Litmaps, a Wellington-based startup that’s just raised $1 million in a Series A funding round, is redefining how scientists navigate the sea of academic literature by merging citation network analysis with generative AI.

Founded in 2016 by Axton Pitt and Kyle Webster, the platform now serves over 2 million researchers globally, including institutions like Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Cambridge. Its mission? To "accelerate impactful science" by helping researchers identify gaps in knowledge and avoid redundant work.

The playbook is the same pursued by many Kiwi startup founders with Kyle and Axton, who was a University of Auckland biomedical and computer science student at the time, growing frustrated with legacy systems poorly equipped to meet the needs of modern researchers.

“We just found the tools that you had to use very clunky,” Axton told me on this week’s episode of The Business of Tech. The acquisition of rival Research Rabbit now gives Litmaps an audience of millions worldwide. Find out how better scientific research discovery, powered by AI and visualisations, is changing how science is done on episode 99 of The Business of Tech.

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This week, Liam is joined by Mat Croad and Nick Marshall, co-founders of RTD business Pals, to discuss how a previous failure informed their meteoric rise in the drinks world, growing up in Tauranga together, and the different career paths they took before working together.

The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's a belief New Zealand's entering the early stages of an export-led recovery.

Stats NZ data reveals it's at $1.4 billion in April, compared with a $12 million deficit last year.

The dairy sector's been the big winner, up $601 million to $2.2 billion.

Former Finance Minister Steven Joyce told Mike Hosking it's promising on the back of a tough three years in the sector.

He says domestically people aren't spending a lot, so imports aren't coming in, but fortunately the world is buying more from us which is a great point in the cycle.

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The podcasts in the SME Stream contain general information only, not financial or professional advice. Any opinions expressed in the podcasts are not necessarily shared by BNZ, or its related entities. BNZ is not liable for any losses resulting from the content of the podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.