We’re excited to share Enable’s acquisition of Flintfox, the world’s fastest pricing engine. This strategic acquisition brings together expertise in rebate and pricing management to deliver a unified solution for managing trading partner incentives. Together, we’re redefining how organizations collaborate, align their incentives with strategic goals, and drive profitability like never before.
Since our launch in 2016, Enable has grown over 40x in just five years, cementing our position as the leader in rebate management. The acquisition of Flintfox, renowned for its industry-leading pricing execution capabilities, addresses the growing demand for end-to-end digitalization of pricing and rebate processes, allowing businesses to nimbly navigate market volatility.
Unmatched Growth and Expertise
Together, we bring decades of combined experience in rebates and pricing. Our expert knowledge means peace of mind for you — that your rebate and pricing strategies are working together to ensure you meet and achieve all your strategic goals and desired outcomes. By unifying on-invoice and off-invoice strategies, trading partners can grow stronger together and improve their trading relationships.
“Innovation has always been at the core of Enable, and this acquisition allows us to accelerate that,” said Andrew Butt, Founder and CEO of Enable. “The convergence of rebates and pricing reflects a transformative trend in B2B trading. By combining Flintfox's dynamic pricing capabilities with Enable's AI-powered rebate management platform, we are uniquely positioned to unify on-invoice and off-invoice strategies that help businesses grow together and strengthen trading relationships.”
Redefining How Deals Drive Profitable Growth
The global supply chain runs on trading relationships, and incentives are the grease that keeps them going. That’s why it’s critical for rebate and pricing strategies to work together. We’re combining Enable’s AI-powered rebate expertise with Flintfox’s intelligent pricing capabilities to reimagine how companies align pricing and rebate incentives, optimize profitability, and foster collaboration.
This move matters a lot to manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, where traditionally pricing and rebates have operated in silos. Because while pricing is the engine driving immediate revenue, and rebates incentivize long-term loyalty, the real magic happens when these two forces combine. Together, they create a holistic view of profitability—enabling businesses to structure better deals, respond to market shifts faster, and strengthen collaborative trading partnerships.
“Enable and Flintfox share a vision of helping businesses achieve smarter, more profitable trading strategies,” said John Moss, CEO of Flintfox. “By uniting our strengths, we’re setting a new standard in commercial optimization, enabling businesses to align pricing and rebate strategies to drive sustainable growth.”
With this unified approach, our joint customers can:
Enhance Margin Visibility
For the first time, businesses can combine on-invoice and off-invoice incentive strategies to drive smarter decisions that lead to more revenue and increased profitability.
Overcome Market Volatility
Adapt to market changes, disruptions, and pressures with confidence by analyzing and adjusting both pricing and rebates together.
Collaborate with Clarity
Enable and Flintfox’s unified approach fosters transparency and alignment between trading partners, building long-term trust and creating mutually beneficial agreements. Source: https://www.enable.com/
WashBar is a family-owned business that creates sustainable, natural alternatives for pet care products. They’ve been selling their products to pet-owners in the U.S. for several years, but getting their products onto shelves in Mud Bay stores was one of their main goals. Mud Bay has more than 60 locations in the Pacific Northwest and is seen as a leader in the sustainable pet space. Through perseverance, adaptability and the support of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise over the past two years, they successfully achieved their goal.
What can other New Zealand companies learn from WashBar?
Source: New Zealand in North America
Two of the most influential women in the world have used their powerful social media platforms to promote Kiwi alcohol-free drink brand AF, with Khloé Kardashian sharing the content with her millions of Instagram followers.
For AF, the partnership was strategic. “This campaign is to help us gain the brand awareness that we need to get AF to the next level of growth. With over 365 million followers between Khloé and Kris [Jenner], we’re confident it will help us generate that awareness,” AF founder Lisa King told the Herald.
“Since we launched in the US in April 2023, we quickly learnt that the use of celebrities and their influence is incredibly powerful – far more so than in New Zealand.”
Members of the Kardashian family are hugely impactful on social media, particularly Instagram, with fans and followers looking to them for lifestyle cues and buying products they wear or recommend.
Brands they endorse or are paid to promote see a huge boost in sales, and their appearance directly influences beauty trends.
AF worked with LA-based Kiwi Steven Fernandez from New Ground to bring the partnership to life. “Both Khloé and Kris were quick to sign off on the idea,” said King. “It was filmed a few weeks later in their studio in LA.”
The celebrity promotion comes after an “incredible year” for the brand.
AF, a colloquial acronym that stands for “as f***” and also represents the product’s “alcohol-free” nature, was founded in Auckland in 2020 after King (founder of shuttered social enterprise Eat My Lunch) quit drinking in 2019 and decided to pour her entrepreneurial energy into creating booze-free beverages.
The concept is not to encourage abstinence, but rather offer an alternative for the “sober curious” and encourage healthier behaviour around alcohol.
New Zealand’s drinking habits have been shifting in recent years. Adolescent drinking is in decline and many young Kiwis are giving up booze altogether.
Last year was telling; a study by ACC revealed alcohol is our most harmful drug, a Ministry of Health-commissioned report estimated the cost of alcohol harm at around $9.1 billion, and Stats NZ data showed a 4.3% decline in alcohol available for consumption – the biggest drop in 15 years.
Alcohol-free beverages have become increasingly available and popular; there are 0% wines and beer, zero-proof spirits, sophisticated mocktails, and booze-free RTDs like AF’s.
Its canned drinks are made with a 100% natural botanical extract the company calls Afterglow that “mimics the pleasant warmth of drinking alcohol without the alcohol”.
The company opened an alcohol-free bottle shop in Ponsonby in 2022, and in April 2023 the brand entered the US market.
“The goals for AF in the US haven’t changed since we launched,” said King. “Get AF everywhere and get AF famous.”
It’s now stocked in 3000 stores across 42 states, and King said it’s on track to triple its revenue in the market.
“We’ve seen huge consumer uptake of alcohol-free drinks and what was a trend just two years ago, is now a cultural and behavioural shift with the way people are drinking, or not. 2025 will be looking to continue the momentum and keep ahead of the slew of new brands launching in this space, with potential of another new overseas market for AF.”
It’s not the first time Khloé Kardashian or her relatives have partnered with a Kiwi company.
In 2020, she joined New Zealand collagen brand Dose & Co, founded by Libby Matthews, as an “equity partner and global spokesperson”, telling the Herald it all happened after she was sent some of the range by umbrella company Zuru Edge.
Sister Kourtney Kardashian became a brand ambassador for skincare brand Manuka Doctor in 2016, saying she’d used the products for years before being asked to represent the brand.
Levin-based Rebecca Cass’ Qula kombucha tablets were featured on Kourtney’s Poosh website in 2021.
In 2024, Kourtney also shared two products from Pāpāmoa skincare brand Pure Mama, belly oil and nipple butter, on Poosh after they were recommended to her while pregnant. Pure Mama founder Lara Henderson told the Bay of Plenty Times that sales went “through the roof”.
New Zealand entrepreneur Iyia Liu saw a similar lift in sales for her waist trainers after she paid Jenner almost $300,000 for an Instagram post in 2016. Liu sold $3.5 million of them in a year.
Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/
New Zealand’s fifth and final C-130J-30 Hercules landed in Auckland on December 18, completing the delivery of the New Zealand Defence Force’s new fleet of aircraft.
A Ministry of Defence-led project team has been working alongside New Zealand Defence Force personnel, the United States Government, United States Air Force and Lockheed Martin for four years to procure the new fleet and deliver a suite of support arrangements.
“The arrival of the fifth Hercules is a significant milestone for the team, who have been working hard to bring all the aircraft home before Christmas – ahead of schedule, on budget and to specification,” said Sarah Minson, Deputy Secretary, Capability Delivery.
Now the full fleet has arrived, the project team is focused on the delivery of a new full-motion flight simulator. The building to house it at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) Base Auckland, Whenuapai, has been completed.
“From the moment the first C-130J arrived in September, the aircraft have been put to work and are already proving their value as a national asset. They have made a number of successful flights to Antarctica, carrying cargo to support the work of the New Zealand and United States scientific research programmes at Scott Base and McMurdo Station. They have also made multiple flights to deliver mission critical supplies and personnel across New Zealand and the Pacific region,” said Sarah Minson.
“The RNZAF is now equipped with a modern and fit-for-purpose capability. Operators have said that the aircraft is quieter and smoother to fly,” she said.
RNZAF crew training continues in the United States and New Zealand.
Source: https://defence.govt.nz/
Craigs Investment Partners (“Craigs” or “the Firm”), a leading wealth management firm in New Zealand, today announced that TA Associates (“TA”), a leading global private equity firm, has signed a conditional agreement to make a strategic investment in the Firm. Under the agreement, Craigs’ existing employee and director shareholders will retain 50 percent ownership of the Firm, partnering closely with TA.
“TA is an ideal partner to support Craigs’ growth ambitions and ongoing commitment to client outcomes given its significant global experience investing in wealth management, and its strong understanding of the regional market,” said Simon Tong, CEO of Craigs. “Craigs and TA are aligned on a client-first philosophy and the importance of a personalised approach to wealth management. Client outcomes remain our top priority, and there will be no change in the people or our approach to providing outstanding service to our clients.”
The partnership between Craigs and TA aims to further enhance Craigs’ position as a leader in the New Zealand wealth management market while enabling its continued expansion. Leveraging over 50 years of experience helping high-quality companies grow, TA will provide deep industry knowledge, strategic resources and a robust global network to accelerate Craigs’ growth strategy.
“This is an exciting opportunity that connects our local team with TA’s extensive global experience in wealth management, supporting our ability to deliver enhanced outcomes for clients in an increasingly dynamic environment. Access to TA’s international network, best practices and insights will help us elevate our services while maintaining the personalised approach that sets us apart,” Tong continued.
“Over the past 40 years, Craigs has established itself as one of the largest and most respected wealth management firms in New Zealand, offering a comprehensive range of personalised wealth advice and services to its clients,” said Edward Sippel, head of TA Associates Asia Pacific Ltd. and a Managing Director at TA. “We deeply respect this history and are honoured to support the Firm’s continued growth strategy and commitment to delivering best-in-class client outcomes.”
“TA has a long history of partnering with world-class wealth managers like Craigs” said Lily Xu, Vice President at TA. “We are excited to collaborate with the entire Craigs team to expand the Firm’s reach, continue enhancing its service offerings, and explore strategic M&A opportunities.”
The agreement remains subject to certain approvals being obtained, including Court approval, Craigs’ shareholder approval and Overseas Investment Office (‘OIO’) consent. Settlement is expected to occur late in the first quarter of 2025. Financial terms were not disclosed. https://craigsip.com/
One NZ will begin contacting eligible customers today, with the initial service set to expand as more devices are added soonTXT messages will take longer to be sent and received, with the initial service improving as more satellites are launchedOne NZ Satellite TXT provides an additional layer of protection for New Zealand’s traditional communication networks, and is not a replacement for existing emergency tools
Today the One NZ Satellite TXT initial service begins rolling out to customers on eligible phones and plans at no extra cost, helping One NZ to deliver mobile coverage like never before where you have clear line of sight to the sky.
Joe Goddard, Experience & Commercial Director at One NZ, says: “We have lift-off! I’m incredibly proud that One NZ is the first telecommunications company globally to launch a nationwide Starlink Direct to Mobile service, and One NZ customers are among the first in the world to begin using this groundbreaking technology.
“We've worked with Starlink to provide coverage across Aotearoa, including to the around 40% of NZ’s landmass that is not covered by traditional mobile networks – plus approximately 20 kilometres out to sea.
“Right from the start we’ve said we would keep customers updated with our progress to launch in 2024 and as the technology develops. Today is a significant milestone in that journey.”
The first four eligible phones and plans confirmed
Eligible customers with a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and OPPO Find X8 Pro will be contacted directly to let them know they can start using One NZ Satellite from today – with the list of eligible phones set to expand throughout 2025. Current consumer Pay Monthly plans will include One NZ Satellite TXT for no extra charge, including Companion Group Plans, and current Endless Business mobile plans.
“We continue to test the capabilities of One NZ Satellite TXT, and this is an initial service that will get better. For example, text messages will take longer to send but will get quicker over time. We’re beginning with small number of phones as part of the staggered rollout of the technology. And critically, from today customers can send and receive text messages only, but in the future, we expect voice calling and data to also be available.”
One NZ testing indicates in many cases during the initial rollout period, text messages will be sent and received within 3 minutes. However, at times it may take 10 minutes or longer to send and receive a text message via satellite, especially during the first few months. As the service matures and more satellites are launched, we expect text messages to take a minute on average to be delivered via space.
“This is a generational change in mobile technology, just like 4G or 5G. Not only will you be able to message family and friends from parts of our beautiful country that you never thought possible, but soon this will open up new opportunities in IoT (Internet of Things) for sectors like agriculture, tourism, logistics and many more that power our economy here in NZ.
“Furthermore, One NZ Satellite TXT has the potential to provide another layer of resilience in public emergencies when traditional mobile and fixed networks are affected, like what happened during Cyclone Gabrielle,” adds Goddard. “This is still emerging technology, but T-Mobile US tested some of its capabilities during Hurricane Milton in October, which is the only other time this technology has been opened up to customers so far.”
Peak Connection
To showcase the potential of this technology, Sir Edmund Hillary’s grandson, George Hillary has conducted another significant test of the One NZ Satellite TXT service, giving it his seal of approval.
With a clear line of sight to the sky, he sent a message to his brother Alex Hillary, General Manager of the Himalayan Trust, from the top of Mount Head, one of the most remote peaks in the Forbes Mountains in Otago.
George Hillary says: “The potential of this technology is mind-blowing. I’m used to being pretty limited from a communications perspective when hiking or on an adventure. I always take an emergency beacon in case things go wrong, but now also having the ability to send and receive text messages is huge. I can contact a friend for help or give climbing updates to my family while away.
“And if you’re wondering what the text said – I went with the line ‘Knocked another milestone off! Made it up safe.’”
Joe Goddard explains: “Talk about peak coverage! With Earth’s horizon in reaching distance, Sir Edmund Hillary’s mountaineering grandson George Hillary is proving the sky is not the limit on One NZ’s satellite to mobile service. He put our initial satellite service through another test, at an altitude of 8,480ft – a text, quite literally, sent from the middle of nowhere.
“It’s important to note that the One NZ Satellite TXT service is not a replacement for existing emergency tools, and instead adds another communication option.”
As part of the launch, One NZ is donating to the Himalayan Trust, founded by Sir Edmund and Louise Hillary to inspire New Zealanders to support those living in another remote part of the world, the Everest region of Nepal.
Helping to better connect New Zealanders in partnership with Starlink
The One NZ Satellite TXT service is being delivered in partnership with Starlink Direct to Mobile, which is engineered by SpaceX. SpaceX is leveraging its experience in manufacturing and launching the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink satellites with the Direct to Cell capability at scale.
This is trailblazing technology that covers dead zones, and One NZ is one of a handful of telecommunications companies globally who has signed up to offer this service to customers, at no cost to the taxpayer.
Joe Goddard outlines: “For New Zealanders who like getting out into our great outdoors – or for people who need to travel along state highways and beyond for work – the reality is that many parts of the country lack traditional mobile coverage.
“The list of eligible phones will start with four handsets at launch and expand soon as we continue our extensive testing. Our teams continue to test the service on additional phones, and we expect hundreds of thousands of customers to be able to use One NZ Satellite TXT by the end of 2025.”
For more information about One NZ Satellite TXT, please visit: one.nz/spacex
The age of hyperscale cloud has arrived in Aotearoa, bringing unprecedented opportunities for local organisations. The opening of Microsoft’s hyperscale cloud region marks the most significant milestone in the company’s nearly 40-year history in New Zealand. Microsoft will support New Zealanders to make the most of this opportunity by training 100,000 people over the next two years with AI and digital skills, creating long-term benefits for the economy.
Sustainable growth for New Zealand – carbon-free and water-free cooling
The datacenter region brings the best of Microsoft’s sustainability investments and will be supported by 100% carbon-free electricity as a result of the 10-year agreement that Microsoft signed with Contact Energy (Contact) for the Renewable Attributes produced by Te Huka 3 geothermal power station.
The long-term contract with Microsoft supported Contact’s investment decision to construct the Te Huka 3 power station and can generate 51.4 megawatts of reliable and renewable generation throughout the year. This deal helps add carbon-free energy into the Aotearoa grid.
Microsoft’s Aotearoa datacenter will also use water-free cooling, ensuring data is stored at the right temperature using air cooling.
Microsoft is also supporting Community Waitākere to work alongside the local community to restore the biodiversity values and mauri of the threatened stream, floodplain, and wetland habitats in the Paremuka Stream catchment. Additionally, Microsoft, Community Waitākere and the Society for Ecological Restoration are working together to restore Harbourview-Orangihina Park’s native ecosystems including freshwater wetlands, saltmarsh, and native coastal forest. The project aims to protect rare bird species and preserve the area’s cultural significance, supporting its sustainability for future generations.
Investment means opportunity The investment offers incredible opportunity for New Zealand. Microsoft’s recent Accenture research identified that gen AI adoption is expected to add $76 billion to the New Zealand economy by 2038, based on a standard trajectory. The report pointed at cloud infrastructure and public cloud adoption as one of the key enablers to making the most of gen AI to boost our productivity and GDP.
“We are a small but mighty nation of visionaries who have propelled our business innovation, incredible sports teams, and amazing entertainment into worldwide brands. So many New Zealand companies are going global, and having this infrastructure here in Aotearoa is going to help many more innovators to realise their ambitions and show the rest of the world how creative and talented we can be,” says Vanessa Sorenson, Managing Director of Microsoft New Zealand.
Skilling Aotearoa for the future: Technology alone is not enough without skilling
We recognise the importance of unlocking the benefits of AI for every New Zealander — at every career stage, in every role, and in every community. We are focused on empowering 100,000 learners by 2027 to build digital and AI skills.
This builds on various skilling programmes and partnerships that Microsoft has supported in New Zealand with local partners, educators and customers since the cloud region was announced.
The 10KWomen Initiative created by a passionate group of volunteers, set out in 2022 to empower 10,000 female students, workers and career-changers to explore careers that require digital skills and to break down the barriers preventing more women from exploring these careers. In September, we had reached more than 10,700 women and girls.
Microsoft and Te Pūkenga are also partnering to address talent shortages in West Auckland’s creative technology sector by providing upskilling and reskilling opportunities, particularly for underrepresented groups such as Māori, Pacific peoples and women. The initiative supports an inclusive workforce through upskilling kaiako in secondary schools and kura kaupapa, offering micro-credentials to high school students and providing micro-credentials to lifelong learners re-entering the workforce.
Protecting New Zealand data as a local taonga
Having a hyperscale cloud region in Aotearoa enables local organisations to store, process and back-up their data on New Zealand’s shores.
Local customers also benefit from the threat protections afforded by an intelligence network that has visibility of 78 trillion signals per day. This means New Zealand government and businesses can be both locally hosted, and globally protected.
Te Tumu Paeroa, the Office of the Māori Trustee, says this maintains the residency of the Māori data for which they are a kaitiaki in Aotearoa, while enabling them to leverage Microsoft’s advanced security, sustainability and world-leading AI technologies for the benefit of landowners in their role as kaitiaki and administrators for Māori land trusts across Aotearoa.
“We have a whakatauki (proverb): Aho roroa uaua hautū, aho popoto hautū marika – A kite with a short string is easier to control, and a kite with a long string is more difficult to control – but it benefits from the high wind. This agreement means we can have those high winds and the short string, enjoying the comfort and peace of having the data close, while being able to engage more easily with owners and support partners,” says Ruth Russell, Kaitautari Pārongo Matua | Chief Information Officer for Te Tumu Paeroa.
Supporting more innovation from Aotearoa to the world
Above all, the decision to build a hyperscale cloud region in New Zealand is intended to enable local innovators to grow on a global scale and deliver more to their customers and stakeholders. We’re proud to be supporting a host of New Zealand organisations to modernise and realise their ambitions, including Fonterra, Craigs Investment Partners, ASB, BNZ, ACC, Whakarongorau Aotearoa, Auckland Transport, SMX and The Warehouse Group, alongside trusted partners such as PwC, Veeam, AvePoint and CCL.
Source: https://news.microsoft.com/
AUCKLAND, New Zealand and AUSTIN, Texas – December 2, 2024 – Packet capture authority, Endace, announced today that the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has certified EndaceProbes on its Department of Defense Information Network Approved Products List (DoDIN APL). DISA maintains the DoDIN APL, a single, consolidated list of certified products that meet strict cybersecurity and interoperability standards, as required by the US DoD and other US federal agencies. DoDIN APL-certified products must pass extensive, rigorous testing to meet stringent military-grade cybersecurity criteria mandated by DISA, including compliance with specified cybersecurity and interoperability best practices. Inclusion on the DoDIN APL means EndaceProbes may be deployed safely on defense networks with no further certification or testing required. All DoD and US federal agencies can now freely adopt EndaceProbe within their network infrastructure and architecture. “When seconds matter and lives are at stake, analysts need rapid access to definitive packet evidence to quickly respond to, and resolve, cyberthreats. Endace supports this mission with the uncompromised robustness and scale of the EndaceProbe’s always on packet capture, delivering vital evidence to defend against the most serious cyber threats,” said Cary Wright, VP of Products at Endace. “We are proud to have earned DoDIN APL certification. Achieving the rigorous standards demanded by DISA demonstrates Endace’s dedication to hardening and securing the EndaceProbe platform. Defense, Government and Enterprise customers globally will all benefit from EndaceProbes with military-grade security hardening.”
Many US federal departments, including defense, critical infrastructure, and civilian agencies – as well as many NATO agencies – have deployed EndaceProbes for deep network visibility and 100% accurate, always-on packet capture in their networks. With this APL certification, purchasing and approval becomes more streamlined, and easier, for US federal agencies looking to deploy EndaceProbes on their networks. It also makes it simpler for US federal agencies to comply with mandatory packet capture requirements, such as M-21-31.
EndaceProbes provide scalable, accurate, full packet capture and recording, with zero packet loss so security teams can quickly obtain the irrefutable packet evidence needed to investigate and resolve incidents. With centralized data mining and rapid search, centralized management, and workflow integration, EndaceProbes deliver deep visibility into both North-South and East-West network traffic and 100% accurate recording on network links from 10Mbps to 100Gbps and beyond, with industry-leading speed, density and storage capacity. Endace will be at NATO Edge in Tampa, Florida from December 3 – 5, 2024, exhibiting at Booth S13 and presenting a session titled “Countering Nation State Cyberthreats with Definitive Forensic Evidence.”
About Endace
Endace’s scalable, always-on packet capture gives Network Operations and Security teams the deep visibility they need for fast, accurate incident investigation with rich forensic evidence at their fingertips from all their tools. EndaceProbes provide enterprise-class packet sniffing in on-prem, public and private cloud environments, with rapid, centralized search and one-click access to full pcap data from leading security and performance solutions (including Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Cisco, Splunk, Elastic, and many others). Analyze network traffic using a single, unified console across all on-premise, private, or public cloud infrastructure for total hybrid cloud visibility. Capture every packet. See every threat. www.endace.com
For more information see www.endace.com or follow Endace on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Contact: pr@endace.com
The Inland Revenue has launched consultation on policy proposals to address an aspect of New Zealand’s foreign investment fund rules. By imposing tax on unrealised income the current rules could be deterring some people from choosing to settle in New Zealand. The proposal suggests allowing some migrants to pay tax on dividends and realised gains.
Consultation closes on 27 January 2025. Effect of the FIF rules on immigration: proposals for amendments
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