Bridgewest welcomes mechatronics engineer Liz Chan as our new intern
Liz is exploring new technologies and doing due diligence for potential new Bridgewest investments in the hi-tech space.
While working at Bridgewest part time, Liz is in her final year studying mechatronics engineering. Liz explains why she chose this field. “I've always been interested in maths and science, but also loved creative design. So, I was more interested in high-level problem solving at the start of the engineering process than the technical details. Mechatronics’ diverse mix suits my broad interests.”
Through a Startmate student fellowship Liz was introduced to the world of venture capital. “I didn't know much about the venture capital industry. I guess I felt it was this tight-knit club of older industry professionals. When I realised how dynamic some startup incubators are and how interesting the tech is, I became far more intrigued.”
“In August last year I went to the 10k Wāhine event hosted by Microsoft and Bridgewest Ventures. It was a women in tech event promoting careers in STEM to university students. Saba from MACSO technologies was speaking, and while I was living up to my uni student reputation and scoring some free food, I met Bridgewest Investment Manager Ruby Kleyer over the snacks.”
Making sense of software start-ups
After talking to Ruby, Liz recalls, “I was asking her about Bridgewest, because I was fascinated by venture capital firms, as a result of my Startmate experience. When I realised Bridgewest specialises in deep tech I told Ruby about my degree.”
“Ruby said, ‘Well that’s a coincidence, because we need someone with a background in software and hardware like you. Our portfolio is biotech heavy, and while we’ve a great understanding of that sector, we’re looking to hire someone with a more diverse understanding of tech, so your mechatronics degree is a good fit.’”
Liz explains, “The software world is so huge and diverse it can be confusing. I’d completed an internship at Fisher and Paykel looking at hardware manufacturing and mechanical design, as well as a software engineering internship at Suncorp Group. So, my experience was varied enough to help evaluate all types of software and hardware based technology.”
Looking for start-ups solving real world problems
Bridgewest are hunting innovative ideas that have an audience for the problem they solve and the potential for great market share. Liz says, “When I talk to academics doing research, one thing I notice a lot of the time is there's not huge insight into commercialisation. Often academics pursue research simply because they find it interesting. Whereas my passion is finding real world problems and connecting them to innovative solutions.”
“The Bridgewest team have so much expertise, so I’m learning a huge amount. And it’s great the team is small because when I give input I feel heard and valued. Being in a close-knit team means I can turn my hand to a lot of different things, which is a great way to learn. And we can change our approach easily. I’m used to learning in large enterprises where there’s a lot of bureaucracy and it takes a long time to get any change.”
“I never really saw myself working in a technical engineering role, and this internship confirms that, because the commercial application of tech I’m seeing at Bridgewest is a lot more interesting to me. Also, it's really nice to know you're making a difference, because the technologies Bridgewest supports have the potential for profound impact.”
Leading the world in sustainable innovation
Liz is optimistic when it comes to the future and sees New Zealand as having a crucial role to play in the sustainable innovation scene. “New Zealand is a great base to trial products that appeal to a wider western market. A big focus of deep tech here is sustainability. We’re thinking more holistically about a product’s lifecycle. So, I see New Zealand showing society how to scale tech sustainably.”
“We’ve a small population, but we’re a great indicator of larger markets and we can be a role model for other countries if we get good at solving society’s problems in a sustainable way.”
“It’s the deep tech industry’s responsibility to make sure technologies are well-rounded, have a long life cycle, and a sustainable circular economic model, so things don’t go further awry in the ecosystem we all depend on to live.”
“As humans have evolved culturally, we’ve created more and more tools. Too many for the world we live in. Hopefully now, we're in a place where we’re thinking big picture, instead of creating without considering long-term repercussions.”