The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) today announced a multi-year agreement between the New Zealand Space Agency and LeoLabs, Inc. to develop the world’s most advanced Space Regulatory and Sustainability Platform. The platform will improve the ability to implement responsible stewardship of space by commercial and public sector space entities. “Our partnership with LeoLabs has allowed us to better understand what’s in space, which is key to upholding our duties as a launching country and ensuring the responsible use of the space environment,” says Dr Peter Crabtree, General Manager Science, Innovation and International. The responsibilities of a launching state include monitoring the satellites launched from it, and making sure that they are complying with the license and rules that permitted the launch. This complex task has been made simpler for the New Zealand Space Agency through a contract with LeoLabs to develop a world-leading Space Regulatory and Sustainability Platform. The cloud-based platform uses data from LeoLabs global radar network, one of which is based in Naseby, to continuously monitor satellites in low Earth orbit. “Our investment and activities in New Zealand, including the Kiwi Space Radar, have been a string of successes, both in terms of supporting the goals of MBIE, but also of projecting New Zealand onto the global stage as a leader in space sustainability,” said Dan Ceperley, CEO and co-Founder of LeoLabs. “We appreciate the opportunity now to take this to another level and operationalize the Space Regulatory and Sustainability Platform. This is truly a model for every other space agency around the world.” Following a pilot phase, the platform is now fully embedded into the operations of the New Zealand Space Agency which can track the position and orbit of individual satellites and where they’re heading, view historical orbit records, obtain reports on changes in a satellite’s orbit and receive alerts when a satellite is not complying with its licensing agreement. The partnership between MBIE and Leolabs was brokered through the Innovative Partnerships programme, and in October 2019 saw LeoLabs unveil their first ‘next-generation’ space radar in Naseby, Central Otago. The phased-array radar tracks small satellites and space debris – the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. “Our partnership with LeoLabs helps put us at the forefront of monitoring satellites and taking a sustainable approach to the use of space. We look forward to continuing to work together in the years ahead,” says Dr Peter Crabtree.
Tauranga legal software startup LawVu has raised $17 million in a Series A round led by New York-based venture capital firm Insight Partners with support from Australia’s AirTree Ventures.
The chunky raise follows the May revelation from founder and CEO Sam Kid that his firm has inked a deal with a giant US social media platform.
LawVu makes cloud-based software for in-house legal teams, helping with tasks such as creating contracts, collaboration and sharing documents. Its platform can work with a range of other software, including Outlook and e-signature service DocuSign.
Kidd and co-founder Tim Boyne got the idea when they were working in and around corporate NZ in the early 2010s; Kidd for a startup that integrated accounting software with IRD’s systems, Boyne as an IT operations manager at a law firm in 2015.
“Often in a big firm, there’s a lot of repetitive legal work, or sometimes the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing,” Kidd said.
The pair thought in-house legal teams needed their own software platform, just as sales people had Salesforce.
AirTree also supported a $2.5m seed this year, which was supported by American VC firm Shashtra Ventures and the Crown-backed NZ Growth Capital Partners – which in turn complemented a $3.8m seed round the same year led by former Russell McVeagh lawyer turned investor Kent Gardner and supported by Icehouse Ventures.
LawVu increased staff numbers from 20 at the start of last year to more than 70. Kidd said that with its new funding, it will end the year with more than 100.
Tauranga City Council became LawVu’s first customer, and something of a test-bed. Dunedin City Council came next, followed by top-tier corporates.
LawVu’s twin raises this year follow big wins across the Tasman where Telstra and Nissan Australia have adopt the company’s software.
In New Zealand, Fonterra, James Hardie and Sky TV are hero customers. PwC and lead-services provider Axiom are partners.
The funds raised this year are earmarked for expansion further into the US and other territories.
LawVu has usually pitched against software companies that are much larger, but also offering on-premise (pre-cloud) ELM (enterprise legal management) software, Kidds says, which can be complicated and require a big implementation team. The Kiwi startup positions itself as a modern, nimble, cloud-age contender.
Kidd said the company would remain headquartered in Tauranga.
In LawVu’s early days, the location was a drawcard. “We were paying Auckland and Wellington salaries in an area with much cheaper housing and a great lifestyle,” he says.
The housing price gap has since narrowed, but “now, remote working is the new normal”, he adds. Recent hires are working from various provincial locations, including Queenstown and Invercargill. “We fly people in when we need to.”
Kidd declined to give a post-money valuation, but a Companies Office update after the $17m raise shows new investor Insight Partners with a 15.5 per cent stake and the topped-up AirTree on 6.3 per cent.
www.nzherald.co.nz
Menlo Park, CA and Auckland, New Zealand - Unimarket, a fast-growing provider of procurement software and services, today announced that it has received a majority growth investment from Accel-KKR, a leading global technology-focused investment firm. Peter Kane, Chief Executive Officer of Unimarket, will continue to lead the company supported by the existing management team.
Founded in 2005 in Auckland, Unimarket provides cloud-based procurement software and services to a number of sectors including higher education, healthcare, government, research and financial services. Its easy-to-use eProcurement solution simplifies and automates the procurement process by connecting an extensive catalog-driven supplier marketplace with purchasing, invoice management, and card payment functions, together in a single cloud platform that is easy for administrators, buyers and suppliers alike. The investment will build on Unimarket’s success by driving product innovation and strategic acquisitions to create more value for its customers across Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
"Since our founding over 15 years ago, Unimarket’s mission has always been to deliver easy-to-use procurement technology that simplifies the procurement process," said Unimarket CEO Peter Kane. "By helping our clients get procurement done right, we empower them to do their best work because they spend less time on procurement and more time on the work that creates value for their organizations. This investment from Accel-KKR, coupled with its expertise in helping software companies grow, will help us pursue that mission with even more momentum and accelerate our ability to scale. We are very excited to embark on our next phase of growth with AKKR."
This investment marks more than 15 equity investments in the ANZ region for Accel-KKR, making the firm one of the fastest-growing software investors in the region. Accel-KKR recently sold Christchurch-based software firm, Seequent to a US based publicly traded company for USD$1.1 billion in enterprise value. Accel-KKR was named the "Investor of the Year" in 2019 for its investment in Seequent by the American Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand. The Silicon Valley-based firm is one of the most active private equity investors in software globally, having closed 300+ software investments and acquisitions in the firm’s twenty-year history.
"We are thrilled to be working with Peter and the Unimarket team. The company has been on our radar for a number of years and has continuously expanded its market leadership position during this time," said Phil Cunningham, Operating Executive at Accel-KKR. "Given our extensive experience investing in procurement and spend management software, we know we can bring material value to Unimarket’s growth strategy. We can’t wait to get started."
Unimarket’s three flagship procurement solutions include:
Unimarket’s clients include ASB, Lumino The Dentists and the University of Otago in New Zealand; NSW Department of Education, University of Tasmania and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia; and Xavier University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Teachers College of Columbia University, and Colgate University in the US.
If there’s one thing we know for sure, COVID-19 has accelerated the pace of digital transformation in companies across New Zealand, and the Cloud has played a critical role in helping organisations build for the future.
Today we’re pleased to share that we’re investing in our cloud infrastructure to provide best-in-class connectivity to Google Cloud customers in New Zealand and Australia.
First, we’re bringing a Dedicated Cloud Interconnectto Auckland this month. This will provide direct physical connections between an organisation’s on-premises network and Google's global network, thereby making it easier for customers to access a range of Google Cloud products and services.
Secondly, we’re launching our Melbourne Cloud region today, our second within ANZ since we launched our Sydney region in 2017. Designed for high availability, the region opens with three zones which enables us to deliver two geographically separated cloud regions to our Kiwi customers to meet IT and business requirements for disaster recovery while maintaining the reliability of their data.
Collectively, these investments will deliver geographically distributed and secure infrastructure to customers across New Zealand, enabling them to take advantage of the cleanest cloud in the industry.
Trade Me talked about their decision to migrate from their on-premise data centers to run on Google Cloud. Paolo Ragone, Chief Technology Officer said, “We moved to Google Cloud to improve the stability and resilience of our infrastructure and become more cloud-native as part of a digital transformation program that keeps the customer at the heart of our business. We welcome Google Cloud’s investment in ANZ and what they present to improve Trade Me’s agility and performance.”
As organisations continue to look to cloud services to drive the digital transformation of their businesses. Google Cloud is here to help businesses become smarter with data, deploy faster, connect more easily with people and customers throughout the globe, and protect everything that matters to their businesses. Our investments in connectivity and cloud infrastructure are a catalyst for this change, and we look forward to seeing how customers and partners grow, innovate, and drive digital transformation forward in the region.
The All Blacks will return to USA for the first time since 2016 when they take on the USA Eagles at FedEx Field in Washington DC on Saturday October 23 in the inaugural 1874 Cup.
The 1874 Cup references the year rugby was first played in the United States, a collegiate match between McGill and Harvard University and celebrates the long and ever-growing history the United States has with the game of rugby. All Blacks Captain Sam Cane said the All Blacks would be looking forward to a “special game” against the USA. “We’ve really loved it every time we have gone there. I know the team is excited about getting to America and particularly going to Washington, DC for the first time. It will be a historic match with a lot of meaning behind it and we hope that the rugby fans there really get behind the game. We can’t wait.” President and chief executive officer of Events DC Gregory A. O’Dell said the opportunity to host the All Blacks in the nation’s capital would be a landmark day for rugby in the USA. “As the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, Events DC is honored to partner with USA Rugby and Left Field Live to bring premier international rugby to DC. “Our region is home to a robust and passionate rugby community at both amateur and professional levels. The opportunity to host the iconic All Blacks for the first time ever in our nation’s capital alongside USA Rugby will showcase Washington, DC as a dynamic, global sports destination to the world.
Washington Football Team President Jason Wright said it would be an honour to host the All Blacks and USA Eagles at FedEx Field. “We could not be happier to host this Test Match at FedExField, as it demonstrates our business vision to attract global sporting events, such as future Rugby World Cup matches, that we know quench the thirst of our diverse and sports-obsessed DMV region. Our organization looks forward to making this a memorable event and supporting a robust week of activity for the global rugby community.” All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster added: “We’re really excited to again be going back to the United States. To go to Washington, DC for a first-ever All Blacks Test there will be exciting for the team. We’ve had a couple of great experiences in the US already, albeit with one bad result against Ireland in 2016. But our game against the USA in 2014 was highly memorable, with real excitement from the crowd and huge interest in the All Blacks. So hopefully it’s another chance to grow the game of rugby there.” The USA Eagles are coming off their first assembly since 2019 and look ahead to a busy season with qualification for the 2023 France Rugby World Cup the major focus alongside Tests against the All Blacks and Ireland on US soil. Ticket pre-sale for the rugby community opens on Wednesday, July 28th. General public on sale opens at 10.00am EST on Friday, July 30th. For tickets visit Ticketmaster.com
Source: https://www.allblacks.com/
Together with New Zealand-based steel framing machinery designer and manufacturer Howick, Massachusetts company Windover Construction are renovating a century-old YMCA building in the US city of Beverly. By way of an Autodesk programme, Windover sought assistance from Howick because of some “unique” challenges, Nate Berg reports for Fast Company.
A laser scan revealed at the outset of the project that nearly every ceiling in the building was slightly uneven, Berg reports. Reframing the walls of the building would require hundreds of different sized studs. Building them on site would be a complicated nightmare, Berg writes.
In collaboration with Howick, Windover fed their laser scan data into an automated steel frame fabrication machine that precisely produced light gauge steel studs and panels for the building.
The machine also added one critical feature. The new studs are able to telescope, shrinking down to more easily transport into and through the tight spaces of the historic building, and then expanding out like a shower curtain rod slotted into place. “It’s really transforming the way we work in existing and old buildings,” Windover Construction vice president Amr Raafat says.
Windover and Howick came together through an Autodesk programme, realising one had technology that could solve the problem of the other.
Original article by Nate Berg, Fast Company, July 5, 2021.
. Fix & Fogg nut butters will be on shelf in all 500 Whole Foods stores across the USA, a rare feat for New Zealand brands.
“We’re thrilled to have partnered with Whole Foods - it’s a first for a New Zealand nut butter company,” said Roman Jewell, who co-founded the company in 2013 with his wife Andrea. “Whole Foods Market has a passion for high-quality, all-natural foods and an excellent track record of sustainability and helping communities, so it’s a perfect fit for Fix & Fogg and our values,” he added.
Whole Foods Market will be heroing Fix & Fogg’s most popular and award-winning US flavours: Everything Butter, Almond Butter with Cashew and Maple, Crunchy Almond Butter and a Whole Foods exclusive: Oaty Nut Butter (Known as Granola Butter in the NZ&AUS market) which recently won a gold medal at the New Zealand Outstanding Food Producer Awards in May 2021.
Fix & Fogg began selling its award-winning nut butters in the United States in 2018 through Amazon.com and quickly grew a die-hard following. They were recently called out as ‘The best nut butter on the planet’ in New York magazine. All products are natural, vegan, Non-GMO and free of palm oil and artificial flavours.
In 2020, Fix & Fogg became the first New Zealand owned food manufacturer to receive B Corp Certification, based on the company’s social and environmental performance. In order to receive this certification, Fix & Fogg was rigorously assessed across five categories: governance, workers, environmental impacts, community engagement and customers. The B Corp Certification doesn’t just attest to the company’s positive influence now, it also commits to Fix & Fogg’s impact in the future.
So where is Fix & Fogg going next? Founder Roman Jewell believes in “being a force for good” and promises to regularly give back to the community. The brand continues to develop new nut butters, all with the same healthy promise—all natural and made using the finest ingredients and no additives, just pure nutty goodness.
https://fixandfogg.com/
Tom Udall, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to New Zealand and to the Independent State of Samoa
Tom Udall has a long and distinguished career in public service. He most recently served two terms as United States Senator from New Mexico (2009-2021) and served five terms as United States Representative from New Mexico’s 3rd Congressional District (1999-2009). While in office, Udall was a notable champion for the environment, for Native Americans, for government and election reform and for resolving international disputes peacefully, if possible. Earlier in his career, Udall was elected twice as Attorney General of New Mexico (1991-1999) and also served as an Assistant United States Attorney. His Senate Committee assignments included the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Committee on Indian Affairs, the Committee on Rules and Administration, the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the International Narcotics Control Caucus. Udall has a B.A. degree from Prescott College, a Bachelor of Law from Cambridge University, and a J.D. from the University of New Mexico.
Source: The White House
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern spoke to US President Joe Biden this morning. The call is ahead of a virtual meeting this weekend at the Apec summit, which will be hosted by New Zealand.
Ardern said she "discussed the forthcoming Apec leaders meeting and the critical importance of working together as a region to navigate out of the Covid-19 pandemic".
The pair of leaders also discussed the "stability of the Indo-Pacific region", which was the topic of a speech Ardern gave earlier in the week.
"The United States and New Zealand share many common values and interests, including a commitment to an open and rules-based Indo-Pacific. "I raised the importance of strengthening the economic architecture in the region post-Covid in order to facilitate greater trade and investment," Ardern said. Ardern said she also discussed " the vaccine roll-out, both domestically and in the Pacific region and both our countries' efforts to ensure vaccine availability".
This reiterated a point made by Ardern in her speech earlier this week, which touched on concerns that not every country has equitable access to vaccines.
"We will not be safe, 'til we are all safe.
"A singular focus on vaccinating our own populations with little regard to others is a recipe for variants, and for possibly undermining the very vaccines we are working so hard to provide "That's one of the reasons we are working with our partners to support vaccine roll-outs to our Pacific neighbours, and others," Ardern told an audience at Te Papa in Wellington. The US announced this week that it will send a shipment of the Moderna vaccine to Fiji which is in the midst of a serious outbreak.
Ardern also thanked Biden for joining the Christchurch Call against online extremist content.
"I thanked the President for the United States joining the Christchurch Call and how their membership has provided momentum to the work to eradicate violent extremist content online," Ardern said.
Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/
EROAD is pleased to announce that it has agreed to acquire 100% of Coretex Limited (“Coretex”), a telematics vertical specialist provider delivering enterprise grade solutions. This is a transformative move, improving EROAD’s position as a vehicle telematics leader and taking a strong step toward its goal of reaching 250,000 units.
“We have always stated that acquisition would be part of our growth strategy to reach our medium- and long-term goals. We have been clear we would seek complementary and proven technology to augment our product range. To accelerate growth, any acquisition target needed to deliver increased capability, improved customer experiences and access to additional market verticals. In Coretex we have found a highly complementary partner which allows us to satisfy these criteria” says Steven Newman, CEO of EROAD.
The combined organisation will have the expertise and scale to deliver the products the market is demanding faster than each working alone. “Once we understood each other’s strengths, the fit was undeniable. For customers, for both company’s employees, and of course, for New Zealand” says Selwyn Pellett, CEO of Coretex.
Both EROAD and Coretex are home grown NZ tech start-ups which have enjoyed sustained success on the global telematics stage. “The fact that both businesses have been focused on the same international markets, but have matured with complementary strengths is incredible” Newman says. “The real winner is NZ tech. We see so many NZ tech start-ups being acquired by international players and jobs going offshore once they reach a certain size. It feels great to be able to reverse that trend for once and lead to industry disruption from this end of the world”.
“So much of how we operate, our pace, our attitude, our DNA is grounded in being Kiwi, even if we have been primarily focused on servicing growth in the North American market” Pellett says. “It’s no secret I have strong views regarding the importance of continuing the growth of NZ’s tech sector, so being able to join forces with another NZ success story feels like the best outcome possible”.
This is bold growth
Once complete, the combined organisation will strengthen is market position as a significant supplier of in-vehicle fleet management solutions and trailer telematics in the North American market. EROAD accelerates its challenger position in Australia, adding key capabilities and customers in civil construction through enterprise fleets. Its New Zealand customers will benefit from faster access to next generation technology not currently available in the local market.
“Coretex excels in thinking through the needs of the customers within the frame of the supply chain. Whether it is temperature control, service verification, contamination detection, location, or fuel performance, Coretex takes an end-to-end approach by industry vertical” Newman says. “Balance this against integration of their next generation hardware into EROAD’s broad regulatory product suite and it creates an advanced market fit.”
Post completion, EROAD will have a base of 190,380 active units across all three markets.
This is smart strategy
EROAD and Coretex have each established themselves on the global telematics stage. “While we operate in the same countries, we have used different strategies”, Newman says. As the market for vehicle telematics continues to expand, these two New Zealand-based technology providers are coming together to expand their opportunities for growth in global telematics.
Combining EROAD’s leadership position and expertise in broadly adopted regulatory telematics solutions with Coretex’s extensive vertical expertise, technology and customer base is a great fit.
“With large customers, you adapt to a key account model for support. And while servicing customers of considerable size isn’t easy, it’s a very different skill to also service a large volume of customers. And that operating model is what we’d need to scale” Pellett says. Whilst both businesses have significant exposure to enterprise clients, this transaction achieves a more balanced customer mix post completion of 52 per cent enterprise and 48 per cent small to medium businesses.
“Part of the beauty of EROAD’s approach is the breadth of application – essentially covering everything a road-reliant fleet needs to meet regulatory requirements with enhanced efficiency” Pellett says.
Post completion, EROAD will be able to realise accelerated and sustained growth in all markets through faster innovation, better product design, and delivery of an exceptional customer experience.
This is a new beginning
EROAD is taking purposeful steps to capture more of the global vehicle telematics market – estimated to grow to $750B by 2030. The joint expertise of Coretex and EROAD will put the combined organisation at the forefront of the industry's digital transformation.
“The future is exciting, I want the pace and process of innovation to continue to flourish through the combined business” says Newman. “We both aspire to create a safer, more sustainable and more productive society through the impact our customers have in the communities they serve. To accomplish this, we will remain dedicated to meeting our customers' needs and delivering products and experiences that deliver positive impacts”.
“We’re putting our technology and industry experience in the hands of exceptional operators with a strong regulatory telematics base, demonstrated success in commercial scaling, and in user experience design. All while staying in New Zealand. The future looks very promising!” says Pellett.
“This growth strategy has great potential for our people, our shareholders and most of all our customers. It creates the opportunity for enormous upside and faster growth. We must make sure we achieve that potential, and to do that we need everyone on board, committed and excited. Our bright future together is going to accelerate at pace” says Newman.
Until approved, we remain separate
The acquisition is expected to complete in H2 FY22, as it is subject to Shareholder, New Zealand Commerce Commission approval and Overseas Investment Office consent. Until the deal is approved in all regions and settlement occurs, EROAD and Coretex remain separate and must continue to operate as they did before the announcement. Both businesses cannot share pricing or jointly market or sell products.
Upon completion, Selwyn Pellett (current Coretex CEO) will join the EROAD Board as an Executive Director. During this time, Selwyn will be an advisor to Steven Newman (who remains EROAD’s CEO) to support the successful integration of the two businesses.
For further information or questions please reach out to your regular EROAD contact directly.
https://www.eroad.co.nz/
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