Latest news with #Gull
Perth Now
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
WATCH: Seagull cops a falcon in local footy match
In one of the strangest events to be captured on the footy field, a seagull met an unfortunate ending after being hit by a footy. A match between Somerville and Seaford in the Mornington Peninsula Football League came down to the wire, with Sommerville getting up by two points — however the story of the game wasn't the scoreline. The headline of the match came during a Sommerville player's set shot, as he launched the pill from inside 50 towards the goals and struck a seagull that was flying past. The bird immediately dropped out of the sky and hit the deck, but the game didn't stop as players swarmed the ball that was still in play. A Sommerville player was captured picking up the lifeless seagull and carrying it off the pitch, before running back into the game. Vision of the incident was posted to social media by X user Carteagle, noting that it wasn't his footage, with the caption: 'I've seen some stuff in footy, but this is probably up there with the weirdest…' The crowd was stunned by what they had seen. 'That hit a f***ing bird... I got that on video!,' the person behind the camera shouted. 'The bird's dead on the ground,' a bystander can be heard yelling. Viewers were equally shocked by the footage, with many finding humour out of the situation. The bizarre moment was captured on camera as the bird went down during the match. Credit: X / Carteagle 'Surely he's gets another kick for that,' an X user replied. 'Great smother,' another joked. ''On baller' C. Gull will enter HIA protocols,' one person said. A player was captured picking up the lifeless seagull and carrying it off the pitch Credit: X / Carteagle 'Bird sacrificed its life to defend that goal,' a comment on Instagram said. Others condemned the crowd for laughing off the incident. 'Yuk, shows how little empathy they have!,' a viewer wrote. Another said: 'Seriously, couldn't have given the animal a bit more care. That's pathetic.' The video has drawn comparison to times when birds have met fowl endings on the big stage, including Scott Pendlebury bouncing a footy on top of a pigeon in a 2018 AFL match and the iconic moment MLB pitcher Randy Johnson sent a fast ball straight into a oncoming seagull — causing the bird to explode on impact.
Int'l Business Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
Jamie Gull's Perspective on Why Deep Tech Is Where the Next Wave of Innovation Lies
The world of venture capital is undergoing a structural realignment, one that rewards depth over speed, hardware over code, and defensible engineering over flashy repetition. At the center of this shift stands Jamie Gull, founder of Wave Function Ventures, a fund dedicated to pre-seed and seed investments in deep tech sectors like aerospace, energy, and robotics. With an experience that spans building reentry hardware at a renowned aerospace manufacturer, designing aircraft for an American aerospace company, and founding deep tech startups himself, Gull brings an insider's clarity to a rapidly evolving investment landscape. "Deep tech was long seen as too risky, too expensive, and too slow," Gull explains. "But the data and outcomes over the past decade tell a different story." Indeed, many early-stage investors have historically favored software startups for their low upfront capital needs and quick time to market. But Gull argues that the advantage is evaporating. "Back in the early 2000s, you could spend a few million, build a team of engineers, and get to market quickly," he says. "Now, IPO timelines for software have stretched to seven to 10 years. Software companies are spending huge amounts on customer acquisition and defending turf from competitors who can replicate products overnight, especially in the AI era." The old assumption that software scales cheaply and defensibly is proving false. "Your moat in software today is often just capital," he says. "In deep tech, it's the opposite. The upfront costs are higher, sure, but once you have built it, it is extremely hard to replicate." Gull's own investment track record underscores this conviction. His fund, Wave Function Ventures, has deployed capital into companies building humanoid robots for heavy industry, airships for transoceanic cargo, and advanced nuclear reactors. Many of these deals were oversubscribed, and Gull attributes his access to his founder-engineer background. "Founders want someone on the cap table who understands what it takes to build and scale real technology," he says. "That's where I come in." But Wave Function is not investing indiscriminately. Gull is openly cautious about sectors like space. He looks for niche, underexplored opportunities in space, not pie-in-the-sky ideas, and not overhyped data plays. His skepticism is not negativity; it's strategy. "You have to thread the needle between too speculative and too saturated," he explains. This nuanced view is shaped not just by sector analysis but also by career experience. After five years at a renowned aerospace manufacturer, where he worked on the aft thermal shield for the Falcon 9, a key part of the rocket's reusability, Gull co-founded a satellite antenna company and later, a startup focused on electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. He says, "I learned how to raise capital, win defense contracts, and build complex hardware at speed." It also gave him empathy for the founders. "Early-stage deep tech founders often face challenges that software peers don't understand, technical risk, regulatory hurdles, and long timelines. But they are also building something truly defensible. Something that matters," Gull shares. Part of what makes now the ideal moment to lean into deep tech is a confluence of positive forces. First, the talent pipeline. "Industry giants created a flywheel. They inspired a generation of engineers to build ambitious hardware," Gull says. "There are now enough experienced founders, and they are pulling in younger talent who want to do more than push pixels." Second, support from governing bodies has meaningfully improved. "Traditional programs used to be inefficient. Now, early-stage companies can get millions in non-dilutive funding early and scale to tens of millions in contracts without becoming a program of record. That's game-changing," Gull states. All of this means the traditional arguments against deep tech, capital intensity, long timelines, and uncertain exits are no longer persuasive. In fact, they're outdated. "Some of the most successful deep tech companies are taking lower capital at higher valuations in later rounds. It flips the old narrative on its head," Gull says. The opportunity is clear. "If you want to be a part of generational companies, not just another SaaS dashboard, deep tech is where you need to be looking," he says. "There's still pricing arbitrage in the early days because not enough people believe in this yet." Wave Function Ventures is already proving the thesis. With six investments completed that are showing strong momentum, Wave Function is off to a strong start. "But it's not just about the returns," Gull says. "It's about backing people who are building the future, real things with real impact." In a world flooded with momentary apps and algorithmic churn, backing deep tech means investing in the infrastructure of tomorrow. "Find the founders who treat it like a life mission," Gull says.
1News
20-05-2025
- Business
- 1News
Cheapest petrol in NZ: Newcomer takes crown from Gull
For a long time, New Zealand's cheapest petrol was often found at Gull Ātiamuri. But now, fuel price monitoring site Gaspy says it is U-GO Waikaraka, Auckland, that has the cheapest gas - and Gull is not the outlier it once was. On Monday, U-GO was selling 91 petrol for $229.7, Gaspy said. While Gull was credited with shaking up competition in the fuel sector through the "Gull effect" when it opened stations around the country, Gaspy director Mike Newton said that impact had been more muted recently. "In the past four months, the gap between the national average price for 91 and the Gull National average price for 91 has closed slightly. In mid-January, Gull was 3.45 cents cheaper than the national average, whereas it is now 2.53 cents cheaper. "Gull Ātiamuri, partway between Taupō and Tokoroa, used to be the cheapest station in the country by quite a bit - whereas now it's not even close." Newton said there were a large number of Auckland stations that were only one cent more expensive than the U-Go, operated by Z Energy. Last week, motorists on a Facebook community page complained that on Whangārei's Gull discount day, the local New World petrol was still 11 cents cheaper. "Also cheaper are Allied Whangārei, Gull Wellsford, Waitomo Kaikohe and Gull Snells Beach," one person wrote. Commerce Commission data showed that at times since June 2022, the discounted price of fuel from BP, Mobil and Z - such as when people are using their rewards apps - was at or even below the Gull price. Terry Collins, AA principal policy adviser for transport policy and advocacy, said he could often find cheaper options than the Gull discounts he was sent. He said it could be that since it was sold in 2022, Gull's new owner had a different business model. "Since the sale of Gull, we have seen Kiwi-owned independents like Allied and NPD and Waitomo entering the market with low-cost self-service models that seem to be offering sharper prices. 'The Gull effect' is now the 'independents effect'." Gull spokesperson Michael Clifton said Gull was well-known for its discounts to motorists "as part of delivering fuel savings for all Kiwis". "For the last 20 years, Gull has provided regular discounts in increasing frequency with no transactional limits or loyalty cards required. The variety of prices available is evidence of 'the Gull effect' creating a competitive market. "
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Fuel price shift: Gull knocked off its cheapest petrol perch
'In the past four months, the gap between the national average price for 91 and the Gull National average price for 91 has closed slightly. Mid-January, Gull was 3.45c cheaper than the national average, whereas it is now 2.53c cheaper. 'Gull Ātiamuri, partway between Taupō and Tokoroa, used to be the cheapest station in the country by quite a bit - whereas now it's not even close.' Where is NZ's cheapest petrol? Newton said a large number of Auckland stations were only 1c more expensive than the U-Go, operated by Z Energy. Last week, motorists on a Facebook community page complained that on Whangārei's Gull discount day, the local New World petrol was still 11c cheaper. 'Also cheaper are Allied Whangārei, Gull Wellsford, Waitomo Kaikohe and Gull Snells Beach,' one person wrote. Commerce Commission data showed that at times since June 2022, the discounted price of fuel from BP, Mobil and Z - such as when people are using their rewards apps - was at or even below the Gull price. Terry Collins, AA principal policy adviser for transport policy and advocacy, said he could often find cheaper options than the Gull discounts he was sent. He said it could be that since it was sold in 2022, Gull's new owner had a different business model. 'Since the sale of Gull, we have seen Kiwi-owned independents like Allied and NPD and Waitomo entering the market with low-cost self-service models that seem to be offering sharper prices. 'The Gull effect' is now the 'independents effect'.' Gull spokesman Michael Clifton said Gull was well known for its discounts to motorists 'as part of delivering fuel savings for all Kiwis'. 'For the last 20 years, Gull has provided regular discounts in increasing frequency with no transactional limits or loyalty cards required. The variety of prices available is evidence of 'the Gull effect' creating a competitive market.'
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Cheapest petrol in NZ: Newcomer U-GO takes the crown from Gull
Gull was credited with shaking up competition in the fuel sector through the 'Gull effect' when it opened stations around the country Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook For a long time, New Zealand's cheapest petrol was often found at Gull Ātiamuri. But now, fuel price monitoring site Gaspy says it is U-GO Waikaraka, Auckland, that has the cheapest gas - and Gull is not the outlier it once was. On Monday, U-GO was selling 91 petrol for $229.7, Gaspy said. While Gull was credited with shaking up competition in the fuel sector through the 'Gull effect' when it opened stations around the country, Gaspy director Mike Newton said that impact had been more muted recently. "In the past four months the gap between the national average price for 91 and the Gull National average price for 91 has closed slightly. Mid-January Gull was 3.45c cheaper than the national average, whereas it is now 2.53c cheaper. "Gull Ātiamuri, partway between Taupō and Tokoroa, used to be the cheapest station in the country by quite a bit - whereas now it's not even close." Newton said there were a large number of Auckland stations that were only 1c more expensive than the U-Go, operated by Z Energy. Last week, motorists on a Facebook community page complained that on Whangārei's Gull discount day, the local New World petrol was still 11c cheaper. "Also cheaper are Allied Whangārei, Gull Wellsford, Waitomo Kaikohe and Gull Snells Beach," one person wrote. Commerce Commission data showed that at times since June 2022, the discounted price of fuel from BP, Mobil and Z - such as when people are using their rewards apps - was at or even below the Gull price. Terry Collins, AA principal policy adviser for transport policy and advocacy, said he could often find cheaper options than the Gull discounts he was sent. He said it could be that since it was sold in 2022, Gull's new owner had a different business model. "Since the sale of Gull, we have seen Kiwi-owned independents like Allied and NPD and Waitomo entering the market with low-cost self-service models that seem to be offering sharper prices. 'The Gull effect' is now the 'independents effect'." Gull spokesperson Michael Clifton said Gull was well-known for its discounts to motorists "as part of delivering fuel savings for all Kiwis". "For the last 20 years Gull has provided regular discounts in increasing frequence with no transactional limits or loyalty cards required. The variety of prices available is evidence of 'the Gull effect' creating a competitive market. "
