CIO

Xero is New Zealand’s Hi-Tech Company of the Year

“It takes continuity of performance over more than a single year to earn this award. The company evidences superb operational efficiency,” says Wayne Norrie, chair of the Hi-Tech Trust.

Wayne Norrie, chair of the NZ Hi-Tech Trust, highlights the high calibre of nominations this year.
Wayne Norrie, chair of the NZ Hi-Tech Trust, highlights the high calibre of nominations this year.
Xero takes the the top prize in the 2015 Hi-Tech Awards - the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year.

“It takes continuity of performance over more than a single year to earn this award,” says Wayne Norrie, chair of the Hi-Tech Trust, as the winners are announced at a gala dinner in Wellington.

“The company evidences superb operational efficiency, planning a new version of its software each week, with 400 releases in 2014,” says Norrie. “Development of new features follows a tried and true winning behaviour: give your customers what they request. Lastly, the open API’s for go-to-market through the accountancy channel is brilliant.”

Another big winner twas Umajin, which won two awards, the Callaghan Innovation Best Technology Solution for the Creative Sector and the Duncan Cotterill Hi-Tech Innovative Software Product category.

The judges remarked, “Umajin has drawn on 20 years engineering, gaming design and app development expertise to create a globally unique platform for designing and publishing beautiful and user friendly apps without requirement for coding. Their editor tool has attracted an impressive list of customers and partners including Intel, IBM and leading global agency group WPP.”

Norrie says there was a record number of entries with over 150 organisations entering this year, many of them for the first time.

“There has been a huge number of entries in the start-up and young achiever categories,” says Norrie. “The New Zealand technology sector is clearly in great shape for the future with so many awesome young companies embarking on their big journey.”

The New Zealand technology sector is clearly in great shape for the future with so many awesome young companies embarking on their big journey.

Wayne Norrie, Hi-Tech Trust,

"The Hi-Tech Awards continues to be New Zealand’s most important industry celebration of success and a wonderful showcase for our technology innovation and talent,” says Norrie. The 2016 awards will be held in Auckland.

The complete list of the 2015 NZ Hi-Tech Award winners are:

Fronde Hi-Tech Young Achiever Award

Winner: Ben O’Brien – CEO and Co-founder of StretchSense

Qual IT Best Technology Solution for the Public Sector Award

Winner: Foster Moore

IBM Most Innovative Initiative Award

Winner: Network for Learning

Highly Commended: The Mind Lab by Unitec

Callaghan Innovation Best Technology Solution for the Creative Sector Award

Winner: Umajin

Duncan Cotterill Innovative Software Product Award

Winner: Umajin

Endace Innovative Hardware Product Award

Winner: Phitek

Highly Commended: SnapitHD

Grow Wellington Innovative Service Product Award

Winner: Straker Translations

NZTE Most Innovative Agritech Product Award

Winner: SnapitHD

UK Trade & Investment Innovative Mobile Technology Award

Winner: Geozone

New Zealand Venture Investment Fund Hi-Tech Start-up Company of the Year

Winner: Mindscape

Highly Commended: Timely

Cisco Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year

Winner: Volpara Solutions

Highly Commended: Totara Learning

PwC NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year Award

Winner: Xero

This year’s line-up of international judges included renowned American business strategist, Gary Hamel; co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak; founder of Massive, Claudia Batten; Director of Engineering for Google in New York, Craig Nevill-Manning; Senior Vice President for Cisco, Howard Charney; Andy Lark; CMO of Xero and Managing Director for IDG Ventures, Pat Kenealy.

A local judging panel of more than 40 joined the international judges, including some of New Zealand’s most successful technologists and entrepreneurs.

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