Allbirds AI Pivot, Rocket Lab Innovation + BlinkPay’s Banking Future

Allbirds AI Pivot, Rocket Lab Innovation + BlinkPay’s Banking Future

From NZ Tech Podcast by Paul Spain

April 21, 2026 · 1h 13m · Episode 785

About this episode

Paul Spain and Adrian Smith discuss the future of banking and payments in Aotearoa, alongside the latest tech innovations and news.

Host Paul Spain and Adrian Smith, founder and CEO of BlinkPay, explore open banking, the impacts of the Consumer Product Data Act, and how BlinkPay is helping reshape payments and data sharing in Aotearoa. Adrian delves into the practical challenges of legacy banking tech and the latest innovations in consumer payments. Together they look at the latest tech news including: The dramatic pivot of Allbirds into AI infrastructure Rocket Lab’s new electric thruster technology Hidden Bluetooth tracker compromises Dutch warship GoPro’s fresh camera direction AST Space Mobile satellite mishaps and connectivity possibilities Special thanks to our show partners: 2degrees, Fortinet, One New Zealand, Spark New Zealand, Workday, and Gorilla Technology.

People in this episode

Host: Paul Spain

Guest: Adrian Smith

Topics covered

  • open banking
  • consumer payments
  • AI infrastructure
  • legacy banking technology
  • innovation
  • tech news

Keywords

  • open banking
  • Consumer Product Data Act
  • payments
  • legacy banking
  • AI
  • Rocket Lab
  • Bluetooth tracker
  • GoPro
  • satellite connectivity

Sponsors

2degrees, Fortinet, One New Zealand, Spark New Zealand, Workday, Gorilla Technology

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BlinkPay, Allbirds, Rocket Lab, GoPro, AST Space Mobile

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