Orion Health, Vend and Vmob were standout winners in this NZ Hi-Tech awards, all winning two awards each, with Vmob also being singled out for a special commendation in a third category.
Orion Health won the big award of the night, the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year Award for 2014, and also took home the NZMEA Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year Award for companies over $5million.
Winners were presented with their awards at the annual Gala Dinner in Christchurch last night, marking the 20th anniversary of the awards.
Judges commended Orion Health’s performance and future plans: “Orion Health has demonstrated outstanding year-on-year growth, substantial business acumen in a terribly complex and competitive market, and amazing international diversification. It is no small achievement that Orion Health has obtained 49 of the 50 US States as customers. Orion Health is simply a standout example of a New Zealand company that has achieved global presence and financial scale through product and management excellence.”
Vend won the Cisco Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year Award, and, for the second year running, the IBM Hi-Tech Exporter of the Year Award for companies under $5million.
It is no small achievement that Orion Health has obtained 49 of the 50 US States as customers.
NZ Hi-Tech Awards judges
The judges cited Vend’s history of meeting its forecast numbers every time, its mature approach to sales and marketing and how well the product and business story were presented to judges: “With 10,000 customers located in 140 countries, Vend is clearly well on its way. It's also very pleasing to see they have been able to rebuff all approaches to locate offshore which is testament to their determination to remain a Kiwi company.”
Vmob was another big winner, taking both both the Grow Wellington Innovative Service Product Award and the UK Trade & Investment Innovative Mobile Technology Award, and receiving a commendation in the Duncan Cotterill Innovative Software Product Award - which was won by Mindscape.
Guy Horrocks, co-founder of Carnival Mobile - which last year won the Most Innovative Mobile Technology Award - was amongst the winners again, taking away the Fronde Hi-Tech Young Achiever Award.
Wayne Norrie, chair of the NZ Hi-Tech Trust, says given the tough competition across all categories, it was great to see new faces among the winners.
“For these companies to have won against such a stellar line-up of entrants is a great sign for this industry,” he says of the group that includes Delta Strike International, Vigil Monitoring and Smart Water Technology. “It shows the wealth of talent and opportunity that’s out there.”
It shows the wealth of talent and opportunity that’s out there.
Wayne Norrie, NZ Hi-Tech Trust
This year's winners:
Fronde Hi-Tech Young Achiever Award
Winner: Guy Horrocks – Co-founder of Carnival Mobile
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Best Contribution to the New Zealand Hi-Tech Sector by an Internationally Headquartered Company
