increase font size
Software specialist Company-X is acquiring advertising agency Hot Mustard's app developing business.
The acquisition on September 1 comes after Hot Mustard's Sales App Centre managing director Paul Bell sought Company-X out.
"We were a specialist software company focused on agribuiness with a small team looking for an opportunity to work with a larger development company with more expertise and resources," Bell says.
"One of the reasons we approached Company-X is that is has some agribusiness clients, and a very good understanding of the agribusiness sector."
DeLaval, the worldwide leader in milking equipment and solutions is a long-term Company-X client. Company-X built a global e-learning solution for DeLaval. Company-X used the text to voice editor it built, Voxcoda, to provide narration in multiple languages.
Sales App Centre was incorporated in March 2012 and developed the first mobile apps for Ballance Agri Nutrients, DairyNZ and Zespri International.
"We specialise in apps for agribusiness," Bell said. "Including a lot of farmer-facing apps that need to work in the field where there is no internet connectivity."
Other Sales App Centre clients include CRV Ambreed, Farmlands Co-op Society, Giltrap Engineering and Primary ITO, Company-X will assume responsibility for app and systems development, including the associated databases and application programming interface (APIs).
Hot Mustard's new business unit Hum will retain responsibility for website development.
Bell said Sales App Centre clients could only benefit from the acquisition, as they will be working with a larger, better resources, broadly experience team, with a proven software development track record. Company-X also had comprehensive testing and support services.
Company-X co-founder and director Jeremy Hughes says while Hot Mustard's key strength is media and design, having Company-X own the software development space lets the two companies work to their respective strengths.
OPINION: New Zealand dairy is delivering. In the year to June, dairy exports earned a record $28.8 billion for New Zealand. They were part of a record $65.2 billion earned by our wider food and fibre sector.
Zespri has welcomed the entry into force of the India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement today, calling it a significant milestone that will support long-term growth in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer markets.
Today, 15 October, is the International Day of Rural Women, which recognises rural women’s contribution to farming, communities and the environment.
Good medium to long term prospects for NZ beef, especially in the US, has heighted the focus on various initiatives to capitalise on this situation.
Farmer-owned fertiliser company, Ballance Agri Nutrients is welcoming National’s plan to negotiate security agreements with key supplier countries to protect New Zealand-bound products from export restrictions and greater supply chain certainty.
Farmlands has reported higher operating earnings and a profit before income tax of $4.5 million, up 118.9%, for the year ended 30 June 2026.
AgriZeroNZ has invested a further NZ$17.7 million in methane vaccine developer ArkeaBio and NZ$5.1 million in BioLumic, a New Zealand-founded company that uses ultraviolet light to develop low-emissions pasture..
Good news for Fonterra farmers. The co-op has raised this season’s farmgate milk price mid-point by 25c to $9.75/kgMS.
OPINION: Political parties are getting plenty of advice and recommendations from sector groups as the election approaches.
In farming there are external factors that can influence behaviour of a whole herd, such as a bad weather event, triggering false positive heat detections or health attentions.
For Canterbury dairy farmer Cameron Henderson, supporting Meet the Need comes down to a simple question: how can the success of New Zealand farming benefit more than just those within the industry?
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.
