IMAGR Imagine a world where supermarket shopping carts recognise products being placed inside them, eliminating the check-out process and removing long waiting lines. Enter IMAGR, a company set up by Aucklander William Chomley, which has just secured Sage Technologies as a cornerstone investor for its retail product SMARTCART…offering artificial intelligence in action and hoping to revolutionise the shopping experience for consumers and retailers alike. Working in real-time using computer vision technology, SMARTCART recognises products as they enter a supermarket cart – removing the need for traditional barcode scanning and the checkout process. The company’s goal: to achieve a 100% user-adoption at three of the world’s leading retailers by 2022. “We’re passionate about delivering the world’s best consumer experiences through image processing and artificial intelligence. Our goal is to give retailers innovative solutions for efficiency, and with the support of Sage Technologies, we are now able to progress much more quickly towards rolling out our product ABSOLUTE ANGUS Pedigree beef producer Absolute Angus owners Sean and Jodi Brosnahan always had a good feeling about their East Cape beef, but never had tangible proof of excellence before their win as supreme champions in the inaugural Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards. Sean, a 4th generation farmer, developed the herd over 21 years, and now boasts one of only half a dozen pure New Zealand angus herds left in New Zealand. Working with butcher 30 ANNUAL DIRECTORY 2018 BELLEND BREWERY - OAKURA What do you get when you cross a doctor, two engineers and some pale ale? The answer in Rain in the Face, a young Taranaki craft beer first created as a home brew hobby in the seaside town of Oakura. Charlie Brown (the doctor), Joe Emans (the first engineer) and Ben Tarrant (the second engineer) won silver in the Pale ale category at the 2017 Brewers Guild of New Zealand awards, and say they are “stoked” with the win. Bellend Brewery is operated from a basement and has experimented with seven different varieties of beer, producing around 100 litres of beer a month that is sold at the local supermarket, bottle store and bars. The demand is so strong, the trio hardly gets a chance to enjoy their brew, and plans are fixed to expand the operation. Three other Taranaki brewers took home medals at the awards – Mike’s Brewery, Boreham Borgh and Secret Service. PEOPLE TO WATCH range on an international scale,” Chomley says. IMAGR is already in talks with top FMCG retailers in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and America about using SMARTCART to enhance everyday experiences, and will move into the testing phase in April. SMARTCART will help with inventory management, cost reduction, analytics and opportunities for direct customer advertising through an app downloaded onto smartphones. “For those looking for inspiration for what to make for dinner, the SMARTCART experience doesn’t just stop there. We’re also developing a helpful app which will recommend recipes in line with what products are being put in the cart and guide shoppers to specific products around the store. It will also identify personalised promotions to instore customers,” Chomley says. “We are excited to lead the way using computer vision technology and artificial intelligence to create new shopper experiences which will become more and more integrated with our everyday lives.” www.imagr.co Garth Bostock, the couple’s herd roams across 2600ha, feeds entirely on grass and the calves stay with their mothers for 10 months after birth. Jodi, a trained dietician, holds nutrition high on her list of priorities, ensuring minimum biological fertilisation to protect the soil, and the couple operate a sustainably managed farm business with five income streams – beef, lamb, wool, manuka honey and manuka oil. www.absolutenzmeat.com
FT-Annual Directory 2018-eMag
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