New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards Reaches New Highs

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New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards Reaches New Highs

Auckland, 27 March 2013.

A record number of new entrants from companies across New Zealand have 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 and most high profile hi-tech companies. New Zealand technology 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 come to light in the 2013 entries and we look forward to telling their stories this year,” he says.

Several of the judges have commented that this year the quality of the entrants and their entries is at an all time high and 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 international judging line-up includes Apple founder Steve Wozniak, Craig Nevill-Manning, the Director of Engineering for Google in New York, and Howard Charney, Senior Vice President for Cisco.

“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 and these awards continue to be the Hi-Tech industry’s most important celebration of success and a wonderful showcase for our technology innovation and talent,” says Norrie.

Winners in each category will be announced at a black-tie gala dinner to be held at SkyCity in Auckland on 17th May 2013.

The finalists are as follows:

PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year 2013
• Buckley Systems
• Serko
• Xero

Cisco Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year 2013
• EROAD
• GreenButton
• HydroWorks
• Living Cell Technologies

MBIE Science, Skills and Innovation Group Hi-Tech Start up Company of the Year 2013
• BIMstop
• Carnival Labs
• Oritain Global
• RedSeed

New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) Hi-Tech Pre-Commercialisation Company of the Year 2013
• Performance Labs
• Sensagrid
• Solar Bright
• Timely
• Trigger Happy
• Veritide

Duncan Cotterill Innovative Hi-Tech Software Product 2013
• Carnival Labs
• CropLogic
• KlickEx
• Matakina Technology
• Vend
• Wynyard Group

State Government of Victoria, Australia Innovative Hi-Tech Service Product 2013
• KlickEx
• Shapeshifter
• Vend

Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product 2013
• 3i Innovation
• Compac Sorting Equipment
• Fusion Electronics
• ikeGPS

Telecom Business Innovative Hi-Tech Mobile Product 2013
• Carnival Labs
• ikeGPS
• KlickEx
• Mobi2Go

Fronde Hi-Tech Young Achiever 2013
• Robert Bell
• Guy Horrocks
• James Robertson
• Sam Talwar

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Best Contribution to the NZ Hi-Tech Sector from a Multinational Company 2013
• Microsoft
• Navico
• Sprint International

HSBC + NZMEA Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year over $5M 2013
• ARANZ Geo
• Buckley Systems
• Compac Sorting Equipment
• Xero

HSBC + NZMEA Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year $500,000 to $5m 2013
• 3i Innovation
• Carnival Labs
• Vend
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About the NZ Hi-Tech Awards
Now in their 19th 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.

http://www.hitech.org.nz/

ENDS

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