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Dawn Aerospace’s Mark II Aurora unmanned space plane at Glentanner Aerodrome near Aoraki/Mt Cook during test flights in July 2021.
A spaceplane and a company using AI to pre-judge the size and orientation of hip replacements were among the winners at the Hi-Tech Awards, but it was an inventory management software company that took home the top prize.
Cin7 took out the Hi-Tech Company of the Year award, with judges referencing the company’s ability to crack into tough international markets as a deciding factor.
Dawn Aerospace, which this year completed its first rocket-powered spaceplane flights, took out both the hardware and emerging company categories.
A development in the company’s thruster tech was of particular interest to judges.
“The company has developed a propulsion system that uses nitrous gases instead of the more common toxic chemicals, its thrusters are more responsive, and it has an ignition system that has proven reliable and uses less power,” judges said.
The relatively low cost to manufacture had also enabled smaller space startups to compete in the aerospace industry, judges said.
Formus Labs, which recently received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first imaging software of its kind, took out the Software and Deep Tech categories.
Formus makes a tech that allows for 3D-modelling of joint replacements, and judges said a new, potentially groundbreaking soft-tissue analysis technology could enable surgeons to gain greater insight into a patient’s muscle and ligaments before, during, and after surgery.
Cin7 is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider focused on retail inventory organisation.
The judges described Cin7 as “a shining example of how Kiwi companies can win in highly competitive global markets competing against the biggest global software vendors”.
Cin7 was founded 12 years ago by Danny Ing, a refugee immigrant to New Zealand, who reportedly sold his majority stake for over $100 million.
The company now employs more than 350 people across six countries.
New Zealand Hi-Tech Trust chair David Downs said a key theme that came through was how many New Zealand companies were making technology that could scale internationally.
Other Hi-Tech Award winners:
Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever
Winner: Fraser Paine
Spark Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Public Good
Winner: Recycle a Device
IBM Most Inspiring Individual
Winner: Janine Grainger
Tataki Auckland Unlimited Most Innovative Hi-Tech Creative Technology Solution
Winner: Writer’s Toolbox
Callaghan Innovation/Poutama Trust Hi-Tech Māori Company of the Year
Winner: AskNicely
Duncan Cotterill Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution
Winner: Formus Labs
Braemac Most Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product
Winner: Dawn Aerospace
Kiwibank Most Innovative Hi-Tech Service
Winner: Tend Health
Highly Commended: Orion Health
NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution
Winner: Halter
Consult Recruitment Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector
Winner: Digital Future Aotearoa
Punakaiki Fund Hi-Tech Start-up Company of the Year
Winner: Zerojet
ASX Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year
Winner: Dawn Aerospace
Highly Commended: Halter
Soul Machines Most Innovative Deep Tech Solution
Winner: Formus Labs
PwC NZ Hi-Tech Company of the Year Award
Winner: Cin7
Tait Communications Flying Kiwi Award
Recipient: Guy & Sue Haddleton
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