Health tech is now proving to be one of New Zealand's fastest growing tech exports – bringing in billions of dollars.
One company, Chiptech in Christchurch, has already conquered the Australian and UK markets. It's now setting its sights on Europe, to expand the export potential of its digital personal alarms.
The family owned, Ferrymead-based company, has stayed under the radar until now, according to chief executive officer Abby Moore.
"Dad started the business 30 years ago, I've been here 20 and we've been developing solutions throughout that time to keep people safe and well at home," she said.
They're onto their seventh version of personal digital emergency alarms, which have proven popular here, in Australia and the UK.
It accounts for 90% of their business, boosted by an ageing population.
"You can be at home on your own away from family and actually be supported."
Moore added they have a third of the market share in the UK. "We're at about 400,000 connected users today, which is really exciting. When we started the business we were happy with a hundred so really different scale in terms of where we started from."
The next step is moving into Europe, with an office now open in Spain.
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise spokesperson Daniel Taylor said health tech is an "incredibly exciting growth sector for New Zealand".
"The export Health Tech sector represents about four billion dollars annually to New Zealand and the great thing is that number's growing."
The sector is up almost 8% on last year.
Chiptech employs 75 people in New Zealand, 60 in the UK with more in the pipeline as they continue to expand. Moore said "we're really privileged for what we do and the difference we make".
She puts some of their success overseas down to New Zealand's good reputation.
"Kiwi businesses are trusted absolutely, we are very good at getting it right."
Taylor said when it comes to Kiwi health tech, "the future's incredibly bright".
"We continue to innovate and continue to think about the problems the world is facing and the opportunities that creates."
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