Silverstripe wins in Tech at the Wellington Gold Awards 2025

Silverstripe has struck gold! We're absolutely stoked to share that we've won the Wellington Gold Award in the Technology category. This is a big achievement that really shows off our mahi, our commitment to open-source innovation, and our belief in the power of technology to make a positive difference.

For 25 years, Silverstripe has been powering Aotearoa's digital future. From our roots in Wellington, New Zealand's creative capital, we've grown into a trusted technology partner for government and enterprise. We're especially proud to underpin over 200 New Zealand government websites, helping agencies serve the public with greater speed, security, and accessibility. We deliver innovative solutions that touch the lives of millions, making Aotearoa’s digital landscape stronger, safer, and more accessible to everyone.

The road to gold

The Wellington Gold Awards celebrate awesome businesses across the Greater Wellington Region and Horowhenua. They've been a big event on the local calendar since 1999, showcasing how much Wellington has grown into a hub for world-class businesses.

There are eight distinct categories that showcase the diverse talent across the region: 

• Creative gold: film, media and creative sector
• Innovation gold: recent R&D projects
• Emerging gold products: 10 or fewer full time employees
• Emerging gold services: 10 or fewer full time employees
• Global gold: international revenue
• Supporting gold: infrastructure and services
• Technology gold: digital creators
• Vibrant gold: events and hospitality

We were honoured to win in the Technology Gold category this year. This award celebrates cutting-edge, digital innovators, recognising the power of new ideas and the efficiency gains that come from using both established and emerging digital tools to solve real-world problems.

Each year, the awards attract top-notch businesses, making for some really strong competition. In 2025, the finalists in the Technology Gold category included Arcanum AI, Avenir Technology, Rebit Money Transfer, Somar Digital, and us.

Our journey to this Gold Award was a rigorous, two-phase process that showcased Silverstripe's strengths. Phase one involved a comprehensive series of questions about our business, significant achievements, and future goals. This initial stage allowed us to articulate our vision and impact clearly. Following this, we dove into phase two: developing a detailed six-page document that delved deeper into our operations and accomplishments. 

We also produced a 30-second video that premiered at the gala night. We're excited for you to watch it below, as it beautifully captures what Silverstripe is all about.

The judging process was conducted by approximately 25 esteemed business and community leaders. Each judge evaluated our entry separately and independently, basing their decisions solely on the information we submitted. There were no judges' panels, ensuring a fair and objective assessment.

This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the talent and dedication of so many within the Silverstripe team and community. 

Gala night recap

The win was announced at the Gold Awards gala here in Pōneke—Wellington on 2 July. The atmosphere was absolutely buzzing. Around 700 people packed the historic Embassy Theatre to celebrate Pōneke businesses. Representing Silverstripe on this special night were Sigurd Magnusson (CEO), Dan Close (Chief Growth Officer), Maira Florez (Senior Marketing Coordinator), Michael Eales (Chief Financial Officer), Stephen Makrogianni (Solutions Director), Aidan Forrest (Account Director), and James Ford (Creative Director).