Published on the 29/05/2025 | Written by Heather Wright
Hi-tech, highly diverse and taking on the world…
Mount Maunganui drone maker Syos Aerospace, which recently signed a deal with the British Defence Force, and Optimation’s platform which improves the way officers supervise individuals in the community were among the winners in this year’s New Zealand Hi-Tech Awards.
Syos Aerospace took out the evening’s big award, beating out Crimson Education, Kami, Link Engine Management and Tait Communications to claim Hi-Tech Company of the Year.
“The company has shown that you can build big things in small – and pleasant – places.”
Last month the United Kingdom government announced the Kiwi company, which has a UK manufacturing plant, had won a £30 million (NZ$67.7 million) deal to provide drones to support Ukraine. The company is also reportedly in discussions with the New Zealand Defence Force and other ‘friendly’ countries.
While unmanned aerial vehicles make up the bulk of the Syos’ business, the company, founded in 2021 by Samuel Vye, also has long range uncrewed vessels, helicopters and ground vehicles and is expanding into Australia and the United States with new production sites. Its R&D hub remains in Tauranga.
Its flagship SA200 uncrewed helicopter can carry a 200kg payload and eight-hour flight endurance for rescue, defence and logistics missions.
A panel of international award judges noted that the company has shown that you can build big things in small places, selling its product to government and commercial customers for security, border patrol, surveillance, disaster response, delivery, logistics support, agriculture and environmental monitoring.
“They have made the jump overseas that is critical to getting Kiwi companies to global scale,” the judges noted.
Carrying on the aerospace theme, Rocket Lab founder Sir Peter Beck was named 2025 Flying Kiwi and inducted into the NZ Hi-Tech Hall of Fame for taking his company from a startup some 20 years ago the multi-billion dollar company it is today and helping develop the Kiwi aerospace sector.
This year’s awards saw a record number of entries from over 300 companies covering a diverse range of technologies.
“We’re witnessing an industry that is continuing exceptional growth as well as innovation and matching it with the best in the world,” Hi-tech Trust chair Marian Johnson says.
Optimation Group took out the Spark Public Good Award for its Connect biometric, self-service platform which is being used in New Zealand and Queensland and can result in a 40 percent reduction in paper-based tasks for officers, enabling increased case loads with ‘higher quality engagements’. The company says Connect enhances the connectivity of supervised individuals with their rehabilitation process and transforms the way community corrections officers deliver effective case management.
Wellington professional services automation software startup Projectworks took out the Emerging Company of the Year award. It had a successful US$5 million Series A raise late last year and has expanded into the United States, appointing a US-based CEO, Mark Orttung, in March.
The platform is used by more than 500-midmarket consultancies globally, including Australian customers such as Kiandra and Ackama.
Mindhive Global was one of two companies – alongside The Village Goldsmith – to calim double awards, taking out both the startup and agritech categories.
It’s proprietary vision system detects over 25 types of defects in cowhides ‘within seconds’ combining machine learning, image recognition and industrial hardware ‘in a way that’s both technically robust and commercially viable’ the judges said.
The system has been installed in tanneries in nine countries.
The Village Goldsmith, whose wins came in the most innovative creative technology and Manufacturer of the Year categories, has developed a platform enabling diamonds to ‘float’ in rings, without visible prongs, claws or clasps.
Toku Eyes claimed the Most Innovative Software Solution Award for its CLAiR AI system which analyses retinal photos to identify heart-disease risk while another healthtech company, Kitea Health, took out the Most Innovative Deep Tech Solution award for its wireless sensors which monitor intracranial pressure.
Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year went to Deep Dive Division, a commercial, scientific and robotic diving company.
The full list of winners is:
PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year
Winner: SYOS Aerospace
Xero Hi-Tech Young Achiever
Winner: Luke Campbell (Co-Founder & CEO of VXT)
Spark Best Hi-Tech Solution for the Public Good
Winner: Optimation
Consult Recruitment Best Contribution to the NZ Tech Sector
Winner: Talent RISE
Datacom Hi-Tech Inspiring Individual
Winner: Lee Timutimu
Aware – an HSO Company Most Innovative Deep Tech Solution
Winner: Kitea Health
Poutama Trust Hi-Tech Kamupene Māori o te Tau – Māori Company of the Year
Winner: Deep Dive Division
Tait Communications Flying Kiwi
Recipient: Sir Peter Beck
NZX Most Innovative Hi-Tech Creative Technology Solution
Winner: The Village Goldsmith
Duncan Cotterill Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution
Winner: Toku Eyes
Highly Commended: Carepatron
Braemac Most Innovative Hi-Tech Manufacturer of the Year
Winner: The Village Goldsmith
Kiwibank Most Innovative Hi-Tech Solution for a More Sustainable Future
Winner: Cleanery
NZTE Most Innovative Hi-Tech Agritech Solution
Winner: Mindhive Global
Punakaiki Hi-Tech Start-up Company of the Year
Winner: Mindhive Global
ASX Hi-Tech Emerging Company of the Year
Winner: Projectworks
Highly Commended: Calocurb
