Engender Technologies was established to address one of the dairy industry’s most persistent challenges: the ethical and economic impact of unwanted male dairy calves. Drawing on pioneering research from the University of Auckland, Engender developed a patented laser-based sperm-sorting technology that allows farmers to breed for female calves more consistently and at scale. The result is a meaningful shift for animal welfare, farm productivity, and the sustainability of one of New Zealand’s core export industries.

Building a highly specialised team

The science behind Engender brings together some of the most specialised fields in modern research: microfluidics, photonics, biology, and microfabrication. These are disciplines that traditionally sit in separate research environments, each with its own language, priorities, and problem-solving approaches.

To make Engender’s technology commercially viable, these worlds need to work as one.

This means the people behind the science are as critical as the technology itself. Engender requires individuals who are not only experts in their field, but who can collaborate across disciplines, communicate clearly, and thrive in an iterative, research-led environment. Candidates like this are exceptionally rare.

At Onside, we refer to “purple squirrels” - people with deep technical capability and the interpersonal and cultural strengths needed to contribute to a cohesive, high-performing team.

A talent partnership built from the inside 

When we began working with Engender, we knew that recruiting for roles of this complexity couldn’t be done from a distance. Instead of operating as an external service, we embedded ourselves directly with the team - working onsite, in their office and lab environment. Being present meant we could see how the science progressed day to day, how the team communicated, and how knowledge moved across disciplines. It gave us a clear understanding of what technical excellence looked like and what cultural fit really meant for Engender.

As Engender COO, Simon Ashforth, shared:

“They embed themselves as part of the team. Not only do they know what the team needs, and the cultural fit that we're looking for, they actually understand some of the science as well.”

Working this closely allowed us to identify and engage candidates who could strengthen both the science and the culture - not one at the expense of the other. It also reduced friction in the hiring process and enabled faster, clearer decision-making in roles where the talent market is incredibly tight.

Simon puts it simply:

“If we didn’t have Onside working right beside us, everything would be 10, 20, 50 times harder.”

Recruiting the rare talent

Through our partnership, Engender has been able to attract physicists, optical engineers, microfluidics specialists, cell biologists, and interdisciplinary researchers who can problem-solve across boundaries. These are individuals who not only bring deep technical expertise, but who also contribute to the collaborative, research-driven culture that enables Engender’s technology to progress. For us, this is the essence of the work: pairing scientific capability with cultural alignment to build a team that can continue advancing a first-of-its-kind platform.

As Dale Clareburt, Co-Founder of Onside, explains:

“Our job isn’t just to fill roles. It’s to understand how a team works, what enables high performance, and what kind of people will help accelerate the mission. With Engender, we’ve always seen ourselves as part of the journey - not just a service provider alongside it.”

A partnership that evolves with the science

Engender continues to push the boundaries of sustainable breeding innovation, supported by a team with the shared capability, communication, and curiosity to make that progress possible. As the technology evolves, so does the shape of the team — and our role evolves alongside it.

What stays constant is the foundation: genuine breakthroughs happen when the right people are working together, with clarity, trust, and shared purpose.

Looking ahead

The work Engender is doing has global significance, and we’re proud to support that journey by helping to build and strengthen the multidisciplinary team behind it. Not by observing from the outside, but by working alongside the people making the science happen.

If you’re building something complex, ambitious, or deeply technical, and you need a talent partner who knows that progress happens when you have the right people in place, we’d love to talk.

Dale Clareburt - dale.c@onsidenz.co.nz