Rowan SimpsonRowan Simpson

Rowan is a software developer and investor. He has been involved as an investor and employee in a number of iconic high-growth technology businesses in New Zealand, including Trade Me and Xero. He was one of the original investors in Vend and Timely, and continues to work closely with the founders of these businesses.

In the beginning, we had no idea: on the birth and growth of Trade Me

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New Zealand’s pioneering online auction site and marketplace has just marked 20 years with a staff reunion. Rowan Simpson went along, and it sparked some fascinating memories and reflections.  I was irrationally tentative as I walked up the stairs to the mezzanine level at Whistling Sisters in Wellington, on one of those rare you-can’t-beat-Wellington evenings, … Read more

The problem with the way government backs business in 2017

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Incubators, accelerators, grants, tax credits – there are a dizzying array of taxpayer-funded subsidies available for business. But we could make it all simpler and more effective both for government and the businesses we want to target, says technology investor Rowan Simpson. Here in New Zealand, our local market is small so exports are critical … Read more

Why start-ups should abandon the roller coaster and jump on a bike instead

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Thick skin comes from scar tissue, and Sarah Walker, BMX pro, has more to teach us about early-stage businesses than an analogy that straps you into a fairground ride, writes software developer and investor Rowan Simpson Founders of early-stage ventures often describe their experience as like being on a roller coaster. It’s easy to see … Read more

The Flag: Rowan Simpson – “I Started the Red Peak Surge Because I Love the Silver Fern”

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Last week TradeMe co-founder Rowan Simpson wrote a blog post explaining why he’d like to see the Red Peak flag on the official shortlist. To his surprise, his piece, and designer Aaron Dustin’s explanation of the flag’s story, captured the imagination of thousands. Here he writes a follow-up letter to Prime Minister John Key. Dear … Read more