Past event
Energy

Tuesday saw us not hold one, but two hardware-themed events. We were sponsored by Blender Design, Propellerhead and GridAKL.
Techstars Chat with Terry Gold
First, we heard from Terry Gold, Managing Director at Techstars Adelaide who shared insights around hardware companies and his own journey. Techstars runs one of the world's leading accelerators, and Dotterel, a previous speaker at Hardware Meetup AKL, went through their Asia Pacific programme, Techstars Adelaide, which is kicking off again in September 2018.
Emily Melhuish
.@kanocarra is totes prepared for her @HardwareAKL talk!#hardwareakl pic.twitter.com/9A9Hm9ofDc
— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) March 27, 2018
It turns out @kanocarra is a little obsessed with electric vehicles.
Ok, maybe a lot obsessed.@HardwareAKL #hardwareakl pic.twitter.com/3g16jYdgGB
— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) March 27, 2018
Richard Flay
Interesting! Proposing generating power by creating buoyancy vortices.@HardwareAKL #hardwareakl pic.twitter.com/hV0lY1NYUw
— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) March 27, 2018
Steve West
So we want pods of incredibly powerful chargers and bring the electricity grid to its knees! Bwahahaah!@ChargeNetNZ@HardwareAKL #hardwareakl pic.twitter.com/XNWqUcFPJ5
— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) March 27, 2018
Speakers
Emily Melhuish
Electrical Engineer
Emily Melhuish is an Electrical Engineering graduate from the University of Auckland and a Software Intern at Rocket Lab, and she believes battery technology needs improving. She wanted to develop a better way to determine the percentage of battery charge left in the batteries of electric vehicles, so built a rig to help determine states of charge in a more effective manner. For her work, Emily won the prestigious GT Murray Award and Best Project in AI/Machine Learning at the University of Auckland.
Richard Flay
Founder & Chief Scientific Advisor at Vortex Power Systems
Vortex Power Systems is developing a proprietary system to capture and convert waste heat at existing thermal power-stations to electricity. Vortex Power Systems’ solution is designed to operate in conjunction with existing thermal power plants and use the waste heat energy from generation held in their cooling water streams. The system is expected to generate a vortex from a base plate on the ground to extend high into the sky.
Steve West
Founder & CEO of ChargeNet
Steve West founded ChargeNet in 2015, and its network of New Zealand-wide electric car charging stations has now grown to 63, with 10 under construction and 105 to be open by 2019. Their rapid DC chargers let any EV owner quickly recharge their vehicle, typically in 10 – 30 minutes. ChargeNet has won multiple awards including Innovation in Energy at the 2017 Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards.
Sponsors
Thanks to the sponsors who make our events possible.
Blender
Blender is a product design and development consultancy. Their collaborative approach, strategic design process and technical know-how deliver engineered, purpose-made products. Since 2006 Blender partnered with many incredible companies, helping them to realise their vision and shape the future, by supporting them with exceptional product design, prototyping, engineering, and manufacturing services.
Propellerhead
Propellerhead builds software for some of the largest ideas in Government, Commercial and Non-Profit institutions in New Zealand.
