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Joe Blundell, chief executive of Nelson-based AI firm Carbon Crop, said on Friday he was pleased the company was among the finalists of the NZ Tech Awards.
The Nelson-based technology company, which helps landowners earn rewards for restoring forests, is “especially proud” to be nominated for the NZ Hi-Tech Awards in the Services category.
Carbon Crop. was shortlisted for 3 of the 14 awards at the event in Christchurch on Friday. Most Innovative High Tech Service, Most Innovative Deep Technology Solution and Startup of the Year.
CEO Joe Blundell said the company, which was founded in Nelson three years ago, will enable landowners across New Zealand to earn more than $20 million this year through the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). He said he has developed a technology platform that can
The company uses remote sensing, artificial intelligence and automation to help landowners measure carbon removed from the atmosphere by forests and quickly assess whether they qualify for ETS, she said.
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Prime Minister Chris Hipkins will be the first prime minister to visit China since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We tell them what you have and how much you can earn.
“And it makes it very easy for landowners who have forests or plant trees on their land to participate in ETS.”
The company measured carbon stocks and ongoing sequestration within forests and recognized that units of carbon could be traded or received by emitters in New Zealand in the future, Blundell said.
Blundell said about 80% of the company’s customers, from farmers to people with disabilities, were regenerating existing old-growth forests.
Planting native trees is preferable to planting “monoculture exotics” like radiata pine, she said.
In parallel with reducing carbon emissions, New Zealand needs to plant more native trees to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, she said.
“Even if we cut emissions to zero, we still need to remove carbon from the atmosphere to meet our climate commitments.”
It is the first time the company has submitted an application for the award and the staff are “delighted” to have been shortlisted in three categories.
She said being nominated for Most Innovative High-Tech Services was special for the company in recognition of “the value we provide to real people who are almost on the margins.” said.
“This is land that could be cleared for grazing or other purposes, and really they’re like, ‘I think I’ll keep this, and here’s how to make some money for it.’ I made a decision.”
Headquartered in Nelson, Carbon Crop also has offices in Christchurch and staff in Hawke’s Bay and Auckland.
The company was born out of the Nelson Artificial Intelligence Lab, “first developing this prototype solution,” and the CarbonCrop founders developed it into a commercial model, Blundell said.
The company wanted to make its technology available to other New Zealand forestry stakeholders, such as consultants, to give landowners direct access to the carbon market.
CarbonCrop is also “enthusiastic” to expand its technology to other countries, Blundell said.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins is scheduled to open the NZ Tech Awards at the Tepee Christchurch Convention Center on Friday evening, before leading a trade delegation to China, said Hamish Williams, media director for the awards. I was planning to go.
According to Williams, the tech industry is responsible for more than $10 billion in exports annually.
