Success Stories

In just over a year, Christchurch-based startup Blackmaps Geospatial has rapidly established itself as a leading provider of geospatial solutions within the aviation industry. With a strong focus on innovation and sustainability, Blackmaps is poised to transform the future of aerospace, both in Ōtautahi Christchurch and globally.

A Christchurch Innovation With A Global Following.  CEO Pip Ullrich sat down with us to talk about leading this global business from Ōtautahi Christchurch and where the concept for a giant knitting machine came from.

Christchurch George Khella is on a mission to tackle wildfires using cutting-edge drone technology. His company, Narix FSD, is developing a system of autonomous drones designed to detect and suppress fires before they can spread.

As Executive Chair of Te Ao Matihiko, Elle Archer is committed to integrating Te Ao Māori into the digital sphere and enhancing Māori participation. She says Ōtautahi Christchurch is setting a strong example, with several local tech companies and organisations leading the way.

Health Tech company Streamliners is shining a light on the way Ōtautahi Christchurch can foster global careers while maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

Fabrum is a Christchurch company with a clear mission to precision engineer better outcomes through technological excellence, whilst leaving the lightest footprint possible. Managing Director Christopher Boyle says hydrogen-fuelled transport will be a key indicator of success in that mission, and Christchurch provides the perfect place to achieve it.

The New Zealand superfood going global.

Richard Zhu wanted a location for his large-scale pet food business that met three key criteria: a skilled labour force, access to fresh produce, and an innovative business ecosystem. Ōtautahi Christchurch checked all the boxes.

The B Corp pet food business going global.

KiwiFibre was founded in Christchurch in 2020 by University of Canterbury mates Ben Scales and William Murrell. Frustrated with fibreglass and inspired by the strength of nature from their childhoods building treehouses, they set out to blend nature and engineering to solve global problems.

Link Engine Management is a Christchurch-based global leader in motorsport electronics and performance technology. Link specialise in the development, manufacture and marketing of engine control units (ECUs) built to manage motorsport and powersport vehicles. Chief executive Andy Millard says Christchurch is the perfect place to produce an exceptional product and take it to the world.

When Christchurch-based business MyRaceLab noticed a major gap in the market for motorsport drivers and teams, they set about creating a tool that could turn valuable racing data into consumer-friendly insights. General Manager (Marketing) Andrew Pankhurst says MyRaceLab is working to simplify the numbers and technical data, and provide people with clear information for a better driving experience.

After years perfecting the design of an ultimate single-seat track car, the Rodin FZERO, Rodin Cars was officially established with a full-time engineering workforce near Canterbury’s Mt Lyford ski resort in 2016. CNC Machinist at Rodin Cars, Michael Gartrell says Rodin represents the lifelong vision of founder David Dicker and continues to push new boundaries in the creation of the ultimate track car.

UCM is a student run club at the University of Canterbury designing and creating competition-ready motorcars. Each year they compete with a brand-new car at Formula-SAE Australasia – giving students an exciting entry into the world of motorsport. Team principal Isha Patel says UCM’s close connections to industry accounts for their success, with Christchurch providing the perfect environment for students to flourish.

Christchurch-based environmental initiative MyNativeForest makes climate solutions for businesses simple: fund forests and earn quality carbon credits.

Thoughtfully crafted products, resources, education, and a strong online community for women.

Not everyone is mathematically or statistically inclined or can visualise insights and solutions from static information. OrbViz is working to enable organisations and stakeholders make more informed decisions via easy-to-understand data.

In 2022 the Government developed a new Aerospace Strategy to help build a globally-competitive sector by 2030. Much of that growth is concentrated here Christchurch, due to the city’s geographically advantageous position and thriving aerospace community. We caught up with three innovators making their mark on the industry and encouraging others to join them.

Leaft Foods exists to reduce the environmental impact of food production. Their technology extracts Rubisco, the most plentiful protein on the planet, from green leaves in a form that is highly digestible for people.

With a backward cap, big grin, and impressive facial hair, Vincent Egan is every bit the creative digital entrepreneur that makes up Christchurch’s tech scene. Based in Addington, one of Christchurch’s artsy-industrial neighbourhoods, digital creativity flows thick and fast from the building nicknamed ‘The Promised Land’ in which Māui Studios is based.

Ōtautahi Christchurch’s Seventy Million User Secret.

From historic expeditions to cutting-edge scientific missions, Ōtautahi Christchurch has been a well-forged gateway to Antarctica for more than 120 years, with a flourishing Antarctic Business Network. The trailblazers include Earth Sea Sky (ESS), who recently equipped the Royal New Zealand Navy with a range of clothing to withstand the extreme cold and wind chill on their first resupply mission to Antarctica in 50 years.

Canterbury’s agritech sector is a foodbowl for skills of all shapes and sizes.

Founded in 2004, Christchurch-based business Fabrum has a clear vision — to precision-engineer better outcomes through technological excellence, whilst leaving the lightest footprint possible and providing a pathway for future generations of engineers to continue that mission.

With environmental stewardship becoming an increasingly hot topic and local manufacturers queuing up seeking help, the chemistry whizzes dreamed up a prototype to test drive processing collected waste.

A world-first climbing robot able to climb on stainless steel is taking one of Christchurch’s most successful start ups all over the world in its bid to keep people safe. We spoke to founder James Robertson about why he launched Invert Robotics here.

Ross Milne moved back to Ōtautahi Christchurch after over eight years offshore. Discover what appealed to him about the city and find out what advice he would give others looking to relocate.

After taking part in Startup Weekend in Christchurch in 2017, Sakthi decided to give up his job and jump into the startup world as the founder of JIX Reality.

Our mission is to increase freedom for wheelchair users by connecting and highlighting a global community of Adaptdefiers™ and developing products that help them adapt and defy.

Historically, Christchurch has been the home of outdoors and apparel companies in New Zealand. Beloved for their durable, hard-wearing clothes, Cactus Outdoor has a vision to revitalise the sector and expand local, high-quality manufacturing.

Erica Austin - self-described multi-potentialite - is typical of a large section of the young business population in Ōtautahi Christchurch. She works from a co-working space, often bikes the short distance to work, and talks at length about her positive relationship with the city. “I’m a person who looks for a career that fulfils my multiple passions,” Austin said – something she found in Christchurch.

Scared of needles? A Christchurch start-up has developed a virtual reality form of exposure therapy to address phobias and social anxiety. Footage shot in the region could help people around the world overcome their fears and anxiety.

Banqer helps kids better understand money. It's in more than half of all New Zealand primary schools, has taken root in Australia, and continues to grow. Co-founder Kendall Flutey relocated to Ōtautahi Christchurch after seeing a “big opportunity” in New Zealand’s second largest city.

Webtools know how to move quickly – they’ve grown from two to 40 in six years, and were first off the mark to develop a COVID information app solution for healthcare workers. CEO Brett O’Donnell tells us why Christchurch is the ‘’perfect place to take risks in.’’

Software company Media Suite came to Christchurch for the talent — but the lifestyle is pretty good, too. Managing director George Wills works across the road from where he goes kitesurfing, mountain bikes in the hills and flies gliders around the South Island. Not bad.

When ANZ wanted to open a new contact centre, it chose Christchurch — a city brimming with ‘incredible’ talent. Centre team manager Simon Fox describes Ōtautahi as a place with ‘untapped’ potential and says other big corporates should follow ANZ’s lead and take the ‘leap of faith’.

Christchurch startup aims to plug auto parts data gap.

Reuben Bijl and Toby Vincent are iPhone pioneers. Soon after Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, the Christchurch school friends had built 50 apps for the smart phones.

Precision Chroma founder and CEO Sean Feast is looking to revolutionise the biotech industry with his 3D-printed chromatology columns.

Spare time is something Brianne West doesn’t have much of – “I’m growing a global company, my life isn’t in balance at the moment, but that’s ok,” she said. West heads up Ethique, a Christchurch-based company creating beauty products in bar form including shampoos, moisturisers, scrubs and deodorants. They sell 48 products with more to come in the next 18 months.

Exploring the unrivalled lifestyle in Christchurch: why Adrien Taylor chose to base his design studio, Not Another Studio, here: “I’ve lived in Auckland, Wellington and a few places overseas, and I choose to be here in Christchurch. It’s the best lifestyle I’ve ever had – it’s that simple.”

Together with his whānau, Anton Matthews opened his classy fish and chip shop Fush in 2016. Located in Wigram, 10 minutes from the centre of Ōtautahi Christchurch, Fush has earned a cult following among locals and visitors alike. Forget your “wrapped-in-newspaper” style of grub, this is an exploration of next-level eating.

Emerging ‘bioreactor’ technology could help restore New Zealand’s polluted waterways.

Hemp grown on the Canterbury plains will soon be processed in a Christchurch factory to make everything from packaging to building materials. NZ Yarn, a producer of premium, bespoke wool yarn for use in high-end residential carpets and private jets, is set to become a major player in the burgeoning New Zealand hemp industry.

What does a hotel carved into the bedrock of Shanghai, a tunnel between Finland and Estonia and a hydropower station in Western China all have in common? The answer? Christchurch-based tech company Seequent and their ground-breaking geo science software.

This Canterbury award-winning project has been awarded best animated short at the 2021 LA International Film Festival.

Flip Grater credits a renewed Christchurch with the success of her life as a mum, a musician, an author, and a vegan butcher.

Christchurch company stops medical devices from going to landfill, making them safe for re-use and saving healthcare dollars in the process.

After completing the Innovation Accelerator at Ara Institute of Canterbury (Ara), Kahleea is now working towards getting Trimester Tracker into the commercial market.