TINWire Tech News Roundup: 25 June 19

The exuberant momentum in the tech sector continues. In the past fortnight alone, Straker Translations has made another acquisition in Spain, BioLumic received a sizeable government grant to aid in the agriculture of crops, Soul Machines is set to take its avatars into the world of skincare and LanzaTech signs a deal with All Nippon Airways to help power its flights with sustainable aviation fuel.

It astonishes me that there are any voices out there still discounting the success, profitability and future potential of the Kiwi tech sector. If the last month is anything to go by, international investor interest in New Zealand tech companies has never been higher – nor the opportunity so great.

Fieldays – the largest agri event in the Southern Hemisphere – is testament to the vibrancy and potential of the tech sector with some incredible innovations on display. We’ve chosen two to feature in this week’s issue, but you only have to spend a morning wandering around the thousand or so exhibitors to see the sustainability and creativity that’s so evident in the agtech sector right now. It’s truly exciting.

Equally exciting is the recent launch of the Purpose Capital Impact Fund out of Tauranga – another sign that investors are looking for ways to not only make money from their investments, but also to make a difference. An increasing number of people I talk to are wanting to change the way they invest and do business, and as the Fund says, investors want to back innovative solutions to major environmental and social problems. We’ll watch this space with interest.

All the best,
Greg & the TIN Team