Awards Season is upon us! Next week, nominations open for the 2021 New Zealand Excellence in IT Awards, the NZ Open Source Awards nominations opened yesterday, and the finalists for the NZ Hi-Tech Awards were announced at an event simul-cast in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch last night.
After last year’s Hi-Tech and Excellence in IT Awards events were cancelled because of the COVID outbreak, last night was a night to celebrate and also catch up with old faces after a year of relative isolation.
Last year’s Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual winner, Dr Michelle Dickinson, talked about keeping her business, Nanogirl Labs, alive in a time of lockdown. For a company that relies heavily (if not entirely) on in-person events for its revenue, news that travel would be off the cards for some time was quite a blow, but the company pivoted in to digital lessons and online events.
But that only highlighted the digital divide for Michelle, who pointed out that helping introduce people to the tech and science sectors inevitably means engaging with those who don’t have access to devices, who aren’t living a tech savvy life and who have less comfort navigating those waters than those in the room.
Michelle challenged those of us who are involved in making products and services that rely wholly on expensive devices and connectivity and a level of comfort that many people still don’t have.
“Who are we excluding,” she asked.
Host David Downs, chair of the Hi-Tech Trust, said this year saw a record number of finalists.
“This year’s finalists span the full spectrum of the Hi-Tech sector and the country, and the level of innovative tech products and solutions continues to astound us all. It’s awesome to not only see the quality of the entries but also the diversity amongst the entrants, particularly in a year which has been so heavily impacted by Covid.”
The Hi-Tech Awards Gala Dinner will take place on Friday the 28th of May at Spark Arena.
The 2021 Hi-Tech Awards finalists are:
PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year
- Bluelab
- F&P Healthcare
- Link Engine Management
- Pushpay
- Rocket Lab
- Seequent
Pacific Edge Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year
- LawVu
- MacroActive
- Revolution Fibres
- Tradify
- Whip Around
Punakaiki Fund Hi-Tech Start-Up Company of the Year
- FileInvite
- Hectre
- Medsalv
- Moxion
- Rocos
IBM Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual
- Chris Johnson
- Craig Hudson
- Kylie Price
- Laura Bell
- Serge van Dam
- Sir Stephen Tindall
- Carmen Vicelich
Callaghan Innovation Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Hi-Tech Company of the Year
- Agrisea
- Jobloads
- MB Century
- NZ Trade Group
- Weirdly
Duncan Cotterill Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution Award
- asBuilt Digital
- Auror
- Fuel 50
- Landkind
- Parkable
- Rocos
Kiwibank Most Innovative Hi-Tech Service
- chnnl
- Darkscope
- Datamine
Endace Most Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product
- Alimetry
- Dotterel Technologies
- Halter
- Revolution Fibres
- StretchSense
Halo Consulting Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector
- Elevating Aotearoa’s Future
- Humanitix
- Microsoft
- NZ Tech
- Revolution Fibres
NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution
- Halter
- Hectre
- Levno
- Waybeyond
Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever
- Anna Dao
- Anna Spyker
- Georgia Robertson
- Jamie Beaton
- Maria English
Soul Machines Most Innovative Deep Tech Solution
- Alimetry
- Anagenix
- Dotterel Technologies
- Formus Labs
- Revolution Fibres
Auckland Unlimited Most Innovative Hi-Tech Creative Technology Solution
- Alimetry
- Datamine
- Imagr
- Moxion
- Staples VR (Staples Productions)
- Writer’s Toolbox (Advanced Learning Ltd)
Visa Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Public Good
- Custom D
- Impactlab
- Orion Health
- RUSH