Founder Grit Meets Financial Discipline: Rayan Coates Joins Bridgewest Ventures
If you ask Rayan Coates where he is from, the answer highlights the international perspective he brings to the Bridgewest Ventures NZ office. Born in the United States and raised in the UK, Rayan has recently settled in New Zealand, joining the team as an Investment Analyst Intern.
Rayan transitions to the NZ team from a role within the wider Bridgewest Group (BCM), where he served as a Finance Analyst. However, his path to venture capital wasn’t paved solely through spreadsheets. He brings a blend of institutional financial training and the scrappy, hands-on reality of having run his own business, a combination that allows him to relate to deep tech founders on a practical level.
Lived Experience
Rayan’s business acumen began well before he entered the world of finance. While completing his degree in International Business at the University of Sussex, he identified a gap in the local market. Noticing that university textbooks in the UK were often undervalued compared to the US market, he co-founded a business to aggregate and resell them.
It was a lesson in the logistics of entrepreneurship.
"It was a small operation, but we would collect these books en masse and market them to university students who needed access to them," Rayan recalls.
The experience taught him early lessons about the operational weight that founders carry. "You are solely responsible. There is all the admin, the operations, picking and packing packages, shipping them out, handling customer service," he says.
That experience gave him a lasting appreciation for the operational grind and the number of hats worn by founders. It means when Rayan looks at a startup today, he has a clear understanding of the human effort required to keep the lights on.
"Ideas are easy, but execution is everything. Coming into this role, I’m intrigued to get hands-on with the CEOs to understand their vision and exactly how they plan to execute it."
A Fresh Perspective on Kiwi Innovation
Moving from the UK venture capital market to New Zealand has given Rayan a fresh vantage point on the local ecosystem. His assessment of Kiwi founders is highly positive, noting a distinct ambition born of necessity.
"The UK VC ecosystem is much more mature and operates quite differently. Whereas New Zealand founders grow up knowing that their local market is small. So, they build global companies from day one."
He notes that this geographical constraint creates a focused environment that often produces high-quality leadership, as Kiwi deep tech founders are forced to think internationally before they even launch.
Financial Rigor in a Science-First World
At BVNZ, Rayan’s role sits at the intersection of deep science and commercial reality. His background in financial analysis is a key asset in a sector where companies are often navigating the complex path to commercialisation.
"Deep tech is highly experimental, but you still have to apply financial rigor from day one."
Rayan brings a structured, disciplined approach to the due diligence process. His day-to-day often involves stress-testing assumptions and refining financial models to ensure they stand up to scrutiny.
"Sometimes companies submit forecasts that are overly conservative, or perhaps too optimistic. I look at comparable global examples to set a realistic bar, and rebuild the financial model to reflect those standards." he explains.
This work ensures that a startup’s capital is tied efficiently to concrete milestones, helping translate scientific optimism into a clear, investable roadmap.
Connecting Science and Business
Rayan is excited to play a role in connecting brilliant scientists with the commercial frameworks needed to scale.
"New Zealand’s talent pool is smaller than other markets, so it is vital to have a strong understanding of how to build teams. I’m excited to get much more into the communication side, leading inquiries with CEOs, and helping connect the science with the business case."
With his fresh perspective, financial discipline, and genuine understanding of the founder journey, Rayan is a welcome addition to the BVNZ team.
If you’re a deep-tech start-up founder and you’d like to talk to Rayan about your business idea, you can email him at Rayan.Coates@bridgewest.ventures or connect on LinkedIn