By YOKE HAR LEE
It was an offer Matthew Thompson couldn't refuse ... like having the marine world's equivalent of Microsoft knocking on your door to buy you out.
How much Mr Thompson, founder of Kiwitech, was paid for selling his navigation software to Raytheon Marine - a division of multibillion US company Raytheon - remains secret under confidentiality clauses in the deal.
But it was clearly enough to make it worthwhile for Mr Thompson.
Kiwitech is a company New Zealand cannot afford to keep.
"People who choose to work in New Zealand do so for lifestyle choice, rather than for any practical business reason," he told the Business Herald.
"I hear a lot about the brain drain, but there isn't any action to reverse things.
"The latest tax regime [which will raise tax for people earning more than $60,000] doesn't help people like me."
Mr Thompson is taking three other technical staff with him to work at Raytheon Marine in Florida.
The excitement of working with the big American company makes it worth his while leaving New Zealand, although he does see himself returning one day.
The move is also strategic, as Mr Thompson sees a consolidation going on in his industry.
"I see computing on boats as a bit of a niche today. A lot of the big players are now starting to look around at computer companies, and I think we are at the start of a big consolidation where most software companies will find they have to align themselves with a large instrument manufacturer.
"And as far as they [manufacturers] go, Raytheon is basically the largest."
The 33-year-old computer scientist is from Christchurch, but has spent most of his life in Auckland.
He has made history twice - by producing New Zealand's first navigation software for use on leisure boats, and by building a computer that can sail in rugged seas.
"We were probably New Zealand's only manufacturer of on-board software," he said.
"Just about everyone else in the market was bringing in a package from the States. We have also probably sold more software for the marine industry than anyone else."
Kiwitech's computer assembly division has been sold to Nav Station, one of the country's largest marine electronics and accessories distributor, based at Westhaven.
"Nav Station is moving to support the hardware side and will continue to develop it. I don't think that's going to be a problem at all," he said.
Raytheon Marine did not buy his PC-making division as it was developing its own product.
Mr Thompson is no newcomer to the nautical world, having been involved with the America's Cup for the past 13 years.
At the end of 1992, he started his own company to build performance yacht racing systems. In 1995, he started Kiwitech to take his navigation software to the mass market.
While developing software for boats, he found it difficult to find a suitable computer to run in the marine environment. So he started building one, resulting in the rugged Kiwitech PC.
Asked if working with a big multinational might stifle Kiwitech's flexibility and creativity, Mr Thompson said this was always a possibility, but he did not think it would happen.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from Technology
Netflix reveals viewership for some of its biggest shows
Streaming giant has record quarter - featuring NZ actress Jess Hong.