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Gentrack Group, an Auckland-based software developer for utilities and airports, said it has made “significant progress towards several new customer wins” in the US and Australia that will contribute to its fiscal 2019 results.

These are not expected to have a material impact on its fiscal 2018 earnings, with the company forecasting earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of between $30 million and $32 million, though “they will contribute to FY19 results and position Gentrack well for further wins in the US airport and Australian utility markets,” the company said in a statement.

Source:  Scoop

Following the announcement made on 23 April 2018, Precinct Properties New Zealand Limited announced today that it has now entered into a binding agreement with a fund controlled by Invesco for the sale of a 50% interest in ANZ Centre in Auckland for $181 million.

Acquired by Precinct in 1997, ANZ Centre has performed well since it became part of the portfolio generating a property level IRR of 9.0%. Precinct completed a $76 million upgrade in 2013 and remains committed to maintaining this building as one of New Zealand’s premium office towers.

Source:  Precinct

FaceMe believes digital humans are the future of customer service – and the judges at LAUNCH Festival Sydney agree, on Wednesday awarding FaceMe ‘Best in category’ and $100 000 in investment as well as an opportunity to participate in the Launch Incubator programme in San Francisco.

Source: FaceMe

A New Zealand company is aiming to revolutionise the way Hollywood makes movies.

Born out of a need to find a way to share and store video securely and efficiently, Moxion allows film-makers to view and edit footage almost immediately after they have shot it.

​Now living in Los Angeles where he's trying to drum up business for the Auckland-based company he co-founded with Michael Lonsdale in 2015, Hugh Calveley said the two Kiwi film industry veterans had seen how frustrating it was to have to wait for at least a day to see footage captured on-set.

Source: Stuff

Naked Brand Group Inc., an innovative fashion and lifestyle brand, and Bendon Limited, a global leader in intimate apparel and swimwear, announced that they have completed their business combination.

Under the terms of the Merger Agreement, Naked and Bendon became wholly-owned subsidiaries of a newly formed company, Bendon Group Holding Limited, which has been renamed Naked Brand Group Limited (“Holdco”), and exchanged their securities for ordinary shares of Holdco.

Source: Naked Brands

Baxter Healthcare was presented the award for the HDx enabled by Theranova haemodialysis (HD) therapy by James & Wells Partner, Jonathan Lucas at the James & Wells Health Tech Week Gala Dinner.

More than 1700 New Zealanders receive haemodialysis treatment. Patients with end-stage renal disease on haemodialysis are at increased mortality risk compared to the general population.

Conventional haemodialysis is effective at removing small toxins, such as urea, but is ineffective at removing a class of uremic toxins known as large middle molecules. Large middle molecules may affect a range of biological functions, including inflammation, secondary immunodeficiency and cardiovascular (heart disease) risk.

Theranova is an innovative dialyser. It more closely mimics the natural kidney compared with other dialysis membranes. Theranova extends the range of toxins that can be filtered from the blood during haemodialysis for the first time without significant albumin loss. Once these toxins have been effectively removed, the patient is at less risk of infections and hospitalisation.

Source: James & Wells

New Zealand has long been a major agricultural producer, often lampooned by visitors in the past for having more sheep than people. Today, it is dairy and horticulture that dominate Ag and Food exports in excess of US$37B. Moving up the ranks, technology has become the third most important export sector by GDP value at US$11B according to Infometrics and Callaghan Innovation. And the intersection between the two, Agritech, is becoming a hotspot of innovation activity.

Source: LinkedIn

In recent years the Portland area has welcomed an influx of tech companies from New Zealand. Starting with WhereScape in 2009, followed by EROAD in 2014, and now Wipster and AskNicely more recently.

And then there is CoverUS, a company that started in New York and Portland and is expanding to New Zealand.

Source: Portland Business Journal

New Zealand Secret, luxuriously natural and sustainable skincare from New Zealand, has confirmed its appointment as one of the only Australasian beauty brands exhibiting at Discover Beauty, the prestigious curated area of Cosmoprof Worldwide North America (29-31 July 2018), where only the world’s most exclusive and innovative beauty companies showcase their unique brand propositions.

As the only premium Kiwi skincare brand chosen to exhibit at Discover Beauty, New Zealand Secret Founder; Mona Masouminia is extremely proud to be a part of this special exhibition, as she relishes the opportunity to share her anti-aging “secret” with enthusiastic retailers and consumers who share her vision of effective, meaningful and natural skincare, that is also environmentally sustainable.

This prestigious trade show entry demonstrates that the brand is determined to position itself onto the world stage and poised for success, as this appointment comes shortly after New Zealand Secret’s incredibly successful launch in the Singaporean market, and only two months after a lavish vineyard launch in the brand’s home country of New Zealand.

Aiming to host a truly unique experience, New Zealand Secret is excited about showcasing their unique skincare proposition which is based on four precious ingredients from nuclear-free New Zealand; Sustainably Harvested Wakame Seaweed, Premium Kiwifruit Extract, Pure Ancient Spring Water, and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc Extract.

Mona hopes that American women will embrace “New Zealand Secret’s unique blend of functionally bio-active products and discover, like I did, extraordinary skincare that doesn’t compromise on efficacy, safety and on the wellbeing of the planet”, she says.

Cosmoprof Worldwide North America 2018 will take place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel Convention Centre in Las Vegas, Nevada, from Sunday 29 July until Tuesday 31 July.

ENDS

For a full list of products and ingredients, visit New Zealand Secret at:

https://newzealandsecret.com

To view New Zealand Secret’s profile at Cosmoprof North America, log on to:

http://cosmoprofnorthamerica.com/exhibition/special-areas/discover-beauty/

For further information, contact:

Frankie Favero – Marketing and Communications Manager

Mob: +64 21 146 9183

Email: sales@newzealandsecret.com

Agritech New Zealand is delighted to be working with Callaghan Innovation to once again support kiwi agritech businesses wanting to attend the annual Silicon Valley AgTech Immersion Program & Conference. This is the third year that New Zealand will be taking a major delegation of early stage and established agritech professionals to learn more about Silicon Valley’s rapidly expanding agtech innovation & investment space.

Over the past two years, 40+ New Zealand agritech businesses have attending the Program and Conference. Many, including TracMap, Robotics Plus, GPS-it and Autogrow have gone on to establish a formal presence in North America to both grow their own footprint and generate increased export sales for NZ.

Traffic has not been one-way. Investors such as George Kellerman from Silicon Valley-based Yamaha Motor Ventures; Driscoll, the world’s largest producer of berries; and other leading US agribusinesses & venture funds, led by Arama Kukutai of Finistere Ventures, have made the return trip (s) to New Zealand. I myself will be back in San Francisco in 10 days’ time, representing Agritech New Zealand at both the Mixing Bowl Food IT & Forbes Live conferences. Momentum is building as New Zealand’s agritech presence in the Bay area becomes more prominent and visible.

From Monday 27 – Thursday 30 August, the New Zealand delegation will be joining an expected 100 other international delegates for the 3-day immersion program and 1-day conference. Callaghan & Agritech New Zealand have been working with our partners, Silicon Valley Forum, to help build this year’s program. On Friday 31 August, we are planning a New Zealand-only day, where we will discuss the opportunities for closer collaboration with partners from across North America.

The focus of this year’s program is around horticulture and cropping.

It’s great to acknowledge the commitment that the team at Callaghan continue to input into this initiative. The payback to New Zealand is immense, as new opportunities for investment into New Zealand agritech businesses become more apparent, and access to the North American market better supported.

Callaghan has today released more details of the 2018 Immersion Program & Conference. Agritech New Zealand encourages you to view the information here. https://www.callaghaninnovation.govt.nz/news-and-events/silicon-valley-agritech-2018

Agritech New Zealand will be joining the kiwi delegation at its base this year in San Jose. We very much hope that you will join us.

 Peter Wren-Hilton