Bjorn Kim
Founder of NOVA. Building New Zealand’s AI company from Auckland.
Why I started NOVA
I grew up in Auckland. Before NOVA I worked as a marketing manager, and I’ve always been drawn to AI and what it can do for everyday work.
I also saw that New Zealand can be slow to take up new technology, and that a lot of businesses here are cautious about AI. I think much of that comes down to trust. It’s easier to trust a tool when you know who built it, where they are and how they treat your data. So I decided to build an AI company here, for people here.
The problems that became products
Mini NOVA came from my own frustration. Starting at new companies, I often found there was no real onboarding. Nobody walked you through each step of the software you were expected to use. I wanted something that could look at my screen and show me the next step, so I built it. Mini NOVA is now on the Microsoft Store.
JENA came from building a business on my own. I needed help across marketing, sales, research and admin, a whole set of departments, but I couldn’t afford to hire. That frustration became JENA: a team of AI employees a small business can afford, from NZ$29 a month. JENA launched on the Microsoft Store in October 2026.
Alongside them sits Gnomon, in beta, which checks what your AI makes up to a million ways before you rely on it.
Why “NOVA”
NOVA means a new star. I want NOVA to grow into the new star of New Zealand tech. Our website is deskwithnova.com because our apps are made for the desk: for working, studying and building.
Security and privacy first
Some AI tools will go ahead and do things for you without asking. To me that’s a red flag, especially for privacy. Everything I build starts with security and privacy.
- Nothing goes out without your OK. JENA never sends an email, posts or pays until you approve it, and it keeps a log of every action.
- Nothing captured behind your back. Mini NOVA takes one screenshot only when you send a question, and our server keeps no screenshot, question or answer.
In a country where people are rightly careful with their data, that has to be the starting point, not an add-on.
Where we’re going
I want NOVA to be the AI company New Zealanders trust most: built here, priced in NZ dollars, honest about what AI can and can’t do, and always asking before it acts. Here’s why businesses choose NOVA.
Guides by Bjorn
- Why choose NOVA
- The best AI for New Zealand businesses
- AI security for New Zealand businesses
- Is ChatGPT safe for New Zealand businesses?
- An AI policy for your NZ business
- How to chase unpaid invoices in NZ
- How to write a quote in NZ, with GST
- What is an AI employee?
- How often is AI wrong?
- All guides for New Zealand businesses
Get in touch
Email admin@deskwithnova.com. Questions about NOVA’s apps come straight to me and the team building them.