Investment announcements, market views, company stories, and the occasional argument with ourselves.
GD1 hosted its inaugural Late Summer Social and Lawn Bowls Competition at the Auckland Bowling Club in Parnell, bringing together founders, operators, and investors from New Zealand's tech ecosystem.
"Web 2.5" companies — hybrids that use blockchain as practical infrastructure rather than as a core identity — are dismissed by both traditional VCs and crypto-native investors, yet represent the most promising ventures in the space.
How New Zealand's "Number 8 Wire Mentality," Islamic finance principles, and a rigorous Skeptic Test shape GD1 Crypto's global pre-seed and seed investment strategy.
Nawaz Ahmed shares hard-won lessons from launching GD1's Web3 Fund 1, including pitching to over 250 potential LPs, navigating macro headwinds, and deploying capital across 11 global investments.
EarnOS is transforming the $1T digital advertising landscape by realigning incentives toward guaranteed, results-based marketing — abstracting Web3 complexity for brands and users alike.
A four-question framework for distinguishing genuine crypto innovation from speculative hype — asking whether a project creates real value independent of token price appreciation.
GD1 led Alimetry's $30 million Series A Expansion Round, backing a wireless "ECG for the gut" device that provides non-invasive gastric diagnostics and has already gained reimbursement coverage across 40+ U.S. facilities.
The 2024 Christchurch Aerospace Summit highlighted New Zealand's growing role in sustainable aerospace, with NASA targeting zero aviation emissions by 2050 and the government committing to a world-class regulatory framework by 2025.
Simfuni co-founders Shaun Quincey and Damon O'Neill and GD1's John Kells share how mutual trust, integrity checks, and sustained weekly engagement define a healthy founder-investor relationship.
GD1 Co-Managing Partner John Kells outlines the core financial planning documents, scenario modelling approaches, and SaaS benchmarks every startup needs to manage cash runway and raise capital at the right time.
Building effective buyer personas starts with understanding the four roles in every buying committee — Economic Buyer, Technical Buyer, User, and Champion — and doing deep research rather than checkbox exercises.
A strong Ideal Customer Profile is a narrow "bullseye" carved from your TAM — built by analysing your best customers, validating patterns with frontline teams, and using ICP research to power targeted messaging and account-based strategies.
"Account Based GTM" — a coordinated, nine-step go-to-market approach focused on high-value accounts across multiple channels — is more accurate and actionable than the trendy ABM or ABX labels.
Company Kick Offs (CKOs) are a high-leverage annual ritual for startups, delivering clarity of direction, cultural cohesion, team bonding, and recognition that keep fast-moving teams aligned and motivated.
SDR/BDR programs deliver predictable revenue and qualified pipeline when properly resourced, but must be embedded within an Account-Based GTM strategy to avoid territory exhaustion and brand damage from spray-and-pray outreach.
