Kiwi 21-year-old rides AI boom: From a 45 minute chat to $43m in funding for his start-up

PremiumChris KeallTechnology Editor/Senior Business Writer·NZ Herald·18 Jun, 2026 05:00 PM6 mins to read‌Sea12 co-founder Thomas Mosen at the start-up's Manhattan office on Broadway.A young New Zealander’s experience in New York illustrates the super-charged, super-accelerated nature of the AI boom – where a 45-minute meeting can unlock millions in funding.

Coromandel-raised Thomas Mosen (now 21) finished high school in northeastern France after his parents split and he went to live with his French