From Auckland to America: Insights on bringing New Zealand innovation to the U.S.

At the end of April, I set off on a 16-hour flight from Auckland, New Zealand for an incredible trip to the United States representing our team at Mint. Over the span of two and a half weeks, I caught 5 flights, 2 trains, crossed 12 borders, attended dozens of meetings and spoke on stage at the leading SelectUSA Investment Summit, connecting global investors with opportunities across the US market.

I’m now back home and before the dust settles, I wanted to take some time to share my top learnings from the trip.

Nothing beats being there in person, learning in real time

One of the main reasons for my trip was to attend the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington D.C as part of the Australia and New Zealand delegation. The annual, three-day event brought together over 5,000 attendees from all corners of the world, offering insights into the workings of the U.S at a Federal, State and Corporate level. It was at this very event in 2023 that marked the start of our U.S. expansion plans.

As part of the summit, I was invited by the U.S Consulate to speak as a panelist on the ‘Investment Fundamentals: Approaching Market Entry Strategies’ panel. A common theme - shared by the panel and echoed throughout the audience - was that the U.S market offers an incredible opportunity to play but each state operates like a country in its own right and needs to be considered that way. This was our approach when considering our entry into the U.S; we started broad and narrowed our focus to five priority states based on what we defined as our ‘success’ factors. We spoke about the importance of a “fail-fast” mentality accepting that things may not work right away and being willing to adapt quickly.

And nothing accelerates learning like getting boots on the ground; real-time insights from having people physically present can fast-track your ability to refine and scale your business model.

One thing that really stood out to me was the infectious optimism in the U.S. business environment—the strong belief that there are no limits to what is possible. The question isn’t if, but how—and how fast. I’ve come home thinking about how to embed more of that mindset into how our team operates as we continue to scale across the U.S.

Being there in person was a good reminder that nothing beats putting yourself directly in front of your audience, getting helpful data points to validate your approach. While it’s not realistic to always head to the other side of the world to do so, there are so many avenues to share your ideas and perspectives with the world and the feedback you will receive will be so helpful on your journey into the market.  

It takes a village to accelerate change.

Some of the other New Zealand attendees of the delegation included Pau Medrano, Investment Director at UniServices, John Robson, Managing Director at BioOra and Max Shearwood, Senior VP at Zuru Edge, and Mark Chadderton, CEO at Aspiring Materials. It’s inspiring to see Kiwis building businesses that are primed for success on a global scale, but also great to see the support and encouragement from New Zealand.

Organisations like New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) play a crucial role in this journey, providing practical support, access to expert networks, and pathways for startups to grow and thrive. NZTE has been a long-time supporter of Mint, and I’m grateful for the backing we’ve received as we scale internationally. I had the privilege of joining Peter Chrisp, Chief Executive of NZTE, at the New Zealand Embassy to talk about Mint’s journey and the broader challenges and opportunities New Zealand startups face when entering the U.S market.

The support is extended from the U.S side as well. U.S Deputy Under Secretary of International Trade, Diane Farrell, took the time to meet with our group and showed genuine interest in the vision behind each New Zealand company. Her openness and willingness to offer support didn’t go unnoticed. Having hosted Diane at our Sydney facility, it was great to reconnect and see her continued enthusiasm for our journey.

During the trip I also met with our partners from the Longview Economic Development Corporation (LEDCO) as well as our partners, Vogel Group. After endless calls and tight deadlines across several time zones, it was great to finally connect in person. While we have been working with some of them for over a year now, I left these meetings with further appreciation for the work they have done to get us to this point and look forward to the future opportunities that will arise to work together.

We are soon approaching Mint’s ninth birthday, and with our first of many U.S. facilities underway  - something that has been on our radar for years – it calls for a moment of reflection and celebration. Without the backing of our ecosystem, in New Zealand and abroad, this journey would not have looked the same.  

Resilient technology for a complex world

The United States economy continues to be a global powerhouse with strong levels of inbound investment. Competition is fierce—not just internationally, but between states, cities, and even counties—as economic development offices actively court companies with incentives and grants aimed at creating jobs, building industries, and fostering regional ecosystems.

One of the strongest themes to emerge was the widespread adoption of AI across all levels of the economy. This growing reliance on emerging technologies raises a critical question: how will companies and countries keep pace, particularly regarding the energy and infrastructure needed to power AI, ensuring secure supplies of critical materials essential to sustain this rapid evolution? Conversations around energy resilience and domestic critical mineral supply remain front and centre.  

Policies like the America First Investment Policy are beginning to show real impact, with companies reshoring operations to take advantage of these incentives. At SelectUSA, we heard from three CEOs of key manufacturers on their investment plans in the U.S and why they are returning some of their manufacturing operations to the U.S.  

Workforce development was identified as a critical focus and key driver for economic growth. This was a key consideration for Mint as we want to create jobs and educational opportunities for local communities whether through full time sustainable jobs, internships, or through our community engagement program, Get eWise.

For us, it was crucial to create a solution that is future proofed and fit to address a complex global issue. For startups in a similar space or industry, I believe that this is part of what needs to be built into the business model.

To round off

While this action-packed trip may be over, it truly feels like just the beginning. I’ve returned home energised—with sharper insights, deeper connections, and a renewed sense of purpose as we enter this next phase of Mint’s journey in the U.S market.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who took the time to meet, support, and share ideas—your generosity and belief in what we’re building means the world. Special thanks to Janet Coulthart and Georgie Harrowell from the U.S Consulate for curating such a meaningful and well-organised itinerary.

The future is unfolding fast—and with the right people and mindset, there’s no limit to where we can go from here.

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Kate Bushby, Head of Commercial Strategy and Growth

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