Kiwi changes to KODE

Kiwi changes to KODE

Biotechnology company Kiwi Ingenuity Limited has changed its name to KODE Biotech Limited to increase its global profile and better reflect its business.

KODE Biotech is one of AUT University’s partner institutions. In this mutually beneficial relationship, AUT offers KODE Biotech infrastructural support while the university’s PhD students have the opportunity to apply their academic skills in a commercial environment.

A leader in biotechnology innovation, KODE Biotech’s name comes from KODE™ technology, the company’s technology platform.

KODE Biotech’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Bradley says while the name Kiwi Ingenuity Limited was instantly recognisable and identifiable to New Zealanders, it the new name has more relevance for North American and European collaborators.

“By referring to KODE™ technology in our name, we hope to build on the already strong recognition with our current licence partners and increase its profile worldwide,” he says.

KODE™ technology has been actively researched over the last ten years, particularly with applications in diagnostic medicine and assisted reproduction technology.

“We are optimistic the name change will help us with the commercialisation process,” says Peter Bradley.

KODE Biotech recently received a Technology for Business Growth grant of $988,000 from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

This grant is aimed at projects that move companies towards high added value, high-margin, technology-based products.

“This money will be used to further the development and commercialisation of our KODE-FEM, KODE-PA technologies and some experimental immunological applications that may deliver outstanding therapeutic outcomes in some difficult areas of medicine,” says Peter Bradley.

Professor Stephen Henry, the previous CEO, has taken on the role of Chief Scientific Officer for KODE Biotech and remains Director of AUT’s Biotechnology Research Institute. This change was instigated by Prof Henry to allow him more time for research.

Peter Bradley has worked for the company for two and half years as a consultant and has over 20 years experience in biomedical science and business.

“I am excited about this position at KODE Biotech and New Zealand’s biotech industry in general,” he says. “Biotechnology is predicted to overtake IT in the next 20 years as the world’s biggest industry.”

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