Syft Technologies Canterbury Emerging Exporer OTY

SYFT TECHNOLOGIES NAMED ‘CANTERBURY EMERGING EXPORTER OF THE YEAR’

Press release, 12-May-05, Syft Technologies Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand: Canterbury’s fastest up-and-coming biotech sensation has garnered yet another industry accolade. At the Christchurch Art Gallery last night Export New Zealand elected Syft Technologies as the Canterbury Emerging Exporter of the Year.

Geoff Peck, Chief Operating Officer of Syft Technologies, is delighted with the Award, especially as it follows close on the heels of the company’s recent $2m export order with the Australian Customs Services.

He says, “Earning this recognition of achievement within weeks of securing our largest multi-unit order to date is a tremendous honour for us all. The timing couldn’t have been better, and is a great pat on the back for our team who have put in the hard graft to get us to where we are today.”

Syft also recognises the considerable investment and financial support from grants and private investors towards research and development, which enabled Syft Technologies to successfully harness the specialised SIFT-MS technique developed at Canterbury University into a versatile analytical instrument called the Voice100.

From a fearsome 4-tonne research-exclusive Goliath to a semi portable instrument the size of a washing machine , the Voice100 is a breakthrough in modern science. It is the first commercially available product in the world that uses the advanced SIFT-MS technique to instantly and accurately detect minute traces of substances (Volatile Organic Compounds) to a few parts per billion.

The instrument represents a significant improvement over existing technology and has many potential applications world wide including: healthcare and medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, indoor air quality, fumigant detection, homeland security, agricultural pest and pathogen contamination and petroleum exploration.

Last year, this special Kiwi innovation won Syft the Precision Most Innovative Product of the Year award at the Westpac New Zealand Hi Tech Awards.

“It has taken huge effort and resources to develop the technology and introduce it to the world market, and we are pleased that we are now beginning to realise the fruits of our labour,” says Geoff. “We still have a lot of work to do, but I believe we are getting there.”

As the winner of the Canterbury Award, Syft is now in competition to be named National Exporter of the Year, against companies from Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and Wellington. Syft hopes to maintain the region’s noble tradition; for the past two years a Canterbury entrant has won the National title.

About Syft Technologies

Syft Technologies is a private enterprise formed out of Canterbury University, New Zealand in 2002 to commercialise SIFT-MS technology (Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry) – a scientific breakthrough previously confined to specialist research labs for identification of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

The company successfully honed the technique into an ingenious device called the Voice100 that can instantly and accurately identify trace level VOCs to a few parts per billion. For more information visit www.syft.com.

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Editors Please Note:

Syft Technologies wishes that the Voice100 instrument is not referred to as either a ‘sniffer’ or ‘sniffer technology’ as this terminology is misleading and incorrect. However, we also understand that many readers may have difficulty in understanding our technology, so if necessary we prefer that you use the words ‘super nose’ to describe our Voice100 instrument. For example: “Syft Technologies’ super nose, called the Voice100, can analyse air at the push of a button to detect tiny amounts of compounds down to single digit parts per billion.”

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