How do They Turn Plants into Cars?
Mark Pavlyukovskyy and Hendrik Remigereau host TechMates, the NZVC podcast. The guest on this episode is Ben Scales, CEO of KiwiFibre, and it went out on 24 January 2025. It covers the NZVC portfolio company KiwiFibre Innovations.
- Guest
- Ben Scales, CEO of KiwiFibre
- Date
- 24 January 2025
- Companies
- KiwiFibre Innovations
- Watch
- YouTube
- Listen
- Spotify
Ben Scales, CEO of KiwiFibre, tells how hands-on engineering roots led him to a company replacing carbon fiber with a material made from harakeke, a native New Zealand plant. He describes turning a university project into a global startup and the technical and environmental problems along the way. The episode covers applications from snowboards to race cars, fundraising, and building a business in New Zealand.
- How his upbringing and family history influenced his entrepreneurial mindset.
- The challenges of creating a new material from harakeke, a native New Zealand plant.
- The journey of turning a university project into a global startup.
- KiwiFibre's work replacing carbon fiber in products from snowboards to race cars.
Companies in this episode
KiwiFibre, harakeke, materials science, sustainable materials, carbon fiber alternatives, green tech