partners (formerly NZVIF).
Carl manages day-to-day operations at WNT and plays a key role in sourcing
and structuring investments, capital raising, deal negotiation and closing,
and leading and supporting portfolio management.
Duncan is an Investment Manager at Brandon Capital. Duncan has more than 18 years’ experience in technology commercialisation and is a self-confessed startup junkie. He has a diverse background, having trained as a veterinarian, and later as a healthcare investor and founder. He’s a trained veterinarian, healthcare investor and founder. Duncan is proud to be part of Brandon Capital and the MRCF, a premier life science venture capital fund, investing to change patient lives.
