Flat White Meetup: Rowan Simpson
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Join us for a conversation with Rowan Simpson!
Rowan has been at the heart of New Zealand's most successful technology companies, helping shape a generation of high-growth businesses and witnessing first-hand how great companies are built.
As employee #3 at Trade Me, he led the software development team as the business grew rapidly to become an iconic Kiwi brand, culminating in its $750 million sale to Fairfax in 2006. He was an early investor in Xero and part of the original executive team when the business listed on the NZX in 2007.
He was one of the initial investors in Vend and served as chairman of the board until 2015, before ts acquisition for ~US$350 million in 2021. He was also the first investor in Timely, serving as advisor and director through to its ~US$100 million sale to EverCommerce.
Today, Rowan remains an active investor and advisor through his family office, Hoku Group, which combines private investments, early-stage ventures, and Hoku Foundation—a non-profit focused on youth employment, social housing, and waste reduction.
Drawing on his unique blend of technical expertise, investment insight, and ecosystem building, his writing at rowansimpson.com challenges conventional thinking about startups. This culminated in his book How To Be Wrong: A Crash Course in Startup Success, published in February 2025.
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