Tech start-ups The Green Fairy, The Clinician, and The Social Club have taken top honours at NZTE's 2017 Tech Shed Investment Showcase - and they'll now head across the ditch to attend TechCrunch Startup Alley, part of the first ever TechCrunch Battlefield Australasia on 16 November.

Europe offers a large, high-income population, skilled workers and a single transparent regulatory system - but also features tough competition, slow growth, and plenty of regional differences to navigate. Weigh up the pros and cons with NZTE's new guide to Entering the European Market, including country-by-country comparisons to help you select the best home base for your European business.

Global retailer Costco is big in every sense of the word, and with nine Australian stores it's worth considering as an opportunity for your products across the Tasman. Take a look at this quick guide to Costco in Australia from NZTE's Business Development Manager Peter Winter - and find out three keys to getting your products ranged in-store.

Iran is known as one of the last major frontier markets for international business - with significant untapped potential for New Zealand companies. Get to know the market with our audio guide to doing business in Iran, featuring insights from local business consultancy Ara Enterprises.

At just over 130 years young, Hills Hats has a unique position as New Zealand's leading hat maker - and as a premium export success story in Australia, Japan, and the United States. "Hatman" Simon Smuts-Kennedy shares the Hills Hats story and explains how their quirky, collaborative Kiwi approach has been a winner overseas.

From craft beer to umbrellas, from sports science to augmented-reality gaming, Idealog has put together an impressive list of creative New Zealanders across business, design, media and beyond. Take a look at some of their top picks (and People's Choice selections) here.

Malaysia is chocolate maker Whittaker's fourth largest market - but the company has ambitious growth plans for the country and for the wider Asian region. Head of International Markets Matt Whittaker spoke to Malaysia's BFM business radio network about the future of the 120-year old business in Asia and further abroad.

The experience might be virtual but the potential is real: New Zealand's 'cross reality' (XR) sector could hit $320 million in revenue in the next two years, and double its employment numbers in the same period. That's according to a new report released by the New Zealand VR/AR Association, in partnership with MBIE. 

Meet New Zealand's Pacific-based Heads of Mission (HOMs) - including High Commissioners and Consuls-General - as they gather in Auckland on 24 November at Auckland's Viaduct Events Centre. This is a unique opportunity to network with officials and businesspeople with deep experience in the Pacific, and hear the latest updates on business opportunities and challenges in markets across the region.

Make face-to-face connections with Chinese companies visiting Wellington during the New Zealand – China Mayoral Forum this December. Express your interest for the Business Forum and nominate your sectors of interest to be matched with businesspeople from Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Xiamen and more. Registrations close on Tuesday 14 November.

The University of Auckland Innovation Institute in Hangzhou will host its inaugural Ideas to Life conference this December, in partnership with Zhejiang University - featuring a pre-conference commercialisation and investor session for New Zealand high-tech startups, and keynote presentations from world-class innovation experts across both academia and private industry. Read more and register at the conference website below.

Merino clothing retailer Icebreaker has been sold to US-based VF Corporation, also owner of The North Face, Timberland and Vans - with founder Jeremy Moon (who started the company 22 years ago) calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Icebreaker to access new markets and consumers.