Commercialisation Icon Award

KiwiNetAwards Commercialisation Icon

Cather received this award which is the highest honour at the annual KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards ceremony in Auckland on 6 October 2022.

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Commercial Icon Award

This is KiwiNet’s highest honour given to a quintessential champion of New Zealand’s research commercialisation community. This individual has a high level of aspiration for research commercialisation as a catalyst to deliver prosperity for all. This is demonstrated by their unwavering commitment to substantially advancing the cause and activity of commercialisation of publicly funded research within New Zealand. Their body of work has made an outstanding impact on the research commercialisation ecosystem.

Professor Cather Simpson

An inspirational commercialisation leader, advocate, and entrepreneur, driving returns for Aotearoa and empowering the next generation.

Cather Simpson is a physicist and chemist at the University of Auckland. In 2010 she founded the Photon Factory, which has attracted millions of dollars in commercial contracts and acts as a 'high impact' commercial hub. She has also been involved in the formation of two successful startup ventures; Engender Technologies, and Orbis Diagnostics; which have already provided significant returns and impact for Aotearoa. Cather is also a Partner in deep-tech investment company Pacific Channel.

Cather is a supportive and inspirational leader, who is widely respected in the areas of innovation in undergraduate teaching, women in science, and ethics in education and research. In 2015 she co-founded the Science Scholars Program at the University of Auckland, and publicly advocates for diversity in science. Cather continues to be involved with the companies and innovations she has helped develop, while also acting as a mentor and advisor across the deep-tech commercialisation space and raising the external profile of the sector in NZ.