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Celebrating our KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Award winners

10 October 2022
Aotearoa New Zealand’s best in research commercialisation have been honoured and three of the seven winners are associated with UniServices.

The KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards winners were announced at a gala on 6 October. 

Professor Cather Simpson of Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland was named Commercialisation Icon, KiwiNet’s highest honour. Alimetry, a University spin-out backed by UniServices, received the Breakthrough Project Award for Gastric Alimetry, its flagship product. Evelyn Body, until recently Director of Commercialisation with UniServices, received the Commercialisation Professional Award.

“Cather, Evelyn and Alimetry are exemplary leaders in bringing ideas to life,” said UniServices Executive Director of Commercialisation Will Charles. “They are richly deserving of these honours for their efforts in advancing science, technology and New Zealand’s economy.”

Image - Cather Simpson
Professor Cather Simpson

The Commercialisation Icon award goes to a champion of New Zealand’s research commercialisation community who has made an outstanding impact in the ecosystem and advanced the commercialisation of publicly funded research within New Zealand.

Simpson, the recipient, is a physicist, chemist and serial entrepreneur who founded the Photon Factory, a University research centre that works to advance the use of light for energy, health and technology. She is also a partner in deep-tech investment company Pacific Channel and has spun out two companies based on Photon Factory research.

 

“Cather, Evelyn and Alimetry are exemplary leaders in bringing ideas to life. They are richly deserving of these honours for their efforts in advancing science, technology and New Zealand’s economy.”

Will Charles, UniServices Executive Director of Commercialisation

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The first of Simpson’s companies, Engender Technologies, developed an affordable and effective technology, based on high-tech microfluidic and photonic chips, to separate X- and Y-chromosome-bearing bull sperm cells to improve efficiency in large animal reproduction. Initially backed by the UniServices-run University of Auckland Inventors’ Fund and Pacific Channel, it was acquired by multi-genetics company CRV International in December 2021.

Simpson’s second company, Orbis Diagnostics, established in 2016 and also backed by the Inventors’ Fund, has developed a ‘lab on a disk’ testing platform that uses its microfluidic platform technology to miniaturise and automate accurate lab testing for use at points of need. Originally designed to time artificial insemination for cows, Orbis pivoted to develop an immunity level test for Covid-19.

 

The Breakthrough Project Award recognises a project that demonstrates best-practice commercialisation of publicly funded research. The winner, Gastric Alimetry, is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal disorders.

The Breakthrough Project Award recognises a project that demonstrates best-practice commercialisation of publicly funded research. The winner, Gastric Alimetry, is a non-invasive diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal disorders. Worn over the stomach as a patient rests after a meal, stretchable electrodes collect data on gastric function and send them to be analysed using advanced algorithms.

Gastric Alimetry, which has obtained CE marking, ISO 13485 accreditation and U.S. FDA approval, has its roots in a PhD project that won a prize in the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Velocity $100K Challenge in the early 2010s. Greg O’Grady, a member of the winning team, kept the idea in mind as he became a surgeon and later a professor of surgery. He co-founded UniServices-backed Alimetry in 2019 and is now CEO.

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Hanie Yee of Alimetry
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Evelyn Body with the Hon Dr Ayesha Verall

The Commercialisation Professional Award recognises a commercialisation professional working within a New Zealand research organisation who has made an outstanding contribution to the commercialisation of publicly funded research. Body, the winner, was for nearly 11 years Director of Commercialisation at UniServices, focusing on biotechnology.

With a background in both science and law, Body is an expert in intellectual property and commercialisation who negotiated some of the largest deals UniServices has been involved in. She also came up with creative solutions such as one that ensured the Māori community working with Nuka, the company founded by University researchers Kiri Dell (Ngati Porou) and Saeid Baroutian, would benefit from the company along with the entrepreneurs and investors.

Body was at UniServices from 2012 until September 2022, when she became general manager of intellectual property at Xero.

In addition to the above-named winners, Alex Risos, a Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland research fellow, was a finalist in the Breakthrough Innovator category of the KiwiNet awards.

Tori McNoe, who is UniServices’ Poutaki Hononga | Commercialisation Development Lead, served as one of the judges. 

Momentum, a student-led investment committee programme created and run by UniServices, awards the Momentum Student Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Matū), which was won by Mrinali Kumar of Massey University. Kumar co-founded Kinda, which makes a cauliflower-based ice cream.

Check out all the 2022 KiwiNet Awards winners
Research Commercialisation Awards