A NZ Hi-Tech Award is one of the technology sector’s most sought-after accolades. They have been awarded over the years to New Zealand’s most successful high-tech companies, and highest achieving individuals.
The VSI Electronics Excellence Awards were launched in 1994 to reward the success of New Zealand’s growing technology sector and help give the industry a voice. They have since evolved into the NZ Hi-Tech Awards, becoming a platform for all of our technology industries: ICT, electronics, software, biotechnology, creative, telecommunications and digital media.
The Awards programme, administered by the NZ Hi-Tech Trust, promotes the sector as a leading contributor to New Zealand’s economy and export success, and enjoys the support and input of our highly successful technology industries.
The Awards
The NZ Hi-Tech Awards celebrate New Zealand’s most successful high-tech companies and highest achieving individuals. Originally launched in 1994 as the VSI Electronics Excellence Awards, they have since evolved into a platform for recognising the best all of our technology industries: ICT, electronics, software, biotechnology, creative, telecommunications and digital media.
The year-long Awards calendar has several events that showcase and provide networking opportunities for New Zealand technology companies. We hope to put talented Kiwis well and truly in the spotlight, promote our high-tech successes, and extend our profile beyond the technology sector.
Winners include
Companies such as:
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Individuals such as:
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An industry snapshot
The New Zealand technology sector is the fastest growing sector in the country with almost 29,000 companies generating close to $9 billion in revenue.
The hi-tech industry is the third largest export earner in the country, generating over $6.3 billion in export revenue in the 2015-16 financial year.
It comprises of almost 29,000 New Zealand companies across the electronics, software, telecommunications, creative technology and biotechnology sectors.
The industry employs more than 57,000 people and the sector is growing at twice the rate of the economy as a whole. An increasing number of companies are listing on the stock exchange both locally and internationally.
The NZ Hi-Tech Trust
The NZ Hi-Tech Trust was established in 2009 to advance the growth and success of New Zealand's hi-tech industries through an awards and education programme.
All profits generated by the Awards programme are reinvested by the Trust to ensure the continuance of the programme and to benefit the long-term development of the industries it supports.
The current trustees are:
Marian Johnson (Chair)
Marian Johnson is the Chairwoman of Electrify Women Founder Programmes and former CEO of Ministry of Awesome, whose mission is to grow the economy through startup innovation. She led the establishment of Founder Catalyst, NZ's most prolific early-stage startup incubator, Electrify Aotearoa, NZ's first-ever women founders' summit, and Electrify Accelerator, which is NZ's only women founders' accelerator. She is a member of the inaugural NZ Startup Council and Chair of the NZ HiTech Trust.
Owen Gibson
Owen Gibson has recently left a 20 year career with PwC where he has led the relationship with the Hi-Tech Trust and was a leader of the PwC technology sector group. He has spent a career working with technology businesses at all stages, supporting angel investors and investee companies through to working with large and established technology companies. Having been part of the Hi-Tech awards program for 20 years he passionately believes in the value of the ‘Oscar’s of the industry’ and the importance of celebrating success in the industry.
David Downs
In his ‘day job’, David Downs the CEO of New Zealand Story, working to enhance New Zealand’s reputation beyond natural beauty. David has also held various roles at NZTE, in the Services, Customer, and Corporate Services teams. David spent 13 years at Microsoft, in New Zealand and as regional director for South-East Asia, and has set up and run successful businesses of his own.
David is a published author on New Zealand Innovation, with three highly successful books – Silver Linings, No.8 Re-wired, and No.8 Recharged. He’s an ex-comedian, TV and Radio actor, and a genetically modified organism who documented his battle with cancer in the popular column ‘A Mild Touch of the Cancer’ on NZ’s Stuff. David regularly presents and gives talks on his cancer journey, and recently appeared with Phil Keoghan on his web series ‘BUCKiT’ on the power of positive thinking and optimism.
Mike O'Donnell
Mike "MOD" O'Donnell is a professional director, writer and advisor with a focus on where technology, business and consumers meet.
He is chair of Garage Project, deputy chair of both New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and global music company Serato. He is also a director of FinTech PaySauce, Sandfield Technology, Radio New Zealand, Fairway Resolution and www.realestate.co.nz. MOD is an independent weekly business columnist for Stuff Media and host of Television show Start Up.
He was previously Chair of Timely, COO of Trade Me, CRO at vWork, Head of Wholesale Investment at Gareth Morgan Investments and Head of Distribution at AMP Capital Investors.
Sarah Ramsay
Sarah is the CEO and co-owner of United Machinists, which manufactures components and assemblies for Australasia’s leading aerospace, medical, marine, defence, and cinematography companies.
Sarah is an active angel investor, mentor, Chartered Professional Director, a founding Director of regional engineering collective SOREC; and former Chair of Mainland Angel Investors and Startup Dunedin. She is actively involved in industry working groups and committees such as Advanced Manufacturing Aotearoa, Hanga-Aro-Rau, the Workforce Development Council, the New Zealand Defence Industry Association, and Callaghan Innovation’s Industry 4.0 Network.
Sarah founded her first company, Immersion Marketing, at 28, following an early career within the investment banking and commercial property sectors in NZ and Australia.
Brooke Roberts
Brooke Roberts is the co-founder, director and 3EO (co-CEO) of Sharesies and mother of two. At Sharesies, their vision is to give someone with $5 and $5m the same money opportunities. Sharesies is a wealth app with over half a million investors who’ve collectively invested billions of dollars. Sharesies also partners with NZX and ASX listed companies so they can know and communicate to their retail investors, support with capital raises and provide staff share schemes.
Brooke is passionate about creating equal opportunities and business being a force for good—she puts a lot of focus on making sure Sharesies has a positive impact on people, customers, communities, and the environment. Brooke was the co-winner of the 2020 Women of Influence- Business award, alongside co-founder, Sonya Williams. Brooke was also awarded the 2022 NZ Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual and 2022 NZ Services Entrepreneur of the Year, alongside co-founders Sonya and Leighton.
Amber Taylor (Ngāti Mutunga, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Whātua, Te Rarawa, Ngapuhi)
Amber Taylor is Co-Founder and CEO of ARA Journeys, a SaaS and mobile games company that blends the digital world with te taiao and te ao Māori. Inspired by and drawing on mātauranga Māori, ARA’s award-winning games use AR, MR, XR, and AI to promote connection, education, and exploration. Amber is a business mentor with the NZ Business Mentor Association and NZ Tech Women, a Young Business Leaders Initiative member with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs & Trade, and a 2003 Te Hapori Matihiko - Innovator Tipu Award recipient.
Sir Ian Taylor (The Flying Kiwi representative to the Hi-Tech Trust)
Inspired by the changing world around him, Ian Taylor is well known for his huge impact on the technology sector in New Zealand and abroad. He founded Taylormade Media in 1989 and later established Animations Research Ltd - responsible for the international shift in 3D computer graphic technology. Later, Ian and his team partnered with Terrabyte to lead the revolutionary real-time Internet streaming of the America’s Cup, with Ian's 3D Graphics package model.
Ian took out the the Hi-Tech Flying Kiwi Award 2008, was named North and South Magazine’s New Zealander of the Year 2010 and Outstanding Maori Business Leader of the Year 2013. He has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the NZ Computer Society, appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit and won the Creative Sector of the World Class New Zealand Awards.
Frances Valintine CNZM - Founder & CEO, academyEX
Frances Valintine CNZM is a passionate educator and technologist who is dedicated to preparing organisations and individuals for the future of work. For over 25 years, she has been dedicated to shifting education and business practice to develop the capabilities, knowledge and mindset needed to respond to the rapidly changing and technologically advancing world.
A Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her lifetime contribution to education and technology. In 2022, Frances was inducted into the New Zealand Hall of Fame for Women Entrepreneurs and in 2020 Frances received the lifetime award for her Outstanding Contribution to Technology and Business at the CIO Awards. Frances has received the NZ Flying Kiwi Award and was inducted into the New Zealand Hi-Tech Hall of Fame, she has been named one of the top 50 EdTech Educators in the World and the Best Start-Up Leader in Asia Pacific as judged by Steve Wozniak and Sir Richard Branson.
Driven by a strong sense of purpose to support positive growth for Aotearoa, Frances is a selection adviser to EHF (Edmund Hillary Foundation) and the National Expert for the global World Summit Awards. Frances is also a mentor to a number of global female technology leaders, and a Director of On Being Bold, supporting female leaders. Frances is also on the Board of Trustees for the University of Silicon Valley.
Frances is the author of Future You, a book dedicated to shifting perceptions about learning as an adult and promoting the need to stay connected, relevant and informed throughout our life.
Dr Sam Yu
Dr Sam Yu is an entrepreneur with over 20 years' global experience in commercialising technologies and taking innovation from idea to international markets. Inspired early by Sir Paul Callaghan and Prof Alan MacDiarmid, he began his career as a scientist before moving into ventures that bridge research with market-ready solutions, creating high-value products for a knowledge-based NZ economy. Sam has led commercialisation and partnerships across the US and Asia, working with organisations such as the Mayo Clinic, Amgen, MIT, Harvard, University of Queensland and A*Star Singapore. With a PhD in Bio-NanoTech from Canterbury University, he has developed diagnostic and environmental tools, and more recently, sustainable agri-tech applications.
An award-winning innovator, Sam is also active in governance, venture funding and mentoring SMEs, where he helps businesses adopt digital tools, build resilience and grow. He is passionate about supporting New Zealand’s high-tech sector to compete on the global stage and sees the role of the NZ Hi-Tech Trust as a key part of that mission.
Dr Andrew West
Dr Andrew West specialises in investing in and governing or managing high technology start-ups, mainly with a green or bio technology specialisation, including being Managing Director of Synthase Biotech (a life-extending recombinant enzyme), Chairman of Ligar Ltd (high value or polluting molecules and heavy metals extraction technology), Chairman of Aquafortus Technologies Ltd (extremely low energy water and alcohol extraction technology, and zero liquid discharge technology), Chairman of Lanaco Ltd (wool-based air-filtration technology), a director of Bioceta Ltd (anaerobic digestion) and a director of Humble Bee Ltd (natural polymers). He is also a founding General Partner of the Matū Fund that invests in NZ-based high tech start-ups at pre-seed and seed stage.
Andrew is a scientist who holds a PhD in microbial ecology with many international publications. Over 17 years he was Vice-Chancellor of Lincoln University, Chief Executive of AgResearch, founding Executive Chairman of the Tertiary Education Commission, Chief Executive of the NZ Qualifications Authority and Chief Executive of GNS Science. Previously he led the reform of New Zealand’s public science system and then its tertiary education system.
Previous Trustees
- Al Monro
- Alan Crofts
- Andrew Plimmer
- Apenti Eruera Taman
- Bennett Medary
- Brett O'Riley
- Chip Dawson
- Dennis Chapman
- Don Rae
- Dorenda Britten
- Erin Wansbrough
- Helen Shorthouse
- Jane Smallfield
- Jen Rutherford
- Jenny Morel
- John Blackham
- Julia Arnott-Neenee
- Kirsty Godfrey-Billy
- Kjesten Wiig
- Mandy Simpson
- Marion Rogers
- Michelle Sharp
- Neil Butler
- Owen Scott
- Rob Ellis
- Ross Peat
- Sathya Ashok
- Selwyn Feary
- Selwyn Pellett
- Sir Neville Jordan
- Vaughan Fergusson
- Vic Crone
- Wayne Hudson
- Wayne Norrie