Two decades ago, the global economy, the tech world, and New Zealand’s startup scene looked very different. Wireless EV charging was a distant dream, the country’s university spinout ecosystem was in its infancy, and many world-changing ideas generated in research labs never left the page.
On 1 August 2005, Will Charles joined UniServices with a clear mission: to help unlock the potential of research from the University of Auckland and realise new innovations that improve lives, build industries, and help to grow New Zealand’s economy.
Today, 20 years on, his fingerprints can be found across many of Aotearoa’s most significant university spinouts, investment funds, and entrepreneurial initiatives, from pioneering wireless EV charging to championing the next generation of founders.
From dusty IP to global deals
In his words, when Will arrived, valuable intellectual property was often “gathering dust” on the shelf. He sought to bring transparency to investment decisions at the University, a shift that spurred momentum and confidence in the process. By 2008, UniServices was co-founding the Trans-Tasman Commercialisation Fund, leading to spinout HaloIPT, a wireless EV charging company that was later acquired by Qualcomm. It was the University’s first major commercial spinout success and a signal to the world that New Zealand research could compete globally.
Then came the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, which accelerated the pivot from traditional licensing toward building a thriving startup ecosystem. “That’s why we’ve always backed the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” Will says. “You need an environment where research can connect with passionate founders, investors, and industry, and that ecosystem is now part of the University’s DNA.”
Seeding the next generation of ventures
Under Will’s leadership, UniServices has helped launch and fund dozens of high-potential ventures through initiatives like the Inventors’ Fund, the development of a supportive model that makes it easy for University researchers to understand the process, and a clear direction around investment returns.
This mahi (work) has attracted and nurtured talent now spread across the New Zealand government, venture capital firms, startup Boards, and technology transfer offices in Australasia and the UK.
“It’s not actually about the spinouts or the IP or the money,” Will reflects. “It’s the people. Those who’ve trusted me, worked alongside me, and gone on to make their own impact in the ecosystem.”
An ecosystem built on vision and trust
Will is quick to credit the University’s leaders and the broader community of innovators for creating fertile ground. From the founding vision of Sir Colin Maiden to the support of Vice-Chancellors past and present, and the leadership of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation’s team, UniServices has been given the freedom to experiment and take calculated risks in pursuit of its mission.
That culture has helped transform the University of Auckland into one of the most active university venture creators in Australasia, a place where researchers are encouraged to see their discoveries not just as papers, but as products, companies, and solutions that can change the world.
Still looking ahead
While he’s not planning another 20-year stint, Will is far from finished.
“It’s been a huge privilege and a lot of fun, but there’s still more to do. I’m excited about the ideas and people we haven’t even met yet, and the impact they’ll have on New Zealand’s future.”
From 2005 to today, Will Charles’s journey is also the story of UniServices’ evolution, and of New Zealand’s growing place on the global innovation map. It’s proof that when research meets entrepreneurial drive, the results can be transformative for people, industries, and the economy.
