This week on The Business of Tech, I talk to Neara co‑founder Jack Curtis about how a “physics-based digital twin” of electricity grids is changing the way we plan, build and protect electricity infrastructure – from Taranaki to Texas.

Neara has just raised A$90 million in a Series D round led by US investment firm Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV), which also invested in Netflix, Spotify, Facebook and Xero. That takes total funding in Neara to about A$180 million, as some of the world’s most exposed utilities rush to digitise their networks in the face of extreme weather and the clean‑energy transition.

Neara’s origin story isn’t very corporate. Software engineer and Neara co-founder, Daniel Danilatos, hacked together a better power line design tool over a weekend for his wife, a line designer frustrated with clunky legacy software. The prototype spread “organically” in an industry notorious for moving slowly.

Within a few years, it had become the basis for a company now modelling around 90% of Australia’s electricity networks and working with most major utilities in Texas and California, and with a roster of New Zealand clients.

Predicting when things break

Most “digital twins” in utilities have been glorified 3D maps – pretty visualisations that don’t give asset owners enough confidence to make high‑stakes decisions. Neara instead builds behavioural models where every pole, line and substation is infused with real‑world physics: how it bends in a storm, heats up as load rises, or fails when gusts hit a certain speed.

As Jack puts it, if you look at the pole outside your house in a gale, it should behave exactly the same way in Neara’s model – right up to the moment it snaps.

We also look at how physics‑based models help solve “good problems” like renewables congestion. Neara simulates how much extra power can safely be pushed through existing lines, where new wind or solar should connect, and how different mixes of generation and load will behave over 10–30 years.

That’s crucial for countries like New Zealand, which sprinted to 80–90% renewable electricity without fully modelling system‑wide side‑effects such as dry‑year risk and fossil‑fuel fallback.

I found this chat fascinating and I’m sure you will too if you are interested in how evidence-based digital twins can transform industries.

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Is the golden age of software over? Andrew Curtayne, tech sector specialist at Milford Asset Management, puts the industry under the microscope. While hardware giants like Nvidia are still projecting heady numbers, software providers like Salesforce are under threat from AI tools that enable anyone to write code.

With the central AI chip manufacturer sold out until 2028, what does that mean for the supply chain? Why do the biggest tech companies need to tap debt markets to fund a trillion-dollar construction spree? We discuss the "doomsday" scenario for white-collar jobs being automated, and why the market is currently favouring unglamorous sectors like consumer staples.

Plus, the coming energy battle over data centers, $50 billion facilities that can consume as much power as a small city.

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In this episode, I dive into the uncomfortable truth about why successful women are still getting paid less - even when we’re outperforming everyone around us. I break down the real numbers, the invisible systems working against women, and the subtle biases that show up in workplaces, negotiations, and even expert speaking opportunities. I want you to understand exactly what’s happening, why it’s happening, and how you can take back control of your earning power starting today.

👉🏼 https://www.makeithappen.org.nz/
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New Zealand’s export boom is accelerating.

New international trade figures show exports climbed to 29.2 billion dollars in the December quarter - up 2.2 billion on a year earlier.

Two-way trade also jumped to just over 61 billion.

Trade Minister Todd McClay told Ryan Bridge dairy is performing strongly, with meat exports up a remarkable 21 percent.

He says growth has soared with countries we have free trade agreements with - like the EU, UK and Australia.

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A record portion of new bank lending to first-home buyers is going to those with small deposits.

More than half of the $1.1 billion lent to first-home buyers in January went to borrowers with deposits of less than 20 percent, according to the latest Reserve Bank figures.

NZ Herald Wellington business editor Jenee Tibshraeny explained further.

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New Zealand’s exports are booming, driven by rising global demand for food.

New trade figures show exports surged to $29.2 billion dollars in the December quarter – up $2.2 billion on a year earlier.

Two-way trade also leapt to just over $61 billion.

Business NZ CEO Katherine Rich told Mike Hosking the country produces enough food to feed around 50 million people.

She says these products need to be sold for the highest value possible, which is what we're seeing for meat.

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Independent economist comments on the state of the world economy as war breaks out in the Middle East. We talk trade implications, interest and exchange rates, inflation, oil prices, equity markets, consumer demand and time frames for the conflict.

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Garth Bray joins Ryan to talk business thanks to Forsyth Barr

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