EY announces Entrepreneur of The Year 2025 category winners

Pictured above: James Annabell.

Ernst & Young New Zealand (EY New Zealand) has named the category winners in the 2025 edition of its prestigious Entrepreneur of The Year competition, recognising local leaders who are scaling ambition into global impact.

This year’s winners span a diverse range of industries – from wellbeing and education technology to jewellery, infrastructure and honey production. They include:

• Young Entrepreneur: Kate Gatfield-Jeffries, Moodi
• Tech and Emerging Industries Entrepreneur: Alliv Samson and Hengjie Wang, Kami
• Product Entrepreneur: Chris Benham, The Village Goldsmith
• Services Entrepreneur: Taurus Taurima, Topline Contracting
• Master Entrepreneur: James Annabell, Egmont Honey
• Highly Commended: Mike Casey, Forest Lodge Orchard

Jason Macgregor, Director of EY Entrepreneur of The Year for EY New Zealand, says this year’s finalists reflect the strength and adaptability of Kiwi entrepreneurship.

“What was evident this year was the successful embrace of AI and other advanced technologies to enhance business performance, even across organisations operating outside of the technology industry,” he says.

Macgregor adds that purpose was also a strong theme in 2025. “It’s evident there has been a stronger push towards purpose-led business, with entrepreneurs driven by the desire to contribute to positive change in their communities.”

Chair of Judges and Auror co-founder Phil Thomson, himself a past winner, praised the calibre of the competition.

“It’s been a privilege to get an inside view of the thriving entrepreneurship across Aotearoa. All the finalists are incredible people doing incredible things for New Zealand and the world. The calibre of this year’s category winners is evident in the way they have taken risks, bet on themselves, and built some of this country’s best companies.”

Winners were selected against the programme’s key criteria of entrepreneurial spirit, impact, growth and purpose.

“This year’s winners are addressing today’s most important challenges while building for the long term,” says Macgregor.

“Whether it’s working on women’s wellbeing, revolutionising education technology, setting the standard for jewellery innovation, shaping local infrastructure through contracting, or bringing Kiwi honey to the world, their work shows discipline in their execution and the ability to scale.”

The category winners now progress to the final round of judging, where one will be named New Zealand’s overall Entrepreneur of The Year and go on to represent the country at the World Entrepreneur of The Year™ competition in May 2026.