Our Story
RipeTime arose from the vision of a technology for ultra-high sensitivity and a cost-efficient measurement of fresh produce, to drive a new level of expectation in the food waste problem, a detrimental presence across the whole primary sector.
Initially a New Zealand company, Innovators Ltd, researched the science and the approach to the detection of Ethylene in the produce sector. It was through a relationship with Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and an under-graduate study that lead Jon Lowy and the team at Innovators to form RipeTime.
In October 2015, RipeTime implemented a trial in conjunction with SEEKA, one of New Zealand’s largest kiwifruit supply-chain operators. The trial was held at one of SEEKA’s cool-store environments in Te Puke, New Zealand. Two months later RipeTime passed a significant milestone; results from this trial on kiwifruit proved RipeTime technology was accurate and efficient. We were able to predict the level of ripeness across five pallets and rank them from worst to best. Our results were so significant, SEEKA applied our technology on a much larger scale for the 2016 season.
Ripetime identified a “problem” box of 20 soft kiwifruits in a 40,000 cubic metre space within an hour of accidental arrival
Board of Directors
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Michael Vukcevic
Chairman
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Adam Hunt
Board member
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Greg Sitters
Board member
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Kevin
McFall
Michael Vukcevic is the Chairman of the RipeTime Board of Directors. Mr. Vukcevic has spent his career in business development and management positions. International Business Development and Governance are two areas where Mr. Vukcevic brings significant experience to the board of RipeTime. Michael has advised a number of companies on capital raising, international expansion and governance across a number of sectors and technologies. He has worked for Fonterra (New Zealand’s largest company), EY (Ernst & Young) in a Business Development position, and has lead two companies as CE. He currently advises a number of companies as an Associate at Gilligan Sheppard, New Zealand’s Premier Boutique Accounting and Advisory Firm.
Adam Hunt comes from a technology & business background, Mr. Hunt spent three years as Chief Information Officer of Turners and Growers, New Zealand’s largest produce wholesaler and pip-fruit exporter. He spent nine years leading the compliance risk functions of two of New Zealand’s key regulators (tax and financial markets) and now splits his time between multiple roles. He is a board member of the Domain Name Commission, the regulator of the Internet in New Zealand and consults in a number of risk & compliance related fields, including being a member of experts on the International Monetary Fund panel. He is also the managing director of an Equity Crowdfunding business, helping connect entrepreneurs with capital.
Greg Sitters has a distinguished business career spanning more than 40 years. Recent roles have
primarily been in venture investment, assisting with executive management, sales and
business development, and corporate and professional governance. He has worked for Sun
Microsystems and SGI across Australia and NZ, in forums in the USA and Asia, and
Sparkbox Venture Group, NZ’s leading early stage Venture Group. He has held posts on a
number of key industry forums and received many local and international business awards.
Greg has a passion for assisting and investing in disruptive technologies that address some
of the worlds major challenges.
Kevin has 36 years of experience in business, his early career was in computer hardware and electrical engineering before moving into software development and product management. He is skilled in operational management, recruitment and team building. For much of his working life he has been IT engineering in the start-up sector or management of offices for multinationals in New Zealand. He has travelled extensively in a number of guises. He has founded and is a shareholder of several start-up businesses in New Zealand that have had successful exits and brings a wealth of skill in Operations.
