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There were three big winners at the 2024 Hi-Tech Awards, staged in front of a record audience of 1300 at Auckland’s Spark Arena tonight.
Peter Beck’s Rocket Lab was named Company of the Year. The Kiwi-American firm has undergone major expansion recently, including the opening of a new factory in Auckland for its burgeoning satellite and manufacturing and assembly of its much larger Neutron rocket, due for its first test launch next year.
Massey University spinout NovoLabs, a startup piloting new ultraviolet technology for a cheaper, greener way to treat wastewater won three awards across sustainability, hardware and deep-tech categories.
Starboard Maritime Intelligence, an Otago-founded firm that tracks illegal fishing, trans-national crime and biosecurity threats, took honours for startup of the year and most innovative software.
Starboard recently raised $5m as it tools up for AI.
The emerging company gong went to Tracksuit, whose cofounders have billed as themselves as the Mad Men of brand awareness.
Tracksuit’s backers have billed it as NZ’s fastest-growing startup. It certainly had one of the most successful funding rounds, bucking the overall venture capital trend as it raised $22 million at a $151m valuation.
Kara Technologies, which uses AI-powered avatars to provide sign language translation in real-time, won the Spark Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Public Good.
Envico Technologies, whose drone-based technology helps with conservation and biosecurity, was named Kamupene Māori o te Tau (Māori Company of the Year),
Diversity advocate and Heamana Whakahaere chair and Network For Learning director Elle Archer was named the most inspiring individual, while Fibre Fale cofounder Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele and Joshua Parsons, founder of Watchful, a maker of monitoring software for security teams, were the joint young achiever winners.
The Smart Machine Company, which is developing a low-emission, driverless tractor for orchards, won the agritech category.
More than 80 local and international judges contributed to the judging of this year’s awards.
“The continued increase of diversity across the finalists is a reflection of the fact that there is a place in Tech for all New Zealanders,” Hi-Tech Trust chair David Downs said.
2024 NZ Hi-Tech Award winners
ASX Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year
Winner: Tracksuit
Punakaiki Hi-Tech Start-up Company of the Year
Winner: Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Highly Commended: DataMasque
Duncan Cotterill Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution
Winner: Starboard Maritime Intelligence
Highly Commended: Toku Eyes
Braemac Most Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product
Winner: NovoLabs
Kiwibank Most Innovative Hi-Tech Solution for a More Sustainable Future
Winner: NovoLabs
Callaghan Innovation/ Poutama Trust Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year
Winner: Envico Technologies
Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever
Joint Winner: Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele
Joint Winner: Joshua Parsons
NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution
Winner: The Smart Machine Company
Spark Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Public Good
Winner: Kara Technologies
NZX Most Innovative Hi-Tech Creative Technology Solution
Winner: Immortal Camera Systems
PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year
Winner: Rocket Lab
Aware Group Most Innovative Deep Tech Solution
Winner: NovoLabs
Consult Recruitment Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector
Winner: Creative HQ
Datacom Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual
Winner: Elle Archer
Chris Keall is an Auckland-based member of the Herald’s business team. He joined the Herald in 2018 and is the technology editor and a senior business writer.
