Auckland UniServices

What Auckland UniServices does

Auckland UniServices Limited is the wholly-owned research commercialisation and growth subsidiary of the University of Auckland (Waipapa Taumata Rau), incorporated in New Zealand and operating from Level 10, 49 Symonds Street, Auckland. Its core function is to commercialise University of Auckland research through three revenue streams: equity investment in spinouts via the University of Auckland Inventors' Fund (NZ$41M fair value at end of 2023), technology licensing (27 technologies licensed in 2023), and management of services and research programmes for government and industry partners. The company served 36 new companies launched between 2020 and 2025 and supports an investment portfolio that includes Soul Machines, Alimetry, Tectonus, Formus Labs, Cirrus Materials Science, Kara Technologies, Nuka, Vortex Power Systems, and Quantifi Photonics.

The product surface is heterogeneous. Spinouts span digital humans (Soul Machines, AI-based conversational avatars with 45+ patents), medtech (Alimetry's FDA-approved Gastric Alimetry device, Formus Labs' AI 3D surgical planner partnered with Zimmer Biomet), clean technology (Tectonus seismic resilience, Vortex Power Systems waste-heat capture, Cirrus Materials nanostructured coatings), and accessibility (Kara Technologies sign-language avatars). Managed programmes include the Global Vaccine Data Network (31 sites, 27 countries, 250M+ people, CDC-funded at ~NZ$8M), Growing Up in New Zealand (6,000+ child longitudinal cohort), the Immunisation Advisory Centre across seven Pacific countries, and the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse. Digital platforms include Te Whata Kura, a national antibiotic prescribing decision-support tool.

The business model is sales-led and partnership-driven, relying on bespoke commercial agreements rather than standardised pricing. UniServices monetises through licensing royalties, equity realisation on spinout exits, and professional services fees for managed programmes. Key partnerships span NZ government (Ministry of Health, MFAT, Health NZ), U.S. federal agencies (CDC), international investors backing portfolio companies (SoftBank, Temasek, Salesforce Ventures, Horizons Ventures in Soul Machines), and global industry leaders (Zimmer Biomet, Fonterra, CRV International). Leadership includes Dr Greg Murison (Executive Director of Strategic Growth, appointed March 2025) and Will Charles (Executive Director of Commercialisation), reflecting an institutionalised commercialisation function rather than a founder-led startup.

Name

Auckland UniServices

Legal name

Auckland UniServices Limited

Website

https://uniservices.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Auckland UniServices is the wholly-owned research commercialisation subsidiary of the University of Auckland, licensing technologies, investing in spinouts through the Inventors' Fund, and managing research programmes for government and industry across New Zealand and the Pacific.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Commercialisation Services

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology Transfer & Innovation-Driven Research Universities (High Commercialization) (EDAHABAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

Keywords

• Research commercialisation
• University spinouts
• Technology licensing
• Venture investment
• Applied research

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns: UniServices generates returns through equity investments in spinout companies via the University of Auckland Inventors' Fund, which had a fair value of $41m at end of 2023.
2. Technology Licensing: 27 technologies licensed in 2023. Revenue generated through licensing university-developed technologies to industry partners.
3. Services and Projects Management: UniServices manages services, programmes and projects that build on University of Auckland research to deliver positive community impact, including government-funded initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Auckland UniServices is the wholly-owned research commercialisation subsidiary of the University of Auckland. It commercialises university research by launching spinout companies, licensing technologies to industry, investing through the University of Auckland Inventors' Fund, and managing large-scale research programmes and services on behalf of government and industry partners.

Product overview

Auckland UniServices is the wholly-owned research commercialisation subsidiary of the University of Auckland. Rather than a single unified product, UniServices manages a portfolio of spinout companies (Soul Machines, Alimetry, Tectonus, Formus Labs, Cirrus Materials Science, Kara Technologies, Nuka, Vortex Power Systems), research programmes (Growing Up in New Zealand, Global Vaccine Data Network), public health and education service programmes (IMAC, Tui Tuia | Learning Circle, NZFVC), and digital platforms (Te Whata Kura) — all commercialising or delivering University of Auckland research. Its investment vehicle is the University of Auckland Inventors' Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soul Machines AI company building emotionally responsive digital humans (Digital People) with personality, autonomous animation, and conversational capability for customer service, training, and entertainment use cases. Holds over 45 patents.
• Alimetry (Gastric Alimetry) Medical device company providing a non-invasive wearable diagnostic tool for gastrointestinal disorders, using stretchable electrodes and AI algorithms to analyse gastric electrical activity.
• Tectonus Earthquake engineering company offering seismic resilience devices — self-centring dampers, rocking walls, and seismic tank anchors — that allow buildings to move with earthquakes and safely re-enter afterwards.
• Formus Labs Orthopaedic surgery planning platform using AI and 3D biomechanical modelling to automate selection and placement of joint replacement implants, including the world's first automated 3D planner for hip and knee replacement.
• Cirrus Materials Science Advanced materials company developing next-generation coating technologies including non-toxic nanoparticle dopants and paint-free colour for light metals, reducing energy and VOC emissions in manufacturing.
• Kara Technologies Digital accessibility start-up creating expressive sign language avatars that translate information into NZ Sign Language for emergency messaging, banking, education, and entertainment applications.
• Engender Technologies Dairy technology company using photonics and microfluidics to separate X- and Y-chromosome-bearing bull sperm cells for sex-selected cattle breeding.
• Growing Up in New Zealand Longitudinal study of child development managed by UniServices, tracking over 6,000 children since 2009, with the largest longitudinal study of Māori wellbeing ever conducted in New Zealand as part of the cohort.
• New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse (NZFVC) National centre providing research and information on family, whānau, and sexual violence, hosting a website with 10,000 monthly users, a ~6,000-subscriber newsletter, and a 2,000+ resource library.
• Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) Programme providing vaccination education, training, and cold chain support across seven Pacific countries, having trained 850+ healthcare workers and supporting delivery of 350,000+ vaccine doses.
• Tui Tuia | Learning Circle Provider of evidence-based professional learning and development programmes for the education sector, including Tapasā PLD for Pacific learners and the LEAP project in the Solomon Islands.
• Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) World's largest vaccine monitoring consortium, headquartered at the University of Auckland, covering 31 sites in 27 countries representing 250+ million people, monitoring safety and effectiveness of COVID-19, MMR, and other vaccines.
• Te Whata Kura National digital antibiotic prescribing guideline and clinical decision support tool providing evidence-based prescribing advice for common infections across primary and secondary care in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Vortex Power Systems Clean energy technology company using artificial vortex/airship technology to capture low-temperature waste heat from industrial processes and convert it into electricity.
• Nuka Tikanga Māori business developing kānuka-based food products including liquid smoke (free of toxic/carcinogenic compounds) and 'kānuka juice' nutraceutical ingredient, using subcritical water extraction and absence-of-oxygen combustion.
• University of Auckland Inventors' Fund UniServices-managed investment vehicle that deploys capital into University of Auckland spinouts and early-stage ventures based on university research.

Quantifiable outcome

• 36 new companies launched between 2020-2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability18 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Conservation International AotearoacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Conservation International co-located its Asia-Pacific marine hub at the University of Auckland. The partnership has resulted in the co-development of the Master of Marine Conservation programme and supports iwi-led marine management initiatives.
• University of AucklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniServices is the wholly-owned subsidiary of the University of Auckland, responsible for commercialising university research. The relationship provides access to research talent, facilities, and intellectual property.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNZ government agency funding international development projects including LEAP education programme in Solomon Islands and Polynesian Health Corridors for Pacific vaccination support.
• Ministry of Health (NZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted UniServices to deliver COVID-19 vaccination education and support in the Pacific through IMAC, and national digital antibiotic prescribing guideline through Te Whata Kura.
• Zimmer BiometcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading medical device manufacturer partnered with Formus Labs to co-develop and commercialise Formus Hip surgical planning software.
• KiwiNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of NZ research organisations working together to commercialise research. UniServices participates in KiwiNet awards and Return On Science investment committees.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cambridge Enterprise: The University of Cambridge's commercialisation arm, responsible for licensing technology, creating spinouts, and providing seed funding (including the Cambridge Innovation Capital partnership). Directly comparable in structure and mandate to UniServices as a top-tier global university commercialisation office.
• UniQuest: The University of Queensland's main research commercialisation company, commercialising IP through licensing, spinouts, and venture creation. Closely comparable as an Australasian university commercialisation entity with a similar mix of licensing, equity stakes, and programme management.
• Imperial College Innovations / Imperial College London: Imperial College London's enterprise division handles commercialisation of research in engineering, medicine, and science, including spinouts and licensing. Comparable as a science/engineering-focused university commercialisation office with a strong spinout focus similar to UniServices.
• Monash Innovation: Monash University's commercialisation arm, handling IP protection, licensing, and spinout formation in pharma, engineering, and digital. Comparable as a major Australian university commercialisation office competing for similar Australasian talent and capital pools.
• Stanford Office of Technology Licensing (OTL): Stanford's technology transfer office, responsible for licensing Stanford IP and supporting spinout formation that has produced companies like Google and Snapchat. Direct comparable in licensing/scale-up model and central role in a world-leading research university's commercial pipeline.
• MIT Technology Licensing Office: MIT's office responsible for licensing technologies and managing IP arising from MIT research, with a portfolio spanning biotech, software, energy, and engineering. Comparable as one of the world's most prolific university TTOs and a benchmark for licensing volumes and spinout formation.
• Oxford University Innovation: The University of Oxford's wholly-owned research commercialisation and technology transfer office, spinning out companies and licensing Oxford IP across life sciences, physical sciences, and digital. Closely comparable as a flagship university TTO operating under a similar mandate to UniServices.

Broad incumbents

• KiwiNet: New Zealand's national network of research organisations working together on commercialisation. UniServices actively participates in KiwiNet awards and investment committees; comparable as a broader consortium of which UniServices is a leading member rather than a direct competitor.
• Columbia Technology Ventures: Columbia University's technology transfer office managing a large portfolio of life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering spinouts. Comparable as a major US university TTO with a similarly broad cross-disciplinary commercialisation mandate.

Regional players

• Waterloo Commercialization Office: University of Waterloo's commercialisation office, known for its deep tech and startup pipeline particularly in software and engineering. Comparable as a university commercialisation office, though operating primarily in the Canadian ecosystem rather than NZ/Pacific.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AucklandUniServices
• Facebookfacebook.com/UniServiceNZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/auckland-uniservices-limited
• Xx.com/UniServicesNZ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auckland UniServices