New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards Reaches New Heights

26 March 2014

New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards Reaches New Heights

A record number of entries from a record number of companies across New Zealand has again lifted the bar for this year’s Hi-Tech Awards.

“This year’s finalists range from companies in their infancy through to some of our biggest, most high profile hi-tech companies. New Zealand hi-tech companies have a unique flavour that extends well beyond the realms of traditional ICT. It is great to see such a range of entries across the board and so many companies entering who are just embarking on their big journey,” says Wayne Norrie, Chair of the Hi-Tech Trust.

“Some amazing new companies have made an appearance in the 2014 entries and we look forward to telling their stories this year,” Norrie says.

Several of the judges have commented that the quality of the entrants and their entries is at an all time high this year. The next phase of judging will prove challenging as they select the winners from such a strong pool of finalists.

This year’s twelve- strong line-up of international judges includes renowned American business strategist, Gary Hamel; co-founder of Wildfire, Victoria Ransom; co-founder of Massive, Claudia Batten; Director of Engineering for Google in New York, Craig Nevill-Manning; Senior Vice President for Cisco, Howard Charney and Managing Director for IDG Ventures, Pat Kenealy.

The international judges are joined by a local judging panel of more than forty judges which includes some of the New Zealand’s most successful technologists and entrepreneurs.

“That we are able to attract this calibre of international and local judges is evidence of New Zealand’s growing reputation as a high-tech hotbed. The Hi-Tech Awards continue to be the New Zealand hi-tech industry’s most important celebration of success and a wonderful showcase for our technology innovation and talent,” says Norrie.

This year’s awards not only celebrate the 20th anniversary of the awards, but will also see the return to Christchurch of the Gala Dinner event in May.

“Logistically, it hasn’t been possible to hold the Gala Dinner in Christchurch for a few years so we’re thrilled to be back there this year. Christchurch was the home of the very first H-Tech Awards so it is particularly appropriate to be returning to Christchurch for this, the 20thanniversary celebration of the Awards.” says Norrie.

Winners in each category will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner to be held at Wigram Aircraft Museum, Christchurch on 16th May 2014.

The finalists are as follows:

PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year 2014
• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
• Orion Health
• Serko
• Xero

Cisco Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year 2014
• Aura Infosec
• Dairy Automation
• MarkerMetro
• Movio
• Vend

New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) Hi-Tech Start-Up Company of the Year 2014
• RedSeed
• Smart Water Technology
• StretchSense
• Timely

Callaghan Innovation Hi-Tech Pre-Commercialisation Company of the Year 2014
• Clever Medkits
• Geozone
• Hunter Safety Labs
• Mars Bioimaging
• Mobotech
• Vigil Monitoring

Duncan Cotterill Innovative Hi-Tech Software Product 2014
• Carnival Mobile
• Intranel
• Mindscape
• Orion Health
• VMob
• Wynyard Group

Grow Wellington Hi-Tech Service Product 2014
• Carnival Mobile
• MindScape
• Snapper Services
• Vend
• VMob

Endace Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product 2014
• Dairy Automation
• Delta Strike International
• ikeGPS
• Mars Bioimaging
• Smart Water Technology

UK Trade & Investment Innovative Hi-Tech Mobile Product 2014
• Carnival Mobile
• ikeGPS
• MEA Mobile
• MindScape
• Serato
• VMob

Fronde Hi-Tech Young Achiever 2014
• Scott Barrington (Modlar)
• Reuben Bijl (Smudge Apps)
• Hannah Gray (Xero)
• Guy Horrocks (Carnival Mobile)
• Ben O’Brien (StretchSense)

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Best Contribution to the NZ Hi-Tech Sector by an internationally headquartered Company 2014
• Cisco
• Fujitsu
• Microsoft

NZMEA Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year over $5M 2014
• Orion Health
• Vista Entertainment
• Xero

IBM Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year under $5m 2014
• Animation Research
• Movio
• Snapcomms
• Vend

About the NZ Hi-Tech Awards
Now in their 20th year, the New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards celebrate the success of our producers of goods and services from the software, electronics, telecommunications, mobile, agritech, creative and other high-tech industries. The Awards are run by the NZ Hi-Tech Trust, a not-for-profit organisation aimed at promoting and supporting the wider industry. The Board is comprised of eight trustees: Ross Peat, Bennett Medary and Al Monro in Auckland, Chair Wayne Norrie, Neville Jordan and John Fokerd from Wellington and Christchurch-based trustees Owen Scott and Andrew Plimmer. www.hitech.org.nz

ENDS

© Scoop Media