NZ Innovation Shines on World Stage
New Zealand’s reputation for world-leading innovation has been significantly burnished in the latest Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Index, which ranks the top 500 tech companies across the region based on triennial revenue growth. Forty Kiwi companies feature on the list, reports the NZ Herald’s Christopher Adams – 16 of which feature in the top 100.
Only China, with 29, had more firms than New Zealand among the elite Asia Pacific tech sector.
“New Zealand has by far the highest representation per capita on the index,” Deloitte said in a statement accompanying the announcement in Hong Kong last week (SUBS: Thursday NZTime).
The top-rated company was BookMe, a Queenstown-based online booking company that was ranked 18th for sales growth of 1359% over three years.
Tech entrepreneur Derek Handley’s Snakk Media, listed on the NZX’s alternative exchange, came in as the 62nd fastest growing with a 486.3% lift in revenue.
Deloitte private partner Stephen Nicholas told Adams the fact that 16% of the index was comprised of local firms showed New Zealand’s innovation sector had moved into the “upper echelon” of the Asia Pacific tech sector.
While the NZX star Xero has been hogging the domestic business headlines, it was ranked just outside the top 100 at 104, with 317.18% growth in sales.
The top ranked company was a Taiwanese communications software firm, China Communications Media Group, which boasted a mind-boggling 26,585% lift over the three-year period.
