MEDIA RELEASE
Finalists in the New Zealand Innovators Awards 2015 demonstrate that Kiwi innovation is thriving, with a 24 per cent
increase in entries that are of world class standard.
Announced today are the finalists who represent game changing innovation from every corner of the country, with new
products and services from a broad range of industries and business disciplines. Included in the finalists are an
exciting range of entries, from electric farm bikes, dairy free cheese, anti-cancer treatments and free school lunches.
Spoilt for choice with this year’s entries – these are ordinary Kiwi’s doing extra-ordinary things.
New Zealand Innovation Council CEO Louise Webster says the 2015 entrants give a real sense that Kiwi innovation is
moving into the main stream, demonstrating world leading approaches to innovation with many businesses going global from
day one.
In addition to the innovative products and services entered, one of the biggest changes this year was a rise in entrants
focused on making the world a better place. “We saw a new wave of innovative businesses focused on solving social
issues. These organisations are still profit making entities, but are driven by a purpose to help solve the world’s
problems and have a global impact,” says Ms Webster.
Bayer New Zealand Managing Director Holger Detje, says the quality of entrants is impressive. “The aim has always been
to recognise great Kiwi talent and the commercialisation of innovative New Zealand products and services, and the awards
certainly achieve that.”
Other foundation sponsors include the New Zealand Innovation Council and Idealog, as well as category sponsors Alcatel
Lucent, ATEED, AUT University, Chorus, Datamine, James & Wells, 3M, NZTE, Paymark, Real TV, RadioLIVE, Yealands Family Wines, Yellow, All Good Organics and DB.
The winners of the New Zealand Innovators Awards 2015 will be announced at the awards event held at The Cloud, Queens Warf on Wednesday October 21. For more information and to purchase tickets to the awards event, go to www.innovators.org.nz or call 0800 2 INNOVATE
(46668).
The 2015 New Zealand Innovators Awards finalists are:
INNOVATION IN AGRIBUSINESS & ENVIRONMENT
Sponsored by Bayer New Zealand
• Farm Medix – Check-Up Mastitis Diagnostic Tool – Auckland
• FarmIQ System – Wellington
• Fibre-gen - HITMAN PH330 – Canterbury
• Hivemind – Remote Hive Monitoring – Canterbury
• Pastoral Robotics – Nitrate Recovery – Auckland
• Plant and Food Research – Response To Psa – Auckland
• Scott Technology – Lamb Forequarter Cut Automation System – Otago
• Snap Information Technologies – Global Sustainable Fisheries – Nelson
• Supreme Biotechnologies –Nelson
• Terax 2013 - Waste Conversion Technology – Bay Of Plenty
• Ubco – Ubco 2x2 – Bay Of Plenty
INNOVATION IN DESIGN & ENGINEERING
Sponsored by James and Wells
• BBC Technologies – CURO – Waikato
• Bison Group – Bison Weighing Jacks – Otago
• Fletcher Window and Door Systems - Smartfit® – Auckland
• Holmes Solutions – Revolutionising Adventure Recreation – Canterbury
• Magic Mitten – Gro Hush – Auckland
• Methven – Aurajet™ Shower Spray Technology – Auckland
• ogo Technology – ogo – Manawatu-Wanganui
• Revisia – Industrial 3d Innovation – Auckland
• Scion – Woodfibre Dice – Bay Of Plenty
• Tiro Lifesciences – Zero Radiation Breast Screening – Canterbury
• Ubco – Ubco 2x2 – Bay Of Plenty
INNOVATION IN FINANCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Sponsored by Paymark
• Banqer – Wellington
• Harmoney – Peer To Peer Marketplace – Auckland
• Kami – Auckland
• Kowhiri – Auckland
• Montoux – Life Insurance Product Development Application – Wellington
• Semble – Auckland
• Shipit – Auckland
• Westpac – Westpac One – Auckland
INNOVATION IN FOOD & BEVERAGE
Sponsored by Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED)
• Ahi Ka Tonics – Auckland
• BBC Technologies – CURO – Waikato
• Eat My Lunch – Auckland
• Ecostore – Carbon Capture Pak™ - Auckland
• Fonterra Research and Development Centre – Milk Fingerprinting – Manawatu-Wanganui
• Genevieve’s – Long Shelflife Pates – Auckland
• Karma Cola – Auckland
• The Pure Food Co – Texture Modified Meals – Auckland
• Veritide – Food Contamination Screening – Canterbury
• Wine Grenade – Auckland
INNOVATION IN HEALTH & SCIENCE
Sponsored by Chorus
• Aranz Medical – Fastscan Ii – Canterbury
• Confitex – Auckland
• Healthpoint - Nexxt™ - Enabling Best Practice – Auckland
• Kode Biotech – Kode Technology Anti-Cancer Treatment – Auckland
• OpthalmicDocs – oDocs Eye Care – East Coast
• Rhondium – OVC – Bay Of Plenty
• Tiro Lifesciences – Zero Radiation Breast Screening – Canterbury
• University Of Auckland – SPARX – Auckland
INNOVATION IN INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY & CLOUD SOLUTIONS
Sponsored by Alcatel Lucent
• 8i – Wellington
• Eyedentify – Empowering Partnerships To Prevent Crime – Auckland
• FarmIQ System – Wellington
• Kami – Auckland
• ProjectManager.com – Auckland
• Semble – Auckland
• ShipIT – Auckland
• Shuttlerock – Canterbury
• Timely – Otago
• VMob – Intelligent Personalisation Platform – Auckland
• Weirdly – Auckland
• YourDrive – Auckland
INNOVATION IN MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Sponsored by Datamine
• Colenso BBDO/Volkswagen – Reduce Speed Dial – Auckland
• Cookie Time International – Postcard Cookies – Otago
• Eat My Lunch – Auckland
• Karma Cola – Auckland
• Look After Me – Online Accommodation Market Place – Bay Of Plenty
• Network For Learning – Pond – Auckland
• Roholm – Inverse – Bay Of Plenty
• Semble – Auckland
• VMob – Intelligent Personalisation Platform – Auckland
INNOVATION IN MEDIA, MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
Sponsored by RadioLIVE
• 8i – Wellington
• Clip ‘n’ Climb – Canterbury.
• Gap Filler Trust – Gap Filler – Canterbury
• Holmes Solutions – Revolutionising Adventure Recreation – Canterbury
• Kiwa Digital – VoiceQ 2.0 – Auckland
• Shuttlerock – Canterbury
• Stickmen Media – VR Wheelchair Trainer – Canterbury
INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABILITY & CLEANTECH
Sponsored by Yealands Family Wines
• Biobrew - Waikato
• Ecostore – Carbon Capture Pak™ - Auckland
• Fibre-gen – HITMAN PH330 – Canterbury
• Karma Cola – Auckland
• Sorbet – Canterbury
• Sunergise – Auckland
• Terax 2013 – Waste Conversion Technology – Bay Of Plenty
• Ubco – Ubco 2x2 – Bay Of Plenty
• Victoria University of Wellington – Renewing Materials: 3d Printing And Distributed Recycling Disrupting Samoa’s
Plastic Waste Stream – Wellington
• WaterOutlook – Auckland
EMERGING NEW ZEALAND INNOVATOR
Sponsored by Idealog
• 8i – Wellington
• Eyedentify – Empowering Partnerships to Prevent Crime – Auckland
• FarmIQ System – Wellington
• Holmes Solutions – Revolutionising Adventure Recreation – Canterbury
• Kami – Auckland
• Kode Biotech – Kode Technology Anti-Cancer Treatment – Auckland
• Weirdly – Auckland
• YourDrive – Auckland
INNOVATION EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
Sponsored by 3M
• Fibre-gen – HITMAN PH330 – Canterbury
• Fletcher Window and Door Systems - Smartfit® – Auckland
• Fonterra Research and Development Centre – Milk Fingerprinting – Manawatu-Wanganui
• Genevieve’s – Long Shelflife Pates – Auckland
• ogo Technology – ogo – Manawatu-Wanganui
• Scott Technology – Lamb Forequarter Cut Automation System – Otago
• Tiro Lifesciences – Zero Radiation Breast Screening – Canterbury
EXCELLENCE IN SOCIAL INNOVATION
Sponsored by Yellow
• Colenso BBDO/Volkswagen – Reduce Speed Dial – Auckland
• Eat My Lunch – Auckland
• Gap Filler Trust – Gap Filler – Canterbury
• Inspiring Stories – Unleashing The Potential of Young New Zealanders – Wellington
• Nga Rangatahi Toa – Auckland
• OpthalmicDocs – oDocs Eye Care – East Coast
• Rhondium – OVC – Bay Of Plenty
• University of Auckland – SPARX – Auckland
EXPORT INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by New Zealand Trade and Enterpise (NZTE)
• BBC Technologies – CURO – Waikato
• Holmes Solutions – Revolutionising Adventure Recreation – Canterbury
• Karma Cola – Auckland
• Kode Biotech – Kode Technology – Auckland
• Methven – Aurajet™ Shower Spray Technology – Auckland
• OpthalmicDocs – oDocs Eye Care – East Coast
• ProjectManager.com – Auckland
• Snap Information Technologies – Global Sustainable Fisheries – Nelson
• Timely – Otago
• VMob – Intelligent Personalisation Platform – Auckland
MOST INSPIRING INDIVIDUAL
Sponsored by Real TV
• Glenn Martin – Founder Martin Jetpack – Canterbury
• Guy Ryan – Inspiring Stories – Wellington
• Sam Bridgewater – The Pure Food Co – Auckland
• Sheng Chiong Hong – OphthalmicDocs – East Coast
• Steve Henry – Kode Biotech – Auckland
SUSTAINED INNOVATION EXCELLENCE
Sponsored by New Zealand Innovation Council
• Fonterra Research and Development Centre – Milk Fingerprinting – Manawatu-Wanganui
• Methven - Aurajet™ Shower Spray Technology - Auckland
• Scott Technology – Lamb Forequarter Cut Automation System – Otago
YOUNG NEW ZEALAND INNOVATOR
Sponsored by Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
• Alistar Scarfe – Robotics Plus – Bay of Plenty
• Angus Mcleod – The Reverse Report – Taranaki
• Eyedentify Leadership Team – Eyedentify – Auckland
• Jon Taylor – Jet Spark – Nelson
• Kate Shaw – Kaika Energy – Otago
• Lionel Taito-Matamua – Victoria University of Wellington – Wellington
SUPREME NEW ZEALAND INNOVATOR
Sponsored by Bayer New Zealand
• Announced in the 21st October at the awards event
THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Sponsored by Idealog
• Round one (all finalists) voting open 10 – 18 September 2015
• Round two (top six) voting open 22 – 25 September 2015
ENDS
Prepared by the NZ Innovation Council. For more information, contact Anneke Bodde, Publicist on 021828485 or Louise
Webster - CEO, NZ Innovation Council, office: +64 9 636 8269, mobile: +64 21 484 208, email
louise@innovationcouncil.org.nz, website: www.innovationcouncil.org.nz