ICYMI: Startup news and resources from the week that was
What you might have missed last week on Caffeine.
Welcome to Tuesday!
Since we missed it yesterday, here’s a quick recap of a few of our favorite stories or resources from the week that was then tomorrow kick back into our full newsletter from tomorrow - including a special bonus edition this Friday!
Have a great week,
Finn and the Caffeine team
Global attention turns to nuclear fusion, why that matters for NZ: It’s Thursday and you know that’s when I like taking a wider view on global trends and one report which caught my attention last week was from the Fusion Industry Association highlighting some remarkable growth in its sector.
The so called ‘holy grail’ of energy production, nuclear fusion, has always been ‘around 30 years away’ for the past century. The promise of cheap, clean and abundant energy provided by harnessing the same nuclear force powering our sun but in miniature on Earth has for a long time been seen by sceptics as a beautiful pipe dream. Well, looking at the numbers, it looks like that future could finally be coming true.
Key Facts:
Fusion companies raised a total of $2.64 billion in the 12 months leading to July 2025.
The year’s investment total is the highest since 2022 and a 178% rise from last year.
Total funding for the 53 fusion companies stands at $9.766 billion, a five-fold increase since 2021
A big part of the global shift to fusion comes from the fact that we literally can’t power the green electric and A.I heavy future without radically scaling up our access to power. As ever hunger data centres are rolled out globally, a stable and clean power supply is essential and a lot of serious people are betting nuclear fusion will be a crucial part of that supply. If we want the sci-fi future that’s coming into view, we need a previously only sci-fi form of power to switch it on.
Mentioned in the report and based here in New Zealand, OpenStar Technologies is competing on the world stage with an innovative reactor concept called ‘the levitated dipole’. There’s something very fitting about a Kiwi being the scientist to first split the atom and unlock the first nuclear age and now having a Kiwi startup help hopefully usher in the next, much more optimistic one. Check out the full report here.
Event: Building a Future Ready Business: A well titled and timely event for founders looking to future proof their business and real strategies to lead through change, stay competitive, and drive meaningful progress.
Join the Business Intelligence Series breakfast with leaders from PwC, Source, Yabble, and Aware - an HSO Company, as they share what's actually working inside some of New Zealand's most forward-thinking businesses, and how you can apply it.
They will explore how AI, data, and shifting customer expectations are transforming business strategy, scalability, and innovation in New Zealand.
Side note, I recently had a fascinating chat with one of the speakers Brandon Hutcheson, co-founder of Aware, so look out for that in the newsletter soon.
Check it out and get your tickets here.
📌 Event Details:
Wed, 6 Aug, 7am - 9:30am NZST
Grand Millennium Auckland
Pod Pick: The AI tool that turns conversations into action - Well, with AI in medicine on the agenda this morning there is a very well timed content drop from our friend Simon Pound over at Business is Boring looking at the AI market more broadly with a great startup to spotlight. Contented AI founders Lucy Pink and Hannah Hardy-Jones join Simon to discuss the challenges, the advantages and the possibilities of running an AI technology startup from Christchurch. Check out the full episode here.
OpenAI rolls out ‘Study Mode’, preps for GPT5 launch: We covered the tease of this mode a while back but now its officially coming, OpenAI is launching ‘study mode’. When this mode is selected, the roles will get somewhat reverse with the A.I prompting users to answer questions test their understanding and potentially not answering unless they engage with learning materials. I’ve always found ‘personal tutor’ one of the most compelling use cases for A. Elsewhere in OpenAI land, it seems the long awaited launch of GPT5 could be just around the corner with multiple reports hinting at an early August release. Check out study mode here.
Check out the full report here.
Want to get in touch with a news tip, a slice of feedback or just to chat? Email hello@caffeinedaily.co