Auror named NZ’s supreme international business for 2023

Retail crime fighting software firm Auror was the Supreme Winner at last night’s New Zealand International Business Awards 2023, held in Auckland.

The Auckland-based company helps protect more than 35,000 stores globally, working alongside 2,000 enforcement agencies to fight organised retail crime – a US$150 billion problem annually for retailers.

Auror also won the Best Medium Business category of the awards, which were dominated by fast-growing, science and technology-backed companies.

Nutraceutical company SRW Laboratories was among them, named 2023’s Best Emerging Business (the category in which Auror was highly commended in 2021).

Founded by biotechnologist Greg Macpherson, SRW (standing for science, research and wellness) develops healthy-aging supplements based on science-backed natural ingredients.

Macpherson says the three-year-old company has been on “a heck of a journey”, with sales of over $100 million, mostly in China.

“The Chinese consumer has really embraced our brand and product.”

Macpherson says SRW’s “secret sauce” has been partnering with Access Corporate Group, a platform that engages with 10 million Chinese consumers. He explains how when the Chinese government cracked down on the practice of daigou – where people outside of China would buy goods on behalf of others within the country – Access Corporate Group was able to meet new compliance requirements and set up cross-border warehouses to vastly reduce shipping times.  

He says Access Corporate Group was open to new product ideas and brands when it formed a partnership with SRW a couple of years ago, whereas now the group is largely focused on supporting its existing brands and it’s much more difficult to strike up such a deal.  

“Everything is about a little bit of luck and a lot of good management. And we certainly were very, very fortunate to have that timing.”

SRW is supported by a science advisory board whose members come from scientific backgrounds, including cellular health, biochemistry and biotechnology.

Earlier this month the company announced a partnership with AI drug discovery company Insilico Medicine, which will use its AI drug discovery platform to discover natural ingredients that interact with the pathways associated with aging. The identified ingredients will help SRW develop its next generation of products, says Macpherson, which will be available from August 2024.

“It's a big deal because we're basically a little company at the bottom of the world and we have this exclusive partnership with this company who are completely disrupting pharmaceutical discovery,” he says.

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Other technology leaders shine

Carmen Doran, CEO of another biotechnology company, Helius Therapeutics, which is focused on medicinal cannabis R&D, was winner of the Inspiring Women Leaders category. Praised by the judges as “the future of female leaders”, she was recognised for her industry collaboration and ability to unite her team. Doran has been a leader in developing New Zealand’s nascent medicinal cannabis sector, as it taps into the burgeoning international medicinal cannabis market, predicted to reach $60 billion by 2025.

Healthtech firm Alimetry, won the Excellence in Innovation category, recognising the success of its flagship product, Gastric Alimetry. The wearable medical device diagnoses gastric disorders using advanced electronics to monitor stomach movements through the skin, cutting diagnosis time by 90 percent and decreasing care costs by more than 50 percent.

Also enabling good health of a different kind was fellow winner, Tauranga-based health and fitness app The Conqueror, which was recognised for Excellence in Growing Online Sales.

The app, which provides virtual fitness challenges (following the Inca trail, for example, or crossing the English channel) to keep runners, walkers and cyclists motivated, has been used by nearly a million people globally and saw its revenue skyrocket in one year from $2 million to $77 million.

The awards

The annual New Zealand International Business Awards have been run by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and its predecessor organisations, since 1964.

The awards celebrate export success among New Zealand businesses, which collectively generated $83 billion of export earnings in 2022.

There were 50 finalists in this year’s awards with winners across 10 categories, and judges’ convenor David Downs says there was a strong field of contenders.

"This year’s winners are hugely impressive businesses and they show what is possible with hard work, determination and a strong understanding of what buyers and customers offshore are looking for. If you look at what our winners do and what they’ve achieved, they’re all great examples of the potential that exists across our business and export community.

You can see a full list of winners here.

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