Fisher and Paykel Healthcare wins Hi-Tech Company of the Year
New Zealand’s tech industry gathered to celebrate their achievements during an unprecedented year at the Hi-Tech Awards on Friday, 28 May 2021. A record 1,100 people attended the hugely popular event at Spark Arena, where Microsoft’s partners and customers were well represented at the podium.
Microsoft customer Fisher & Paykel Healthcare walked away with the biggest award of the night, the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year, for its impressive COVID-19 response, re-engineering its business to deliver vital products such as ventilators to the world.
Partner Seequent was also a finalist for its geological data products, which are helping California monitor water quality and supply, and play a large part in Microsoft’s global commitment to replenish more water than it consumes by 2030.
Rocos took out the Duncan Cotterill Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution Award for its robotics management platform, built on Azure in New Zealand, and used around the world. Fellow Microsoft Partners AsBuilt and Auror were among the other nominees for the award, while Rocos had an especially good night as a nominee for the Punakaiki Fund Hi-Tech Start-Up Company of the Year.
Craig Hudson, Xero Aotearoa’s Managing Director, won the IBM Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual award for his ongoing commitment to promoting mental health and workplace wellbeing conversations while also managing one of New Zealand’s great tech successes. Carmen Vicelich, CEO of property data company Valocity, was also a nominee in the category.
Meanwhile Microsoft’s technology powers LawVu, a software platform for in-house legal teams, which scooped a Highly Commended mention for the Pacific Edge Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year category.
“The Hi-Tech Awards were an amazing opportunity to celebrate Aotearoa’s tech industry’s resilience and innovation over the past year,” says Vanessa Sorenson, Microsoft New Zealand Managing Director. “We’re thrilled to see Microsoft’s Partners and customers so well represented in the honorees. Every award and nomination represent fantastic results for the businesses and people who’ve benefited from these solutions, and it’s been great to see Microsoft technology power truly transformative work across a whole range of sectors, from healthcare to robotics.”
Microsoft New Zealand was itself a nominee for the Halo Consulting Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector Award. NZTech was the winner, a well-deserved win for an organisation which works tirelessly to promote innovation across New Zealand.
Congratulations too to Microsoft Partners Jobloads, nominated for the Callaghan Innovation Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year, and Hectre, nominated for the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution, and all the other winners and nominees on their success.