From Fieldays to KiwiNet: Jade Luxton’s Sterineedle innovation gains national recognition

Fast forward three years and Jade has recently been nominated as a finalist of the 2025 KiwiNet Research Commercialisation Awards in the Momentum Student Entrepreneur category.

Back in 2022, when most of the Innovations Hub exhibitors seemed to be taking a high-tech approach, a much simpler approach saw St Pauls students Jade Luxton and Ben Allen bring along their Sterineedle idea.

Designed as a holster for needle-based vaccination guns, the plastic moulded device incorporated an integral reservoir to house a disinfectant solution to sterilise the injection needle each time the gun is replaced in the holster. This helps ensure that vaccinating a large mob is quicker, easier and safer, while removing the risk of disease transfer and the need to constantly change needles.

The clever duo produced the idea when Ben’s grandfather, Linden Hunt, raised the issue of the tedious task of constantly changing needles or finding a way to disinfect them while velveting. This led to a collaboration with Hamilton-based DEA Plastics, who already operated in this field.

Suitable for all types of farming operations and for veterinarians, Sterineedle can be used with an integral clip for belt mounting or can just as easily be mounted to a race or cattle crush for convenience.

Jade, now a third-year Product Design student at the University of Canterbury (UC), is on a mission to benefit farmers, improve animal health, and inspire the next wave of young innovators.

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The school project identified a major gap in livestock vaccination practices – a challenge affecting thousands of farmers across New Zealand, with an estimated 8000 animals dying annually from infections caused by unclean needles, costing the industry $12 million.

In practice, it is suggested that 85% of farmers do not change needles between animals and that 80% of abscesses are linked to dirty needles. The problem leads to animals being rejected at the meat works, affecting both welfare and profit.

Sterineedle is a portable holster that sterilises needles in seconds, reduces disease spread, lowers vet costs, and saves time, typically cutting 2.5 hours off vaccinating a 300-strong mob. Unlike costly, wasteful single-use needles, the holster is a practical, sustainable alternative that makes it easier for farmers to protect their livestock.

With growing demand from farmers and interest from retailers, Sterineedle is positioned to become the next musthave product for better animal management in New Zealand.

Driving Innovation

KiwiNet brings New Zealand’s commercialisation sector together to accelerate public research to market, “driving breakthrough innovation, investment, and proven impact for NZ”.

It is made up of 19 New Zealand universities, Crown Research Institutes, and other research organisations, representing 80% of New Zealand’s public research.

Via PreSeed Accelerator funding from MBIE, training and development, expert guidance, and industry connections, KiwiNet empowers commercialisation teams and researchers to drive ideas forwards.

To date, KiwiNet has invested $66 million in Pre- Seed Accelerator Funding with 88 start-up companies established, and 788 employment opportunities generated or sustained in NZ.

Since 2003, those projects have created over $646m in known revenue to NZ.