Business is Boring is a weekly podcast series presented by The Spinoff in association with Callaghan Innovation. Host Simon Pound speaks with innovators and commentators focused on the future of New Zealand. This week he talks to Campbell Brown, CEO of PredictHQ.

This week we talk to Campbell Brown, the CEO of amazing NZ founded company PredictHQ. He tells the story of how they landed some of the world’s biggest names as customers (Uber, Domino’s, Booking.com), how they raised $15 million after getting turned away 60 times, and how today they have over 50 staff running AI and big data.

So what exactly does PredictHQ do? Well, have you ever been to a concert, then afterwards you and every other person there all want an Uber at the same time? You expect you will be able to call one up because they somehow know how to project increased demand. But have you ever stopped to think how they might do this? What if the event isn’t as obvious as a massive show at a major venue? What if it’s an obscure conference? And it isn’t just Uber. All kinds of companies need to be able to know when unexpected demand – or lack of demand – is going to shake their business.

PredictHQ is helping solve this through a clever mix of big data and human thinking.  They count Uber, huge airlines, and Domino’s among their customers. They help the pizza chain know how much dough they will need to make the most dough.

The company’s had a couple of huge turning points, with one founder uprooting his young family and setting up their San Francisco office to help land that $15m of venture funding and some of the world’s biggest companies as clients.

Despite this move, they keep a Kiwi heart, with most staff kept here. That uprooted PredictHQ’s co-founder Campbell Brown,  who joined us on the podcast this week while on a trip back to Aotearoa to talk about the journey, what’s next and how they got going.

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