The 12th annual KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards honours 18 finalists who are transforming scientific discoveries into new technologies, businesses and real-world solutions. These innovations, emerging from outstanding research within New Zealand’s universities, Crown Research Institutes and other research organisations, are driving significant economic and societal benefits for Aotearoa. 

We have finalists in three categories including Breakthrough Project and KCA Commercialisation Rising Star. Find out who these success stories are! Read more on our successful finalists!

UniServices also honours this year’s three Momentum Student Entrepreneur finalists:

• Emma Arvidson – Teiny/ Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury: High protein oat milk powder with impact
• Jean-Luc Ellis – WasteXpert/ Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland: Reducing construction and demolition waste with on-site systems
• Jenny Zhu – LineBuddy/ Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury: Umpiring ball monitoring tech for accurate line calls

UniServices proudly manages Momentum, a national student-led investment committee programme, which provides access to world class advice, connections, and investment opportunities to students and start-ups across New Zealand.

The KiwiNet Awards winners for 2024 will be announced at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland on Wednesday 9 October.

Award Category: KCA Commercialisation Rising Star

Ben Pearson - UniServices
Building connections and collaboration for exceptional outcomes 

Ben Pearson is a powerhouse of commercialisation at Auckland UniServices, renowned for his ability to cultivate and leverage deep relationships with diverse stakeholders, including staff, students, faculty, industry partners, and investors. His creative and strategic approach has led to a substantial increase in idea disclosures and the successful launch of numerous ventures. 

In 2023 alone, Ben's expertise was instrumental in the formation of six new companies—Nurox Hydrothermal, developing hazardous waste disposal technology; GaiaTech, a novel technology to capture waste anaesthetic gases; HEIA, identifying online threats and hate speech with data analytics; PhaseFoam, a revolutionary heat-absorbing material for the food cold chain and building industries; PlatformPi, a collaborative education system that bridges the gap between students, tertiary providers and the technology industry; and Frond Space Systems, offering deployable space technology and mission delivery solutions.  

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Award Category: PwC Breakthrough Project

KITEA HEALTH – Auckland Bioengineering Institute, UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND

University of Auckland spinout Kitea Health is poised to transform the lives of people living with hydrocephalus through a groundbreaking new medical device.  

The technology has been designed to help patients (often children) and their families deal with the uncertainty caused by the high failure rate of the shunts used to manage hydrocephalus, a condition involving fluid buildup in the brain. Traditional shunts have a staggering 50% failure rate within two years, but it’s often unclear if symptoms like headaches and tiredness are due to a failed shunt (and therefore buildup of pressure in the brain), or something more prosaic. This can lead to families making unnecessary hospital visits and is also a burden on the health system. 

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Award Category: AJ Park Commercialisation Impact 

Toku Eyes and University of Auckland

Imagine if your next eye exam could save your life. Toku Eyes’ transformative medical technology could do just that, using artificial intelligence to transform routine eye exams into powerful early detection tools for chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. 

Originating from groundbreaking research at the University of Auckland, Toku’s AI technology was initially designed to identify retinal diseases but revealed an unexpected capability: detecting underlying conditions like diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide. 

Toku's innovative technology analyses retinal scans during regular eye exams, offering a non-invasive and cost-effective method for early detection of chronic diseases. The platform empowers healthcare providers to identify potential health risks before symptoms appear, allowing for timely intervention and potentially life-saving treatments. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) over 80% of high-risk people with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are diagnosed when it’s too late. It estimates USD$175 billion in savings (from an annual cost of $555 billion) from a reduction in CVD events by implementing lifestyle changes. 

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