New+Improved Ventures Appoints Chief of Staff to Strengthen Founder & Talent Pipeline

New+Improved Ventures, the venture studio building the next generation of marketing technology companies, announced the appointment of Laura Lowther as Chief of Staff

New+Improved Ventures partners with ambitious founders to develop world-class marketing technology companies. Companies built through New+Improved’s venture studio model include Tracksuit, Ideally and Aether, with its next venture set to launch mid-year.

Lowther joins from venture capital firm Folklore Ventures and has an exceptional track record of building and leading high-performing people and operations teams across APAC.

She previously held roles at Google and Hays, giving her deep insight across venture, technology and talent.

In her role as Chief of Staff, Lowther will focus on expanding New+Improved Ventures’ founder and talent pipeline. She will work closely with the firm’s network and ecosystem partners to deepen relationships with founder communities and connect emerging teams with the resources needed to get from idea to enduring business.

Connon Bray, Managing Partner at New+Improved Ventures, said Lowther’s appointment reflects the studio’s core belief that great businesses are built by exceptional founders.

“Great businesses are partly a good idea, but mostly great founders. Laura will be outstanding at finding those founders early and helping them take their first steps with confidence,”

Bray said.

“Our model is designed to increase the probability of startup success by being far more disciplined at the zero-to-one stage. That discipline only works if you pair validated ideas with truly outstanding people. Laura will help us do that at a higher level and at greater pace.”

Lowther said the ambition and momentum of the ecosystem in this part of the world made the opportunity with New+Improved Ventures compelling.

"What stands out is the ecosystem’s edge: outsized ambition, humble grit, and relentless pace. New Zealand is building with something to prove. That same ethos defines New+Improved Ventures' approach to backing startups poised to scale on the global stage."

"I look forward to leveraging my experience and network to assemble exceptional founding teams, support them through the toughest early-stage decisions, and help shape the next generation of breakthrough ventures."

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About New+Improved Ventures

New+Improved Ventures is a New Zealand-based venture studio to create the marketing technology companies of the future. The studio identifies and validates commercial problems, develops initial products and brands, secures early customers, and then partners with founders to scale the business independently. Companies founded by the team include Tracksuit, Ideally and Aether.