Sector: Deep-tech
Invested: June 2020
Co-investors:
UniServices
K1W1
Lindsay Investments
Angel HQ
Nelson Angels
Pacific Channel
Pierre Quenneville (Founder)
Tectonus believes in saving lives and livelihoods.
Their unique technology helps buildings withstand multiple earthquake events, with their seismic devices allowing a building to self-centre back to its original position. Resulting in minimal disruption to owners and occupants - and going beyond the 'life safety' standard specified in the engineering code.
Tectonus is a university spin-out (University of Auckland) and Velocity challenge winner founded in the wake of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Founders Pierre Quenneville and Pouyan Zarnani focused their research efforts to develop a system that would better protect people, places and businesses from structural damage witnessed post seismic event. Buildings would re-centre post event and avoid costly structural repairs and replacement.
With two commercialised categories to date (structural devices and storage tanks devices); serving multi-storey buildings and liquid storage tank markets, Tectonus solutions have been implemented in greenfield projects in New Zealand and Canada including the likes of: Nelson Airport, Lincoln University, Oxford Terrace, Hutt Valley Health Hub, Cathedral College and Fast + Epp HQ building in Vancouver, with more projects yet to be deployed.
Tectonus envision truly resilient cities by significantly improving the performance of earthquake-prone buildings with a long term, damage-free system for new and existing buildings.
Accolades:
- The Asian Entrepreneurship Award 2021 – Grand Winner
- Westpac Awards 2021 - Excellence in Innovation Award Winner
- Hi-tech Awards 2020 – Most Innovative Hi-Tech Hardware Product Award finalist
- Hi-tech Awards 2020 – Most Innovative Deep Tech Solution Award finalist
- Kiwinet Awards 2020 – Baldwins Researcher Entrepreneur Award finalist: Professor Pierre Quenneville and Dr Pouyan Zarnani
- 2020 Westpac Business Awards Excellence in Innovation finalist
- 2019 ANZLF Trans-tasman Innovation & Growth Awards winner
- Hi-tech Awards 2019 – Hi-tech Start-up Company of the Year finalist
- 2018 Westpac Business Awards Excellence in Innovation finalist
- 2017 NZ Innovation Awards finalist - Innovation in Design & Engineering
