Rakon takes out Hi-Tech Company of the Decade Award
Rakon triumphed at the 2011 NZ Hi-Tech Awards tonight winning both the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year Award and the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Hi-Tech Company of the Decade Award. The exclusive international judging panel were impressed by all five contenders for the Company of the Decade Award, commenting that, "collectively the companies give great weight to the argument that geography is not destiny - you can build a great global business no matter where you start from". The judges described Rakon as "gutsy and innovative, with an excellent team and spectacular growth", declaring that "Rakon is a company that is truly international in appeal".
The Awards recognise excellence across New Zealand's software, electronics, biotechnology, telecommunications and creative technology industries. The winners this year were announced in front of a record number of attendees in Wellington. Several first time entrants walked away with awards including Mi5 Security, VoucherMob, YikeBike, Foster Moore and RedVespa. The quality of the finalists was so high this year, that judges gave out commendations in two categories; As well as winning the NZMEA Hi-Tech Exporter Over $5milion Award Orion Health was highly commended in the Duncan Cotterill Innovative Hi-Tech Software Product Award behind winner SERKO, while Biomatters was highly commended in the NZX Hi-Tech Emerging Company Award behind Foster Moore.
This year's Awards were judged by a panel of 48 local judges and 11 international judges including Dell founder Michael Dell, Howard Charney, Senior Vice President, Cisco and Gary Hamel, Fellow, World Economic Forum and the Strategic Management Society."It is a testament both to the Awards and the continuing innovation displayed by New Zealand's hi-tech sector that judges of such high calibre continue to want to be involved," says NZ Hi-Tech Trust Chair, Wayne Norrie.
"Despite the challenges many companies have faced this year, both through natural disaster and tight market conditions in the wake of the global recession, all of this year's entrants have demonstrated that New Zealand technology companies are resilient, ambitious, innovative and ready to take their businesses to the rest of the world," says Norrie. The winners of the 2011 NZ Hi-Tech Awards