After three failed attempts at staging the 2021 AmCham - DHL Express Success & Innovation Awards due to COVID lockdowns, AmCham was able to celebrate some amazing success stories with the USA at an event last night in Auckland.

Despite all the supply chain issues over the last year, exports of goods to the USA were up 8.5% at $7.02 billion and imports were up 22.9% to $6.36 billion.

Exports of technology and services continue to grow with more than half the entries for the awards coming from tech companies.  On top of this we have seen over $17 billion of new US investment in New Zealand in announced in the last year, most of it in the tech sector.

Commenting on the 2021 AmCham-DHL Express Success & Innovation Awards, Mark Foy, Managing Director, New Zealand & Pacific Islands, DHL Express, said “As a leading innovator in the tech industry, Seequent has established itself with successful growth into the USA market. With focus on continuous improvement and market research, it is great to see their success and DHL congratulates them on this award.”

Seequent is a New Zealand success story, having grown from one employee in 2004 to 173 New Zealand staff and a total of 430 globally by mid-2021. The Judges were impressed with the level of technological brilliance and dedication shown by the team of this Christchurch based tech company. 

 The company’s rapid growth culminated in its sale for around NZ$1.5bn to US company, Bentley Systems in 2021.  This sale makes Seequent one of the latest billion dollar “unicorn” to emerge from the New Zealand high tech sector – hopefully a precursor of many more to come. 

The winners were:

Exporter of the Year – under NZ$1m – Auror Ltd

Exporter of the Year – NZ$1m to NZ$10m - TRG Natural Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Exporter of the Year – over NZ$10m – Seequent Ltd

Investor of the Year to or from the US – Bentley Systems Inc, for their investment in Seequent Ltd

Bilateral Service Award with the USA – Media Design School

US Company of the Year – Microsoft New Zealand Ltd          

The AmCham Women’s Chapter Committee of Sarah Weersing (Chair), Jeanne Cheesman, Jo Finer, Katie Sleeman and Cynthia O’Neill won the 2021 AmCham Supporter of the Year award.

In addition to AmCham’s lead awards sponsor DHL-Express, the awards are also supported by ANZ Bank, Ironside McDonald Intellectual Property, media partner The Business and wine supporter Constellation Brands.

At the event AmCham launched the 2022 AmCham-DHL Express Success & Innovation Awards.