Cataysing and Growing New Zealand's Deep Tech Community: An Interview with Mat Rowe

Mat Rowe, founding partner of Outset Ventures, offers a rare glimpse into New Zealand's deep‑tech renaissance. Drawing on two decades at the crossroads of science, engineering, and commercialization, Rowe recounts how Outset evolved from a modest property lease into a 7,500 m² campus that houses more than 20 hardware‑focused startups. This physical hub—complete with clean rooms, labs, and shared workshops—provides the infrastructure that hardware founders need, from bench‑scale prototypes to near‑full‑scale production. By concentrating engineering talent in one location, Outset creates a fertile environment where ideas cross‑pollinate, investors meet founders, and the region gains a reputation for tangible, capital‑intensive innovation.

The conversation also traces Rowe’s pivotal role in scaling LanzaTech’s gas‑to‑fuels technology across continents. He led technology transfers to Denver and later to China, demonstrating how deep‑tech firms can navigate complex regulatory landscapes, secure venture capital from firms like Coza Ventures, and overcome the logistical challenges of building new plants abroad. Those experiences informed the Level 2 strategy: securing a dedicated property, leasing it back to a cluster of founders, and turning a garage‑style ecosystem into a commercial campus. This model protects the founder community, offers shared safety equipment and fume extraction, and nurtures a culture of “founders helping founders,” which has proven essential for raising follow‑on capital.

Today, Outset Ventures stands as New Zealand’s premier deep‑tech incubator, agnostic to sector but strict on engineering rigor. Its venture arm backs IP‑rich companies—whether in aerospace, biotech, or emerging AI‑driven hardware—while the campus supports their growth from a single desk to a half‑floor operation. The physical proximity of 180 skilled professionals accelerates collaboration, talent retention, and access to global investors, positioning New Zealand as a competitive player in the international deep‑tech arena.