PremiumChris KeallTechnology Editor/Senior Business Writer·NZ Herald·10 Jul, 2026 12:00 AM7 mins to read‌Kiwi founder Jeff Hawke has raised $529m for a new type of artificial intelligence. Video / OdysseyIt started with forklifts. Now Jeff Hawke’s career sees him creating sci-fi level artificial intelligence that lets AI learn from the real world, and help us interact with ultra-real simulations.And some of the tech world’s biggest names are throwing hundreds of millions at his start-up, Odyssey.

“My first