Newie Ventures, founded in 2015 and based in Newcastle, Australia, was an engineering consultancy specializing in electronic product design and development. The company offered services in electronics and embedded software design, project management, and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, aiming to bring innovative ideas to market.
In October 2021, Newie Ventures was acquired by Design + Industry (D+I), Australia's largest and leading industrial design and product development consultancy. This acquisition aimed to expand D+I's internal electronics engineering team and specialized services, including embedded electronics design, PCB prototyping, and software and firmware development. The integration of Newie Ventures into D+I was intended to support the Hunter Region's growth and contribute to Newcastle's ambition to become a showcase Smart City for Australia.
Team
Heath Raftery
Founder
Heath Raftery is an Australian electrical engineer and entrepreneur based in Newcastle, Australia. With over two decades of experience in the engineering and technology industries, he has held various roles, including design engineer, software developer, product designer, researcher, and project manager.
Heath co-founded Newie Ventures, a boutique electronic product design consultancy in Newcastle, where he served as Head of Technologies. In this role, he focused on translating customer intentions into technical requirements, leveraging his ability to understand domain problems and assess requirements against constraints.
Beyond his consultancy work, Heath founded the Newcastle IoT Pioneers collaborative, fostering innovation in the Internet of Things (IoT) space within the local community. His contributions to the field were recognized when he received the Joe Award at the NEWi Awards in Newcastle.
