Latest news with #Fuller
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Irish 17-year-old's startup raises €1.2m
An AI startup co-founded by Irish 17-year-old Liam Fuller has secured €1.2 million ($1.4m) in pre-seed funding. Mr Fuller's company, Source, is a platform that automates stock purchasing for retailers using agentic AI. The funding round was led by Australian VC Square Peg, alongside former Stripe CTO David Singleton and the Xtripe angel syndicate. Mr Fuller is the CEO and co-founder of Source and is Square Peg's youngest portfolio founder to date. He has now left school to build Source full-time. "I was shocked to find that most businesses, especially retailers, still rely on email and Excel to buy hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of stock every week," Mr Fuller said. "Source provides a simple interface allowing retail buyers to understand what they should buy and when by integrating into Excel, email and ERPs (Enterprise Resource Planning)." "Source scans inventory and past sales data to generate forecasts and suggest purchase orders with AI that humans can edit and approve with a single click," he added. While visiting family in Australia last April, Mr Fuller secured a meeting with Square Peg co-founder Paul Bassat, and closed the funding round within weeks. "I've been impressed by many young entrepreneurs, but Liam combines technical sophistication with commercial instincts that are rare at any age," Mr Bassat said. "When someone demonstrates this level of execution and strategic thinking at seventeen, the growth trajectory becomes incredibly compelling," he added. The capital will be used to double engineering headcount, launch US pilot programmes this autumn and finance a Silicon Valley relocation later this year.
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Govt Cuts KiwiSaver, Hnry Steps In With $130,000 Injection
Press Release – Hnry Hnry – one of New Zealands largest accountancy firms – says the move responds to growing concern among sole traders about the impact of the governments decision. Hnry is topping up KiwiSaver accounts for 500 randomly selected customers with a one-off $260.72 contribution, directly responding to the government's decision to halve the annual KiwiSaver top-up for the self-employed in Budget 2025. New survey data reveals that 52 per cent of sole traders oppose the government's policy, only 19 per cent support it, and 24 per cent plan to reduce their KiwiSaver contributions as a result. James Fuller, Hnry CEO and co-founder, warns the decision will lead to more people relying on state-funded support and is calling for the top-up to be reinstated for sole traders and broader reform to support sole trader retirement savings. Hnry is topping up the KiwiSaver accounts of 500 sole traders, stepping in after the government halved its annual contribution to self-employed workers from 1 July. The randomly selected Hnry customers will each receive a one-off KiwiSaver contribution of $260.72, matching the amount removed in Budget 2025 and injecting more than $130,000 directly into customers' retirement savings, which could boost the group's collective funds by one million dollars by the time they retire. Hnry – one of New Zealand's largest accountancy firms – says the move responds to growing concern among sole traders about the impact of the government's decision. New findings from the latest Sole Trader Pulse survey, the country's only independent survey of sole traders, reveal: Fifty-two per cent oppose the cut Just 19 per cent support it Almost a quarter say they will reduce KiwiSaver contributions because of it 41 per cent have paused Kiwisaver or saving contributions due to inflationary pressures Unlike employees, sole traders don't receive employer contributions. Their only incentive to save for retirement comes from the government's annual top-up, now halved, which applies if they save at least $1,042.86 a year. 's modelling suggests that this could reduce their overall retirement savings by up to 17 per cent. Hnry co-founder and CEO James Fuller says the country's 400,000 sole traders are hardest hit, but there's been no recognition of the impact from the government. 'We don't employ these people, but we do see every day how hard they work and how little support they get. This cut makes it even more difficult for them to establish long-term financial security. It shouldn't fall to private businesses to fill the gap, and while we'd love to help every customer, we're in a position to help some, so we are,' he says. The 500 randomly selected Hnry customers are being notified today of the one-off contribution being paid directly into their KiwiSaver account. Fuller says the government continues to underestimate the scale and contribution of the self-employed workforce, and, as a starting point, is calling on it to reverse the Budget 2025 decision and reinstate the full $521.43 top-up for sole traders. 'We're talking about nearly 20 percent of the workforce; builders, electricians, physios, nurses, and creatives. People we rely on every day, but who are constantly overlooked by a government that favours policies that benefit big business. 'This isn't a fringe issue; the ripple effect is irrevocable; it will create headaches for future governments when it comes to dealing with more retirees relying on state-funded support because they have less in their retirement savings. 'There are also additional levers that could be pulled to encourage people to save for their retirement – contributions in Australia are tax-deductible, which incentivises people to save. We need to be doing more, not less; yet we're stuck with shortsighted decisions that unfairly penalise a workforce that contributes billions to our country's GDP every year,' he says. Hnry is finalising a joint report with the Retirement Commission, set for release next month, exploring ways the government can better support sole traders' retirement savings. The latest Sole Trader Pulse was conducted between 2 and 13 June 2025, with a margin of error of ±4.4%. FAQ How were customers selected? Hnry randomly selected 500 customers from its database, who will be notified today. How much money will each customer receive? Each selected customer will receive a total of $260.72, paid directly into their KiwiSaver account. Hnry will make payments in two instalments: one in July and one in August 2025. Will this be an annual contribution? No. This is a one-off contribution made in response to the government's decision, announced in Budget 2025, to halve the annual KiwiSaver contribution for sole traders. Why has Hnry decided to make this contribution? Modelling from shows that cutting the government contribution will leave the self-employed 17 per cent worse off at retirement than those in traditional employment. Hnry is in a position to provide a one-off contribution and wants to support its customers where it can. Is Hnry responsible for KiwiSaver contributions – and should the private sector be doing more? No. Hnry supports and advocates for New Zealand's sole trader workforce, but it does not employ them and therefore does not make employer KiwiSaver contributions. Employees already receive employer contributions to their retirement savings – the issue here is that sole traders' only incentive, the government contribution, has been halved. By making this one-off payment, Hnry aims to offset the $260.72 loss these 500 sole traders will face in the 2025/26 year, and to draw attention to a broader issue: if the needs of the country's 400,000 sole traders continue to be overlooked, the government risks creating a generation of Kiwis who may require greater support in retirement. About Hnry: Founded in 2017, Hnry is one of New Zealand's largest accountancy firms. It provides a pay-as-you-go, all-in-one digital accounting service that handles invoicing, expenses, payments, taxes, filings, and offers expert on-demand support. Hnry takes care of all the financial admin for contractors, freelancers, sole traders, and the self-employed, allowing them to focus on getting the job done rather than worrying about tax and compliance. Hnry recently won the 'Innovation in Financial Services' category at the 2024 INFINZ Awards. In 2023 and 2024, as well as being one of the leading companies in the Deloitte Fast 50, it was also recognised as the Fastest Growing Technology Business in the Wellington and Lower North Island region.
Scoop
14 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Govt Cuts KiwiSaver, Hnry Steps In With $130,000 Injection
Hnry is topping up KiwiSaver accounts for 500 randomly selected customers with a one-off $260.72 contribution, directly responding to the government's decision to halve the annual KiwiSaver top-up for the self-employed in Budget 2025. New survey data reveals that 52 per cent of sole traders oppose the government's policy, only 19 per cent support it, and 24 per cent plan to reduce their KiwiSaver contributions as a result. James Fuller, Hnry CEO and co-founder, warns the decision will lead to more people relying on state-funded support and is calling for the top-up to be reinstated for sole traders and broader reform to support sole trader retirement savings. Hnry is topping up the KiwiSaver accounts of 500 sole traders, stepping in after the government halved its annual contribution to self-employed workers from 1 July. The randomly selected Hnry customers will each receive a one-off KiwiSaver contribution of $260.72, matching the amount removed in Budget 2025 and injecting more than $130,000 directly into customers' retirement savings, which could boost the group's collective funds by one million dollars by the time they retire. Hnry - one of New Zealand's largest accountancy firms - says the move responds to growing concern among sole traders about the impact of the government's decision. New findings from the latest Sole Trader Pulse survey, the country's only independent survey of sole traders, reveal: Fifty-two per cent oppose the cut Just 19 per cent support it Almost a quarter say they will reduce KiwiSaver contributions because of it 41 per cent have paused Kiwisaver or saving contributions due to inflationary pressures Unlike employees, sole traders don't receive employer contributions. Their only incentive to save for retirement comes from the government's annual top-up, now halved, which applies if they save at least $1,042.86 a year. modelling suggests that this could reduce their overall retirement savings by up to 17 per cent. Hnry co-founder and CEO James Fuller says the country's 400,000 sole traders are hardest hit, but there's been no recognition of the impact from the government. 'We don't employ these people, but we do see every day how hard they work and how little support they get. This cut makes it even more difficult for them to establish long-term financial security. It shouldn't fall to private businesses to fill the gap, and while we'd love to help every customer, we're in a position to help some, so we are,' he says. The 500 randomly selected Hnry customers are being notified today of the one-off contribution being paid directly into their KiwiSaver account. Fuller says the government continues to underestimate the scale and contribution of the self-employed workforce, and, as a starting point, is calling on it to reverse the Budget 2025 decision and reinstate the full $521.43 top-up for sole traders. 'We're talking about nearly 20 percent of the workforce; builders, electricians, physios, nurses, and creatives. People we rely on every day, but who are constantly overlooked by a government that favours policies that benefit big business. 'This isn't a fringe issue; the ripple effect is irrevocable; it will create headaches for future governments when it comes to dealing with more retirees relying on state-funded support because they have less in their retirement savings. 'There are also additional levers that could be pulled to encourage people to save for their retirement - contributions in Australia are tax-deductible, which incentivises people to save. We need to be doing more, not less; yet we're stuck with shortsighted decisions that unfairly penalise a workforce that contributes billions to our country's GDP every year,' he says. Hnry is finalising a joint report with the Retirement Commission, set for release next month, exploring ways the government can better support sole traders' retirement savings. The latest Sole Trader Pulse was conducted between 2 and 13 June 2025, with a margin of error of ±4.4%. FAQ How were customers selected? Hnry randomly selected 500 customers from its database, who will be notified today. How much money will each customer receive? Each selected customer will receive a total of $260.72, paid directly into their KiwiSaver account. Hnry will make payments in two instalments: one in July and one in August 2025. Will this be an annual contribution? No. This is a one-off contribution made in response to the government's decision, announced in Budget 2025, to halve the annual KiwiSaver contribution for sole traders. Why has Hnry decided to make this contribution? Modelling from shows that cutting the government contribution will leave the self-employed 17 per cent worse off at retirement than those in traditional employment. Hnry is in a position to provide a one-off contribution and wants to support its customers where it can. Is Hnry responsible for KiwiSaver contributions - and should the private sector be doing more? No. Hnry supports and advocates for New Zealand's sole trader workforce, but it does not employ them and therefore does not make employer KiwiSaver contributions. Employees already receive employer contributions to their retirement savings - the issue here is that sole traders' only incentive, the government contribution, has been halved. By making this one-off payment, Hnry aims to offset the $260.72 loss these 500 sole traders will face in the 2025/26 year, and to draw attention to a broader issue: if the needs of the country's 400,000 sole traders continue to be overlooked, the government risks creating a generation of Kiwis who may require greater support in retirement. About Hnry: Founded in 2017, Hnry is one of New Zealand's largest accountancy firms. It provides a pay-as-you-go, all-in-one digital accounting service that handles invoicing, expenses, payments, taxes, filings, and offers expert on-demand support. Hnry takes care of all the financial admin for contractors, freelancers, sole traders, and the self-employed, allowing them to focus on getting the job done rather than worrying about tax and compliance. Hnry recently won the 'Innovation in Financial Services' category at the 2024 INFINZ Awards. In 2023 and 2024, as well as being one of the leading companies in the Deloitte Fast 50, it was also recognised as the Fastest Growing Technology Business in the Wellington and Lower North Island region.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Newton mayor goes over the (painted) double line
And those are just the examples the crack research team at Globe Opinion could identify. ( In Rhode Island, Bristol's red-white-and-blue center line on two-way Main Street is such a cherished tradition that the town secured explicit permission for it from the federal government ( And is any of that really so terrible? The lines — and other nonstandard street markings, like the rainbow crosswalk in Northampton — seem inoffensive to me, small symbolic ways to honor an area's distinctive past or present. Check out Advertisement Now, there is perhaps a reasonable counterargument that such markings could be viewed as exclusive — that an Italian flag painted in a public street sends an unwelcoming message to residents of the neighborhood who aren't Italian (or Mexican or Hungarian, if you want to get technical). Advertisement But that's not how Newton's mayor, Ruthanne Fuller, has defended the decision to remove the center lines, which had been in place for decades before they disappeared in the middle of the night without warning on June 26. Rather, the city says it was a required safety step. Removing them was 'mandatory, not optional,' Fuller wrote in a The standards Fuller cited said two-way streets that are more than 20 feet wide and carry more than 6,000 vehicles daily 'shall' have center line markings that 'shall' be yellow. Adams Street is 33 feet wide and has an average daily vehicle count of 6,002, according to a Citing crash data and other statistics, that same report also listed Adams Street as the highest priority spot for traffic calming in all of Newton — though it didn't specifically blame the Italian lines for the street's safety problems or recommend removing the lines as a way to solve them. (If anything, I'd guess that unconventional lines make people slow down, not speed up, for the very reason that they're so unusual.) Fuller offered a compromise, saying that the neighborhood could paint the Italian colors on the street in addition to the yellow lines in the center. But that's not flying with residents, who are demanding the return of the Italian colors on the center lines, full stop. And Fuller's safety rationale hasn't convinced critics, some of whom have accused the mayor of acting out of anti-Italian animus. Some even tried to Advertisement 'The claim that these markings needed to be replaced with yellow lines for safety lacks merit,' I'm not a lawyer — though many of Fuller's constituents are! — so I'm not going to attempt to parse the legal arguments. Suffice to say, though, that other cities in Massachusetts have apparently accepted whatever theoretical safety or legal risk nonstandard lines pose. (I emailed officials in Malden, Peabody, and Hingham, but none of them responded to my message; a spokesman for the city of Cambridge said the lines on one-way Warren Street were allowed because they do 'not interfere with any form of traffic control.') But let's assume Fuller's legal interpretation is correct and yellow lines are indeed required on Adams Street. With some creativity, and creative readings of the rules, there are still ways the city could end the controversy: The Newton City Council floated the idea of alternating between sections of double yellow lines and sections of Italian tricolor. The federal standards say the lines have to be yellow, but not that they have to be all yellow. As mentioned, Bristol, R.I., has special permission to paint its center line red, white, and blue. The city could petition the Trump administration for a similar exemption. Given its commitment to celebrating diversity, there's little doubt the request would be approved. More of a long shot, but an ideal solution would be to convince Italy to change its flag to a yellow-black-yellow pattern. It can't hurt to ask! Newton could just convert the whole street to a one-way street or, even better, a giant bike lane, which could then be painted however the city pleases. Secession. The rules apply to paved roads. Maybe use cobblestones on Adams Street instead? (That would also slow down traffic!) Secure pledges from three people in the neighborhood — maybe a few more as a cushion — to cut back on one trip on Adams Street a day, to get the daily vehicle count back below 6,000. Ultimately, I don't understand why Fuller picked this fight, and picked it now. Adams Street may well have needed traffic calming measures — and according to Fuller's message, the city is going ahead with raised pedestrian crossing and radar feedback signs. Those measures seem much more likely to reduce accidents than removing the Italian lines, so why not try them first? This is an excerpt from , a Globe Opinion newsletter about the future of transportation in the region. Sign up to . Advertisement Alan Wirzbicki is Globe deputy editor for editorials. He can be reached at
Vancouver Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
New book unravels the story of B.C. sports mogul and Australian fugitive Con Jones
You've probably never heard of Con Jones. But he was once a household name in Vancouver, a fixture in local newspapers and sports pages in the 1910s and '20s. Jones owned a chain of tobacco shops called Don't Argue, which featured early Vancouver's most unforgettable logo: a guy in a bowler hat shoving another guy in the face. He also ran several pool rooms and a bowling alley. However, the real source of his wealth was probably gambling, which was illegal but tolerated by the police. With his profits, he founded a professional lacrosse team, and even built his own sports stadium by the PNE, Con Jones Park. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. For all the notoriety he received, the details of his background seemed a bit fuzzy. Jones was Australian, but his life Down Under was a mystery. So John Fuller set out to unravel it. It took a decade, but Fuller has just released a Jones bio, Fatigue, Fortune and Fear: The Rise and Fall of Con Jones (Tellwell). It's subtitled 'Australian fugitive, Canadian sports mogul.' It turns out that Con Jones wasn't his real name. It was Thomas Shortel. He changed it after he fled Australia when his betting shop didn't have the money to pay out to customers after the Melbourne Cup, a big horse race. Essentially, he bet the favourites would lose, and he wouldn't have to pay out the money. 'The first two favourites came in first and second,' relates Fuller, 68, a former copy editor at The Province. 'He gambled and lost, and had to take off. 'If the favourites lose, that's great, I'm legit, I've got this money. And if the favourites win, I'm just taking the money (and skipping town).' That's the game.' He sailed to Vancouver with his brother, arriving in November 1903 with the money he didn't pay to bettors. Most people on the lam would have stayed out of the public eye, but Tom Shortel was a showman, with a penchant for the limelight. So he became Con Jones, opened a pool hall with card tables and started promoting special events, like smokers, through amateur sports clubs. 'In those days, the cities had what they called a 10-cent rule,' explains Fuller, who was born in London, England, grew up in South Africa and immigrated to Canada in the 1980s. 'The city inspectors would tolerate gambling as long as nobody could lose more than 10 cents at a time, and Con just milked that to the max. He would have all sorts of different little games going on in his building that the guys could play.' When the authorities tried to put a stop to all the gambling going on, Jones hired the best lawyers. 'He managed to keep himself on the right side of the law through high-powered legal muscle,' said Fuller, who is selling his book online through Amazon and Chapters/Indigo. 'His little trick was he never participated ever in the stakes of any game. He would have a little slot on the side of the table, (and) before each hand got dealt, you had to drop a penny in the slot. 'It's amazing, (his) wealth was built up sort of a penny at a time.' Jones spent a fortune enticing star lacrosse players to play for a team he began in Vancouver. Some were also hockey stars. Jones paid Newsy Lalonde $5,000 to play for his lacrosse team, at a time when Lalonde made $1,300 per season to play for the Montreal Canadiens. It worked. Jones' lacrosse team won the Minto Cup over the archrival New Westminster Salmonbellies in 1911. His finances also grew with the Don't Argue chain, which included 20 East Hastings St., longtime home of The Only seafood restaurant. But behind the scenes there always seemed to be turmoil. Fuller believes Shortel/Jones may have been blackmailed in Australia by a ruthless newspaper owner named Norton. In Australia, Shortel/Jones also left behind an illegitimate daughter, Victoria Johnson, who reconnected with him when she was 17 and was constantly causing a kerfuffle. Victoria had a knack for conning wealthy men out of their money, which eventually landed her in an Australian jail. –OPTIONAL TRIM FOR PRINT– 'She was a real talent, in a criminal sense,' said Fuller. 'It was breathtaking, the scope of it. She would pretend to be someone really wealthy who had this huge inheritance coming, and then once she got to know somebody, she would borrow money from them, usually quite a big sum. And then disappear.' –END OPTIONAL TRIM– Jones and his family still managed to remain quite respectable in the public eye, building a handsome mansion in Shaughnessy in 1922 that was adorned with the latest rage, a King Tut-themed chandelier. Jones also put a $1,000 down payment on a site in east Vancouver to build Con Jones park in 1920, which was a major venue for lacrosse, soccer and baseball for decades. It's now known as Callister Park, after the man who had sold it to Jones, who had never paid off the mortgage on the land. Fuller discovered all this through his grandmother Margaret, whose second marriage was to one of Con Jones' sons, Dill. When his grandmother died in 2002, she left behind boxes of the Jones archive, including diaries, metal token/coins that were used at the Don't Argue, and a couple of dazzling scrapbooks featuring newspaper clippings, photos and illustrations. Sadly, the health of Jones declined in the 1920s after decades of alcoholism. He died on June 3, 1929, at only 59 years old. jmackie@
