A record number of people gathered across Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington today to hear the finalists in the 2019 NZ Hi-Tech Awards announced.
Entries this year have come in from right across the country and this is reflected in the line-up of finalists this year, according to Jen Rutherford, Chair of the Hi-Tech Trust, who says the standard of entries is the highest ever seen in the history of the Awards.
“This year’s finalists span the full spectrum of the hi-tech sector and the country. For 2019 we have made been very conscious on building on the foundations of last year to ensure even greater diversity across our judging panels and amongst the entrants and finalists. it’s awesome to see so many areas of the country represented amongst the finalists with so many ethnic backgrounds and great female led companies coming through. Our industry is truly in great shape,” says Rutherford
Several of the local judges have commented that the quality of the entrants is at an all-time high this year as well as the volume of entries across many categories. They predict that the next phase of judging will prove even more challenging as they select the winners from such a strong pool of finalists.
The local judges are joined by a world class line up of international judges that include Bill Reichert, Pascal Finette, Rohit Shukla, Savannah Peterson, Claudia Batten, Dr Rosie Boswoth, Katherine Corich, Craig Fenton, Axel Boye-Moler, Kristy Traill, Emily Close, Pat Kenealy, Richard Keyse, Nick Lambert, Rosie Bosworth, Armand David, Jane Frankland and Andy Lark.
“We are truly thankful to all our judges both here in New Zealand and around the world who give of their own time to assist us with judging. The Hi-Tech Awards continue to be the New Zealand technology industries most important celebration of success and a wonderful showcase for our innovation and talent. Following a sell-out crowd last year, we fully anticipate the same for the 2019 Gala Dinner, which will be held at the Spark Arena in Auckland on 24 May,” says Rutherford.
The 2019 Hi-Tech Awards finalists are:
PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year
- EROAD
- Link Engine Management
- Movio
- Pushpay
- Serko
- Vend
Coretex Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year
- Auror
- FaceMe
- Fergus Software
- PredictHQ
- Redshield Security
- Robotics Plus
New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF) Hi-Tech Start-Up Company of the Year
- Mint Innovation
- Sharesies
- Techtonus
- Whip Around
IBM Most Inspiring Individual Award
- Peter Beck
- David Hallett
- Craig Hudson
- Victoria MacLennan
- Simon Moutter
- Sam Payton
Callaghan Innovation Maori Hi-Tech Company of the Year
- Augmented Reality Applications
- Emergency Q (Healthcare Applications)
- Robotics Plus
- Takiwa
Duncan Cotterill Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution Award
- eStar
- Kiwi Wealth
- PredictHQ
- Redshield Security
- TradeMe
- Volpara Health Technologies
Kiwibank Hi-Tech Innovative Services Award
- Emergency Q by Healthcare Applications
- HNRY
- PredictHQ
- Serko
- Xero
Endace Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product Award
- Aporo – Robotics Plus
- Bluelab
- Manta5
- Robotic Log Scaler – Robotics Plus
- Taska Prosthetics
Quick Circuit Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector by an Internationally Headquartered Company
- IBM
- MYOB
- Talent International
- Vodafone
NZTE Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Agritech Sector
- Agicom
- Aporo – Robotics Plus
- Bluelab
- Livestock Improvement Corporation
- Robotic Log Scaler – Robotics Plus
Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever
- Jamie Beaton
- Scott Herschberger
- Holly Norton
- Craig Piggott
- John Roy
- Daniel Thomson
ATEED Most Innovative Hi-Tech Creative Technology Solution
- Datacom
- Lazyworm Applications
- My Reflection
- Spalk
Visa Best HiTech Solution for the Public Good
- Collaborate
- The Cacophony Project
- The University of Waikato