Turning trade wars into opportunity

Chen Cui’s path to the world of start-ups did not begin in technology, but under the familiar weight of family expectation.

“Like a lot of kids from Asian families, the default path was medicine,” he shares.

Enrolling at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland on the pre-medical pathway, Cui quickly realised he was heading toward a future that did not fit.

“I realised pretty early that if I kept going, I’d be building a life someone else expected of me, not one I actually wanted.”

Cui decided to complete his health science degree and work in clinical research and trials, drawn to the idea of helping bring new medicines to patients. It was there that he got his first real understanding of the hidden systems that keep global industries moving.

Working at Optimal Clinical Trials, Cui saw how modern healthcare depends on logistics, regulation and international trade.

Samples, devices, and biologics move across borders quickly and precisely. Delays are expensive and directly affect patient outcomes.

“That was the moment trade compliance stopped being an abstract concept and became something with real human stakes,” he says.

Cui had grown up as a tech native and was increasingly convinced that artificial intelligence and digital systems would reshape entire industries. Eager to be a part of this wave, he joined boutique data engineering firm AcumenBI as a project coordinator, learning how enterprise systems and business intelligence worked behind the scenes. After hours, he taught himself coding and data analytics.

Eventually, he launched his own digital consulting business, working with small and medium-sized businesses across New Zealand, Australia and the UK.

Even though the business was growing, Cui could see the pace of automation accelerating.

“I could see the writing on the wall,” he says. “Within a few years, most of what we were doing would be replaced by AI.”

Around that time, he reconnected with childhood friend Sean Yu, who was studying at Imperial College London, and the pair began having long conversations about geopolitics, technology and entrepreneurship.

Those conversations turned into experimentation around an AI administrative assistant for tradies, but hundreds of cold calls revealed little market interest.

The breakthrough came from another conversation with a friend importing wine into the US. As tariffs escalated during rising US–China trade tensions, import costs had surged dramatically.

“He told us he was suddenly paying more than 50 percent in duties compared to what he was used to,” Cui says.

That problem became the foundation for GingerControl, the AI-powered trade compliance platform they launched last year.

GingerControl helps importers and exporters navigate tariffs, customs and trade policy more efficiently at a time when global trade has become increasingly volatile and politically charged.

Even the company’s name came out of those geopolitical conversations. During their early market research, President Donald Trump was regularly being referred to in media commentary as the “orange” or “ginger” man.

“As a bit of a gimmick, we called the company GingerControl until we found something better,” Cui says. They never did.

Advisors occasionally suggested the founders rebrand and choose something safer or more corporate. Instead, they leaned in.

“People kept telling us it was funny, memorable and different from anything else in the space,” Cui says.

The decision reflects something broader about the company itself: a willingness to take risks, stand out and challenge convention in an industry not known for personality.

In March 2026, GingerControl announced a US$2.1 million raise as it expanded further into the US market and built a presence in Austin, Texas (which has one of the highest concentrations of oil and gas import activity).

The journey from health science student to founder has reinforced how the best opportunities are found in places others overlook. GingerControl is operating in one of the world's most complex and politically charged industries, driven by the same curiosity that led Cui away from medicine.

“Two guys from Te Atatū West taking on one of the most overlooked and globally consequential corners of business,” he says. “The bigger and harder the problem, the more interesting it gets.”