Sponsored by Strawberry Sound
MastaPlex Ltd
Otago ingenuity benefits the world
MastaPlex is redefining on-farm diagnostics through science, automation, and smart design.
It has pioneered a system for dealing with bovine mastitis, the main cause of antibiotic over-use.
‘‘Our patented system, Mastatest, is the only on-farm mastitis diagnostic in the world that identifies both the bacteria and its antibiotic sensitivity, then automatically
delivers best-practice treatment advice — with no specialist training required and results in under 24 hours,’’ MastaPlex chief executive Dr Olaf Bork says.
Clinical trials published in peer-reviewed journals have validated it, giving customers the confidence to change their farm practices.
Developed and manufactured in Otago, Mastatest is exported to thousands of dairy farmers and veterinarians in more than 20 countries. The latest version, G3, was launched in June 2024 after real-world trials and customer feedback to provide the optimal user experience.
Significant advancements in customer data analytics and reporting have also been launched, supporting farmers and veterinarians to make data-driven decisions for healthier herds.
MastaPlex is also exploring how Mastatest could be applied to other animal diseases.
The company is committed to nurturing local scientific talent through close ties with the University of Otago.
Chomp
Taking the bite out of food safety management
Chomp has created food safety management software for businesses, including cafés, restaurants, hotels, aged care, and childcare.
‘‘Born in Queenstown with an office in Australia, Chomp replaces outdated paper-based systems with a smart, digital solution that simplifies compliance,’’ marketing manager Jen-Ni Quante says.
‘‘Used daily by busy teams, Chomp helps manage all aspects of food safety compliance, from any device.
‘‘By making food safety management faster, easier, and more accurate, Chomp helps businesses stay compliant, protect their reputation, and run more smoothly.’’
In the past year, Chomp has hired more staff, redesigned its platform, and introduced ChompHQ — a new management dashboard taking food safety management from reactive to
proactive.
The team works closely with chefs, managers, and business operators to make sure Chomp is easier to use than pen and paper, and far more powerful.
‘‘Our impact is real and measurable. Customers save time, have fewer compliance errors, improve audit confidence, and see more engaged teams.’’
Chomp is specific to the demands of the hospitality sector — fast-paced, short-staffed, and constantly juggling priorities.
https://www.chompfoodsafety.com/en-nz/
AbacusBio Ltd
Taking science into the field
‘‘AbacusBio delivers a unique blend of scientific expertise and business intelligence,’’ group managing director Nadia McLean says.
Founded and headquartered in Dunedin, AbacusBio has been driving innovation in genetic improvement since 2001. It now has a team of 50, with offices also in Scotland, Canada, and Australia.
With the goal of growing resources and food for a more sustainable world, the company ‘‘integrates quantitative genetics theory, big data computing, genomics technologies, software development, sociology, farm management, and economics to create the
genetic building blocks of plant and animal industries all over the world’’, chief scientific officer Peter Amer says.
It bridges the gap between research institutions and the industries that put science into practice.
In rural India, women receive tools and training to increase genetic improvement in their animals. In East Africa, food crops and returns to growers are boosted through collaborations.
In advanced economies including New Zealand, genetics and data science enhance growth and sustainability.
AbacusBio’s team includes geneticists, animal, plant, environmental, and data scientists, economists, software developers, project managers, and agribusiness professionals.
Skills from across the world are pooled to customise solutions for each client.
Incredible Software
The name says it all
Incredible AI takes businesses from operational headaches to strategic headspace, turning messy spreadsheets and disconnected tools into streamlined systems that make everyone's lives easier.
‘‘Our typical work is taking something people genuinely hate — scattered inventory tracking, time-consuming sales quoting, disconnected reporting across multiple tools — and replacing it with AI-powered solutions that just work,’’ co-chief executive Stephen Johnson says.
Based in New Zealand, the company works with clients globally.
‘‘We build a lot of solutions with AI, including a phone agent that can be applied to any business context to take calls, understand requests, check availability, book appointments, generate reports, and follow up without a human needed; a tool that can take input from the spoken word, a scribbled note, or a photo of a whiteboard and turn it into a professional report; and a voice-activated app that generates work orders and links them directly to a parts database.
‘‘We get in fast, solve the right problems, and give teams the headspace to focus on what matters.’’
The team has doubled to include fully-remote colleagues in Canada, Ecuador, the United States, and Britain.
