Craig Piggott
New Zealand Innovator of the Year
2026
2degrees
New Zealand Innovator of the Year
Te Pou Whakairo o te Tau
Craig Piggott
Craig Piggott is the founder and CEO of Halter, the New Zealand agritech company enabling dairy farmers and beef ranchers to operate more productive and sustainable farms. Halter’s virtual fencing and farm operating system includes solar-powered smart collars and an app that allow farmers to remotely guide and monitor livestock while precisely managing pasture. This world-first technology is reducing emissions, improving animal welfare, and freeing farmers from physically intensive, time-critical daily tasks.
Over the past year, Craig has led Halter through a defining period of momentum as it rapidly scales across New Zealand, Australia and the United States. The company topped the 2024 Deloitte Fast 50 Index with 1,539% revenue growth and, in 2025, secured $165 million to accelerate global expansion. Raised on a Waikato dairy farm, Craig blends practical farming experience with engineering ingenuity. His leadership is helping farmers adopt low-emissions practices without compromising productivity– positioning Aotearoa New Zealand as a global leader in sustainable agricultural innovation.
For those turning bold ideas into real-world impact. These innovators lead with courage and creativity, pushing boundaries in science, tech, culture or social change. Their mahi moves Aotearoa forward – and opens doors for those coming next.
Nominees of this Award must:
- Be an individual who conceptualised and developed an innovation involving a product, service, technology, idea/theory or process across any industry sector including (but not limited to) health, science, technology, robotics, business, education, environmental, sustainability, agriculture, disadvantaged communities, and non-profits.
- Have had significant impact over the last 12 months.
- Be a role model for New Zealanders and highlight a brighter future for New Zealanders.
- Meet Awards Conditions of Entry.
Judges will review each nominee using the following criteria:
- 10 points: INNOVATION:
Describe the innovation of your nominee and the thoughtful, creative, and innovative approach it takes to resolve a challenge. - 10 points: NEED:
What problem does the innovation solve? And how is it unique to the market? - 10 points: COMMITMENT:
Describe the commitment of time, risks, and challenges overcome to develop the innovation to this point (this may still be ongoing). - 10 points: PROVEN-IMPACT:
How has the innovation clearly demonstrated a positive impact on the targeted community (particularly over the last 12-months)? How has this been measured? - 10 points: POTENTIAL:
Describe the opportunity the innovation has to generate economic, social, and/or environmental benefits for a local industry sector, the nation, and or globally. - 10 points: LONG-TERM IMPACT:
How is the nominee planning to enhance, grow, and/or adapt the innovation in the future to best meet the changing needs of the targeted population? How would winning this award impact this person and the work that they are doing?
2026
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