Medtech-iQ Tāmaki Makaurau and BioTechNZ brought researchers, founders and health leaders together at Auckland Startup Week to explore how emerging technologies could shape the future of everyday health.

A practical look at why Design for Manufacture is critical in medtech, and how early consideration of manufacturing, regulatory and commercial requirements can help innovators reduce risk and successfully scale medical devices

Yaara Yarmut, Chief Regulatory Officer at Alimetry, explains how early planning can reduce redesign, avoid wasted investment and help ensure MedTech products meet user, market and regulatory needs

 Design and manufacturing in Medtech doesn’t always fit neatly within a single industry box. Some of the strongest solutions come from bringing in expertise from other sectors like design and manufacturing.

A medication dosing error in a paediatric emergency can be fatal. Auckland GP Dr Adrian Ng has invented a device to reduce the risk of mistakes and has successfully completed a seed funding round for the next phase of development.

Student R&D Experience Grants and R&D Career Grants are back!

Distinguished Professor Geoff Chase combines engineering, medicine and mentorship to improve healthcare, support emerging researchers and shape the future of medtech in Aotearoa.

Te Tītoki Mataora | MedTech Research Translator and the Auckland Bioengineering Institute are proud to offer paid summer studentship opportunities for ambitious Māori and Pacific students interested in health and medical technologies.

KiwiSaver and investment fund manager Simplicity has announced a $30 million investment commitment to a new Kiwi deep tech and health sciences fund from Bridgewest Ventures.Simplicity, which has over 190,000 members and more than $11 billion in funds under management, has a small portfolio of private market investments.The company has previously invested in Kiwi success stories such as Substack, Halter and Tracksuit through its venture capital strategy.The fund, which is focused on commercialising innovation in biotech, has already invested in 13 local companies, including Masco, BioOra and Zealafoam.This investment brings the total investor commitments for Bridgewest Ventures’ Deep Tech and Health Sciences Fund to $62.7m, with a target fund size of $100m.‍

When Cannulight’s founder was studying dentistry, he noticed a small but important problem – he decided to make it his mission to fix it with a simple-yet-elegant solution.

Auckland’s HeartLab, which uses AI to speed analysis of heart scans, has won a contract for its technology to be used in Australia’s largest cardiology chain.

A Christchurch medtech startup is seeking at least $1.5m to turn University of Canterbury insulin pump research into a commercial device.

A New Zealand medtech startup is preparing to commercialise a world-first wearable drug-delivery platform to help address growing global concerns around long-term adherence to diabetes, obesity, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s treatments. Christchurch-based Zuuka is raising capital to fund prototype development and regulatory submissions for entry into the United States, following a wave of recent FDA clearances extending automated insulin pump therapy to type 2 diabetes - a change expected to bring millions of additional patients into the market for wearable insulin delivery devices.

New funding for a University of Auckland-developed implantable brain pressure sensor brings it a step closer to helping people with a potentially fatal condition, hydrocephalus.

When Christchurch firefighter Eric UfiPoa Taule’ale’ausumai suffered a series of strokes at 32, he suddenly found himself fighting to relearn some of life's most basic functions. The former first responder, who helped during the 2011 Christchurch earthquake and Pike River disaster, spent three months in hospital learning how to walk, talk and swallow again. More than a decade later, he is helping develop technology designed to make that recovery easier for others. Taule’ale’ausumai now works for Christchurch-based medical technology company Swallowing Technologies (SwalTech), which has developed a rehabilitation system aimed at helping people with swallowing difficulties recover from stroke, neurological conditions and other illnesses.

All over New Zealand, hospital theatres go idle because it’s become so time-consuming to match surgeons, skilled staff and equipment. Patients wait. Lists lengthen.

The students entering training today will need to competently supervise AI from their first day of practice. They’ll need sharper clinical reasoning, earlier, than any cohort before them. And it’s arriving at exactly the moment when pipeline pressure is reducing the clinical exposure available to build it. So how does a medical student develop core reasoning skills when the required resources are this stretched?

At the 2026 Velocity Ideas Challenge, Medtech-iQ Tāmaki Makaurau sponsored a prize which was awarded to PulseMap PAD Detector, a project developing a portable device for early detection of peripheral arterial disease using non-invasive vascular screening technology. The concept aims to support earlier identification of disease and improve access to screening.

MARS Bioimaging, a New Zealand–headquartered medical device company, today announced that it has sold a mobile photon-counting CT scanner to Bracco Imaging S.p.A., a global leader in diagnostic imaging, to support its contrast agent and artificial intelligence research.

James Hayes is on the cutting edge of medical technology innovation but he doesn't describe himself as a tech expert. Instead he says he's an educator at heart and so he makes some of his company's software 'open source', meaning it is free for anyone in the world to use. The Christchurch based former physics teacher speaks to Mihingarangi Forbes about how he's helped thousands of midwives through virtual reality and how his latest project will give hospitals another option to use instead of CT scans.

The US is the world’s biggest market for MedTech devices. It represents over 45 per cent of worldwide MedTech revenue as of 2025 while Consulting firm EY says the global MedTech industry topped US$584 billion in 2025. This is the market often referred to as the ‘holy grail’ for New Zealand MedTech innovators heading for commercialisation. But there are some things innovators need to know, which is where Andy Maloy comes in.

We all experience pain differently – and that’s a problem Drs Jo Nunnerley and Dea Dauphinee are trying to solve for women having minor gynaecological procedures.

Goodair has won design awards for its Nosebuds wearable breathing device, and the New Zealand company was also named a finalist in a national start-up category.

The University will play a key role in advancing innovation under a new long-term partnership between central government and Auckland Council.

Your GP orders a blood test. Off you go to a lab testing facility. The results come through and your GP asks to see you to follow-up. Do you live near a lab? What if you live deep in the rural sector? Can you get to a lab before or after work? Do you need time off work? When can you fit in another talk with your GP? Can you afford to pay your GP twice?

MARS Bioimaging, a New Zealand–headquartered medical device company, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its portable photon-counting CT scanner for upper extremity imaging.

A start-up says its AI software can save New Zealand’s health system billions of dollars through better patient management – and address deaths caused by prescription errors, which it puts at “road toll” levels.

A Tauranga-based Māori health technology company is expanding into major international markets following support from the Government’s Māori Development Fund, Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka says.Carepatron, a Māori-led company, has developed an AI-powered clinical support tool integrated into practice management platforms to improve efficiency, accessibility, and scalability for health providers.

What connects a retrofitted 3D printer, a camera and the internet to preventing loss of vision? The answer lies with a group of creative engineering researchers from the University of Auckland, led by Dr Jaspreet Dhupia and Dr Renoh Johnson Chalakkal.

The statistics around stroke in New Zealand make for grim reading, but Bala Nair, senior research programme manager from AUT’s National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neurosciences (NISAN), believes a stroke prevention tool developed by his team can change that.

Edoardo Galli was fit and healthy until a complex chronic illness gave him a shopping list of symptoms and few answers, as tests came back normal and treatments were lacking. Like many people in similar situations, he was left looking for ways to self-manage his health and found one strategy – pacing.

Strong investor demand for Wellumio’s portable brain scan technology drives first close of pre-Series A round, with final allocations available on the same terms WELLINGTON, New Zealand, February 11, 2026 - Wellumio, a New Zealand-based medical technology company developing a portable neuroimaging device for rapid, point-of-care stroke detection, has raised $7.28 million in the first close of its pre-Series A funding round to accelerate key clinical milestones.

It opens up the opportunity for a more wearable next generation for products.

Cutting-edge tools once reserved for astronauts and data scientists are now reshaping rehabilitation for children with cerebral palsy.

The startup is close to securing a strategic US investor that would allow the co-funders to sidestep local VC seed money.

Medtech-iQ Aotearoa, powered by Te Tītoki Mataora | MedTech Research Translator, is inviting researchers, clinicians and start-ups to be part of our delegation to the Digital Health Festival 2026 – a leading industry conference in Melbourne, Australia.

Auckland brain implant start-up Kitea Health has closed an over-subscribed funding round at $13 million, co-founder and chief executive Professor Simon Malpas says. The firm is also on track to begin human trials in the US, following the completion of its first round of human trials, conducted at Auckland Hospital

New Zealand–developed spectral photon-counting CT scanner will open new frontiers in biomedical and materials research at the Center for Advanced Preclinical Imaging (CAPI); open access for Czech-BioImaging and Euro-BioImaging consortium members extends the technology’s impact across Europe

In 2023, we featured Goodair Nosebuds and their path to commercialisation. In September 2025, their first shipment of a thousand units sold out in two days. Inventor Dr David White from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic’s Research Centre says, modestly, of the launch: “It was a good sign”.

McCrae Tech is a global health-technology group founded by Ian McCrae, the entrepreneur behind Orion Health. It brings together three independent companies - Amalga, Indexity, and Orchestral, each advancing healthcare in a unique way.

The government is introducing a national Intellectual Property (IP) management policy that gives more rights to researchers to commercialise their own inventions.‍

The Pacific Data Sovereignty committee and Moana Connect have recently released a report discussing the intersection of AI and Pacific Data Sovereignty. In a project funded by Te Tītoki Mataora | MedTech Research Translator, Pacific data experts, technologists, community and cultural leaders came together for collaborative discussions around the benefits, areas of concern, key priorities, and recommendations.

New Zealand's technology export sector posted record revenues of NZD $20 billion in the financial year 2025, an increase of 9.9% over the previous year. The performance highlights the growing economic importance of technology, cementing the sector as the country's third largest export earner after dairy and tourism.

Auckland has been confirmed to host the 30th Annual Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention Conference 2027 (MICCAI 2027), the world’s leading forum for medical imaging, robotic surgery and image-guided surgery.

An artificial intelligence transcribing tool substantially cuts after-hours administration in hospital emergency departments, but a primary health academic warns it could damage patient trust in the health system.

Looking for new technologies that improve human health? Check out Auckland’s medtech sector.

Inspired by her aunt’s struggle with lymphoedema, Auckland Bioengineering Institute researcher Dr Massi Hesam is developing wearable sensors that could transform treatment for millions.

Aroa Biosurgery has appointed Paul Shearer as a non-executive director, effective Friday October 31. Shearer is an accomplished global healthcare executive with extensive experience in the medical device industry and a proven record of leading international sales growth.

Exciting news out of Wellington, where serial med-tech entrepreneur Dr Ralph Highnam has started a Science, Tech & Innovation weekly newsletter covering all news and events in Wellington - wellyforge.nz

The HealthX team within Health New Zealand is expanding with clinical champions driving implementation on the frontline. The programme aims to deliver monthly roll-outs of digital solutions focused on addressing the five health targets plus mental health pressures.

Ella Guy was researching algorithms for modelling respiratory function for control of mechanical ventilation when doctors told her they had limited lung function data available from patients in between hospital visits.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a rare but highly problematic condition that leaves sufferers in chronic pain with limited treatment options. AUT psychologist Dr Debbie Bean is part of a research group looking at how virtual reality (VR) can be used to help manage chronic pain. The group includes clinical researchers, working clinicians, pain specialists, Māori and Pasifika advisors, VR experts and programmers, and a designer.

Locally founded medical technology startup Toku Eyes has been sold to a subsidiary of Tokyo-listed Topcon Corporation for an undisclosed sum.

A therapy chatbot funded by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is being launched today, as clinicians grapple with the ethics of using artificial intelligence advice in mental healthcare.

Kitea Health’s 'breakthrough' in a US$2 billion market shows the unique role universities perform as engines of innovation by uniting blue-sky thinking, researchers from many disciplines, and industry.

Heidi Health, which bills itself as Australasia’s fastest-growing artificial intelligence healthcare firm, has raised US$65 million ($110m) in a Series B venture capital round that values it at US$465m. The start-up makes an artificial intelligence (AI) scribe that automatically takes notes for a GP, using a microphone on a webcam

Smart devices that use artificial intelligence have enormous potential to treat heart disease and, with strategic investment, New Zealand could be at the forefront.

Dr David White, inventor of Goodair Nosebuds, talks to Tom Raynel about the inspiration behind the idea, and how its applications could go global.

The government is touting an end to more than a decade of confusion over how New Zealand buys medical equipment and devices.

New Zealand has won the right to host the world’s premier conference in medical artificial intelligence imaging and robotics, defeating rival bids from Melbourne and Perth.

New Zealand will have first use of a groundbreaking device that’s set to revolutionise concussion diagnosis for rugby players in the country. The world’s first portable brain scanner – known as the Nurochek headset – will allow head injuries to be detected in just two minutes, delivering an objective test result based on a binary yes or no.

September's edition from the MedTech monster is here. See your monthly dose of news and events from Aoteaora New Zealand's MedTech ecosystem below.

The research landscape has changed dramatically in New Zealand and globally, making partnerships, particularly with industry, critical to delivering community good.

Many of us have had some sort of rehab where we must continue the exercises at home. The physiotherapist shows us what to do and off we go – but are we still doing those exercises correctly at home and are they helping?

The simple act of lifting the foot during walking relies on precise neural signalling, which stroke often disrupts. When Imran Khan Niazi began his PhD, he focused on a problem that affects thousands of stroke survivors: the inability to lift their toes while walking. That early research sparked a career dedicated to finding innovative, non-invasive solutions for neurological rehabilitation.

Auckland Bioengineering Institute researchers will work with the Oden Institute, University of Texas, to develop physics-informed AI computational modelling.

Wellumio is transforming stroke care with portable brain scans to rapidly detect acute stroke that cuts diagnosis time and unlocks treatment in the ‘golden hour’ when every second counts WELLINGTON, New Zealand, September 16, 2025 - Wellumio, a New Zealand-based medical technology company pioneering the future of stroke diagnostics with its portable neuroimaging device, Axana®, for rapid, point-of-care detection of stroke, is seeking investors to accelerate its breakthrough solution. Currently, less than 5% of stroke patients receive treatment within the critical 'golden hour' when the chance of disability free survival is highest – and access to fast, accurate diagnosis tools can significantly improve diagnosis, treatment and outcomes. Wellumio’s Axana scanner brings advanced neuroimaging to the patient’s bedside to detect acute stroke biomarkers - reducing diagnosis time by over 90% and providing critical insights into the severity and extent of stroke-related damage. Wellumio’s Snowball Effect crowdfunding equity investment campaign launched today to give an opportunity to invest alongside existing shareholders including Nuance Capital, Movac, Icehouse Ventures, Cure Kids Ventures, NZ Growth Capital Partners (NZGCP)’s Aspire Seed Fund, Outset Ventures and Booster Innovation Fund.

Wellington company Wellumio is a finalist in this year's KiwiNet Awards which celebrate the union of scientific research with commercial opportunity. Wellumio has created a portable device that can detect strokes at the first point of care e.g. in an ambulance. With an estimated 9500 New Zealanders suffering a stroke every year and tens of millions worldwide, it has the potential to not only improve patient outcomes but to save billions in healthcare costs globally. The first human clinical trial of the device is currently being run at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Co-founder, Dr. Shieak Tzeng explains to Susie how it works and when they hope to get it to market.

A new approach to orthotics and bone scaffolds could mean devices that fit your body, lifestyle, and healing needs – designed down to the smallest detail – is being led by Auckland of University senior lecturer in engineering science and biomedical engineering, Dr Maedeh Amirpour. Dr Amirpour is working to develop personalised supports using biocompatible 3D-printed frameworks combined with body-safe gels.

Māori and Pacific students get hands-on with cutting-edge healthcare technology.

An inhaler delivers medication directly to the lungs when an asthma attack starts but what if there was a way to prevent the attack even starting? That’s what University of Otago Associate Professor Yusuf Cakmak and his colleagues are working on – and it just might be a small wearable device.

Our perception of pressure is subjective. We can’t quantify the pressure we apply to objects around us, nor to our own bodies. Research fellow Dr Massi Hesam, from the Auckland Bioengineering Institute is working on a new approach using her bioengineering skills.

Ai is transforming healthcare, but how do we manage this rapidly evolving environment? Psychologist Associate Professor Rosie Dobson is one of those working to support AI research translation into clinical practice through the establishment of the AI in Health Research Network.

The startup will use the funds to get US regulatory approval for its arterial coupler

This week, AROA's Founder & CEO Brian Ward was a guest on the ASX Briefs podcast, where he spoke about the importance of clinical evidence, our strategic priorities and financial performance. Check out the podcast on Spotify

A tool for fast skin cancer diagnosis is moving closer to commercialisation. Dr. Michél Nieuwoudt is a finalist in research commercialisation awards for a laser-tech tool to detect skin cancer developed by Luminoma, a spin-off from the University of Auckland’s Photon Factory. Nieuwoudt is in the running for the “researcher entrepreneur” award at The Kiwi Innovation Network (KiwiNet) awards to be announced on 22 October.

People over sixty are wanted to hang out with a tiny robot called iRobi and play some games.‍University of Auckland Master of Robotics and Automation Engineering student Zahra Ally is developing a new game to assist people with cognitive decline or early symptoms of dementia, and she needs help. ‍She chats to Jesse.‍

MedTech Explorer - inaugural showcase bringing researchers, innovators and experts to South Auckland community.

Christchurch medical imaging company Mars Bioimaging has appointed Ojas Mahapatra as group chief executive as it seeks to scale up its commercial operations. Mahapatra was formerly the CEO of the hydrogen technology company Fabrum. Mars, founded in 2007, closed a $7.6m initial raise last year. It is currently raising an additional $2.4m to reach its $10m target for its Series A round, led by venture capital company Pacific Channel …‍

A small team of Otago researchers has a bold ambition: to bioprint harvested human stem cells, enabling orthopaedic surgeons to repair damaged bone joints using a patient’s own cells – and that dream is now within reach.

It's an issue that affects one-in-three women - or more than 200 million people worldwide - but isn't widely talked about: urinary incontinence. Dr Jenny Kruger is a researcher in the area of pelvic floor and muscle function and dysfunction in women and has led the Pelvic Floor Research Group at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute since 2011. Hannah Orr has had over 15 years of experience as a pelvic floor physiotherapist. Both of them will be part of a panel discussion being held in Auckland for Women's Health Week that looks at everything from incontinence to prolapse and pelvic pain. They join Susie to talk about moving beyond stigma and what people can do to strengthen their pelvic floor.

The team behind MindKiwi, a pilot programme using mindfulness, pūrākau/traditional Māori stories, and movement for tamariki/children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD,) is now looking at whether the approach can benefit all children with emotion regulation difficulties. ‍

University of Auckland researchers are developing a medical device to help assess hearing loss and deliver compounds and other treatments. Hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear (sensorineural hearing loss) – the most common kind – is a challenge to diagnose and treat. University of Auckland researchers Professor Peter Thorne and Dr Haruna Suzuki-Kerr are on a mission to change that – with the help of a sheep’s skull and technology.

What if pacemakers could last a lifetime, work together, and sit right in the heart? That’s the vision behind a million-dollar research grant.

Sahha.ai, a company enabling seamless integration and analysis of health, wellbeing, and fitness data into digital products, today announced the close of a $1.2 million in new funding to invest into growth (bringing total funding to $4M). The round saw follow on participation from leading investors Supermoon Capital, Aura Ventures and Antler, and new investors include Gandel Invest, Func Ventures, and Cutri Family Office.

Medtech startup HeartLab has raised $2 million in its latest seed round, taking its total funding to around $8m to date.

Auckland University of Technology has launched a world-leading initiative aimed at addressing the long-standing neglect of medical research on female athletes. Through a multi-year collaboration with global healthcare technology company Abbott, the university is tackling critical issues related to concussions and women’s health.

When University of Auckland fourth-year medical student Ronan Payinda saw a patient’s surgery cancelled because they hadn’t stopped eating or adjusted their medications, something clicked.

The Labour Government in the UK has a Kiwi software firm at the heart of its retail crime crackdown. Auckland medtech startup Formus Labs is about to crack the US market open - and be big in Japan. A conference hears that medtech is becoming a multibillion-dollar earner for NZ.

A new tooth-capping technology that will provide better dental care for children is being commercialised by a Dunedin academic. Associate Professor Dr Joanne Choi is planning to spin out a company from the University of Otago and seek seed investment for her Snow Cap Crowns.

Two health tech spin-offs from Auckland University have been recognised at the NZ Hi-Tech Awards. Kitea Health won the Most Innovative Deep Tech Award for its groundbreaking brain pressure monitoring technology, while Toku Eyes won the Most Innovative Hi-Tech Software Solution for its AI-powered product BioAge.

Who knew that the world's only artificial gut manufacturer was based in Auckland? When we found out, we just had to learn more. Garth Sutherland is CEO at The Insides Company and tells Perlina Lau all about prosthetic intestines.

Mike “MOD” O’Donnell is a profession director and chair, and an amateur motorcyclist. He is also an unpaid trustee of the New Zealand HiTech Trust.

AI is transforming New Zealand's healthcare, led by the Auckland Bioengineering Institute. Innovations include Formus Labs' surgical planning and Toku Eyes' retinal diagnostics. Data integrity remains a challenge.

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare earned revenue of more than $2 billion from the sale of its medical devices for the first time.

Do you want to supervise a student on the Manaaki or Niu Tupu pathway this summer? These Māori and Pacific students offer unique insights into research and its community impact for your health technology research project.

From an early age we are taught that sedentary practices require stillness. Whether learning or working, drawing, writing, or making we are told we must first sit still in order to focus. For those neurodiverse, movement can have a calming effect. Recent studies highlight that a range of movement – including fidgeting, stimming, or tapping, is highly effective at helping neurodiverse and people focus, relax, and self-regulate.

A ‘natural’ pacemaker that mimics the heart’s variable rhythm is being trialled in humans for the first time with no adverse effects reported and the promise of improved outcomes.

It's taken 16 years but the company finally has its first paying customer.

Minister for Mental Health and Associate Minister of Health, Matt Doocey will travel to Australia today to attend Digital Health Festival 2025 in Melbourne.