PIVOT INNOVATION -Empowering Ideas with Amos Breyfogle

Pivot Innovation aims to help people develop their ideas into physical products.

Officially launched in mid-2023, the company is also a design workshop and offers advanced manufacturing and 3D printing. 

“There’s a theory that a lot of people with the best ideas are almost never the ones with the money to make it happen,” explains co-founder Amos Breyfogle. Pivot Innovation aims to change that by offering online training to help fund product development and create a community of innovative advanced manufacturing creators. 

Amos is originally from the USA and has a background in industrial 3D printing and advanced manufacturing, including working on automotive, racing and aerospace products. After spending years working in Europe in leadership roles, Amos decided to take a break and have a three-week trip in New Zealand. Then Covid happened, so Amos – and his skills and knowledge – stayed here in Queenstown.  

Photo of Amos Breyfogle 

SQL: How did you get into this industry? 

Amos: I studied manufacturing engineering; then, I did design engineering for about four years in the States. I was doing a lot of product design through tooling and manufacturing, and that led to moving to Germany to do 3D printing stuff for a company there. I was responsible for the aerospace markets, helping airlines bring out new planes (which was a slow job), and then I moved on to working for automotive. My career led to me doing 3D printing or ‘additive manufacturing’ for the Formula 1 industry in Europe in a leadership role. 

I’ve always loved helping people launch new products and seeing something go from an idea to something in the physical world. 

SQL: What led to your involvement with SQL? 

Amos: When I got to New Zealand, I decided I should not be an engineer for a while. No leadership stuff, just be a hardcore bum and grow my hair. I did that for a while, and then it was time to get back into the business and technical world (and shave my beard again). I saw a SQL event and figured I’d go along and see what kind of people were there. I do enjoy a free drink. 

SQL: How did that event help spark Pivot Innovation? 

Amos: It’s mostly the people – that’s a big part of why I go. It’s a place where people can gather and talk about tech sector stuff. That’s how I met one of the two people who are helping at Pivot now.  

SQL: What are the next steps for Pivot Innovation? 

Amos: Make money [laughs]. We’re actively searching for a location to set up a physical workshop and start a composites workshop and then grow that into having more capabilities to help people do more stuff physically from right here in Queenstown. So, find a building. And find money to pay for that. 

SQL: Why did you decide to launch here in Queenstown? 

Amos: Our future plan is to use Queenstown as a kind of prototype for the business model. Let’s look at doing this in a place that’s traditionally really bad for manufacturing. The GDP for advanced manufacturing here is really low, something like 3%. So if we can make it work here, a model that works on external income, it should plug in anywhere. 

We could have a product development centre here for mountain sports and then one over in Noosa (Australia) for water sports. Eventually, there could be centres around the world focusing on different areas of expertise. 

SQL: One word to describe Start Up Queenstown Lakes: 

“Connections” Starting anything new can be pretty lonely. It's good to be able to get out and meet new people that are also spending most of their time heads down, working on their next big thing.

Story written by Startup Queenstown Lakes.