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Our Work
UpShift designs, develops & delivers digital solutions to human questions. We care about & specialise in, projects based in sustainability, health & food.
Here is some of our work:
Online Store for Sustainable Wool Clothing: NZ
Nelson Merino
UpShift loves working with locals. While we might have clients in many corners of the world, sometimes the best stories are happening right down the street. That was the case with Nelson Merino, a kiwi owned & operated company making clothing with 100% New Zealand wool.While New Zealand weather might be on the mild side most of the year, we all know the chill of a good old Antarctic southerly. And if you’re heading out into it, it’s common knowledge natural fibres like merino wool are the best way to keep fingers and toes toasty and frost-free. That’s why Nelson Merino works with one of the most ancient breeds of sheep on earth – and the first type to be imported to New Zealand in large numbers. And the team knew it wasn’t just us locals who were after garments made from that far-travelled fine fleece.
App for Exploring the Health of Lake Ecosystems: NZ
Lakes380
The Lakes380 programme is the biggest survey of natural lakes in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand. An ambitious project led by the Cawthron Institute and GNS Science, the programme collected data on the water quality of approximately 10% of 3,800 lakes across the country. Of course, a dataset this large, with value to so many groups, needs a simple, user-friendly interface. That’s where UpShift came in.“It’s an enjoyable challenge to be presented with data, and figure out the best way to make it make sense - make it into something people can easily navigate,” says lead developer Will Macgregor.
Carbon Analysis, Reporting & Reduction Software: NZ
dCarbon / Ekos
Ekos is a New Zealand-based organisation dedicated to creating a low carbon, biodiverse, & climate resilient future. Founded as a marriage of ecology & economics, Ekos works with values-aligned partners who want to make a positive difference to the world. The organisation specialises in carbon & sustainability solutions, nature-based solutions, & environmental consulting, helping clients ranging from governments & corporates to community groups. Since 2008, Ekos has developed restorative carbon projects & biodiversity initiatives, with a core belief that private sector investment is fundamental to meeting the climate & biodiversity challenges of the coming decades.UpShift has developed Ekos's software systems since 2020. Below is an article from NZ Geographic about Ekos & UpShift's work by Sarah Lin Turner.
E-Commerce & Inventory Solutions for Leading Bike Shop: NZ
Burkes Cycles
UpShift & Burkes Cycles go way back. Not quite as far as Burkes itself, which first opened its doors in the 1920s, but far enough that we’ve played a proud part in getting them online and out to the world.
Burkes is something of a Wellington legend, a family business that grew in leaps and bounds and is actively involved in the whole of New Zealand’s cycling community – which is pretty darn big! Around half of NZ households have a bike, and approximately 73 million cycling trips are made every year. The New Zealand Cycle Trail covers 2,500km of trails across the country, which doesn’t include extensive wilderness parks. It’s an industry that shows no signs of slowing down.
After a century in the game, Burkes could see where this train was headed – and UpShift were the right people to help them jump onboard.
Longline Monitoring App for Seabird Protection: NZ
Sink Rate App
No one wants to hook a seabird on a fishing line. Seabird by-catch can be devastating for seabird populations & is an upsetting experience for fishing crews.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation has been working with scientists, technologists & commercial fishers with the aim to eliminate by-catch of seabirds.
ZebraTech, a Nelson-based marine technology company, approached UpShift to develop a mobile application that would revolutionise how commercial fishing operations monitor longline sink rates. The app needed to interface with ZebraTech's specialised sensors that measure how quickly fishing lines descend through the water column - critical data for reducing seabird by-catch & improving fishing efficiency.
Seabirds can only dive so far below the surface. By tuning the configuration of weights & hooks on longlines, fishing crews can move their hooks away from seabird diving depths as swiftly as possible. But how can fishing crews know when their hooks are safely out of the reach of seabirds?
E-Commerce & Online Services for Pharmacy: NZ
Waikiwi Pharmacy
Bernie McKone is a man of vision. It’s easy enough to say, but Bernie - previous winner of Pharmacist of the Year and recently awarded the rare Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand Gold Medal - lives that vision, and brings others on the journey.
Software System for Processing Sustainable Tuna: NZ
Tuna Processing Application
Solander Group are a fishing company based in Nelson, New Zealand, who specialise in sustainable tuna fishing.
Their approach to tuna fishing has been featured by the World Wildlife Fund & they are passionate about responsible fish stock management.
They export high-grade fish worldwide & each landing generates a flurry of activity in their processing plant.
Each fish needs to be weighed, assessed & graded for worldwide markets. Every fish goes through rigorous compliance to meet fishing regulations & sustainability goals. Multiple fish go to multiple international markets each landing, all of which must be tracked & accounted for.
Solander originally used a manual paper-based system for processing their tuna & engaged with UpShift to develop a digital computer based system.
Costing Tool for Railway Construction & Maintenance: USA
SelectTIE III
To help railway line managers make the right decision the Railway Tie Association had developed a scientific/ engineering model that took in all the information about the railway line – both its physical structure & use – and returned pricing for different construction materials.Often wooden railway ties are the most cost effective solution to railway infrastructure & they're more environmentally sustainable than concrete or steel ties.
RTA wanted to create an app which could be used by anyone to identify the most cost effective use of materials for railway line construction & maintenance.
UpShift took a complex model & created a straightforward digital costing tool that is accessible & easy to use.
E-commerce Website for Boutique Winery: NZ
Fromm Winery
UpShift has worked with FROMM Winery, a boutique winery in Marlborough, since 2016. We built their website then, and in 2022 they were ready for an update.Our Project Manager Prapti Mane, and Creative Director Matt Robinson, headed over to Blenheim from Nelson to meet with the team at FROMM. Though we specialise in digital services, UpShift commits where possible to meeting clients face-to-face. It’s a chance to connect with people, which we love, and to really understand their unique needs
App for Calculating Court Costs: NZ
Two Bees
Two Bees is the brainchild of Auckland barrister Steve Keall – it is a digital tool which enables legal professionals to easily calculate court costs for trials they are involved in.Steve engaged UpShift to create a brand & develop apps for this initiative.“Two bees” is a common saying among the legal profession for court costs as “2B” is the most common code from the legislation. UpShift took this concept & created a brand with a visual hat tip to beehives.
Digital Tools to Connect People to Diabetes Technology: USA
DiabetesWise
UpShift is Stanford University School of Medicine’s primary partner for the development of a major free health resource, DiabetesWise. Now in our sixth year of working with the DiabetesWise team, we’re proud to continue playing a major role in developing independent resources that enable people living with diabetes to adopt life-saving technologies.
Geospatially Aware Community Engagement Platform: USA
FLO Engage
UpShift was approached by FLO Analytics – headquartered in Seattle – to build a community engagement platform for their clients.The platform needed to be able to target, receive & filter feedback based on the geospatial location of the individual people. It also needed to work across many communication channels for maximum access to the intended audience.Usinge our experience in community engagement & software development we worked closely with FLO Analytics to design and build a digital platform that could send individualised questions and gather individual responses.
App for Analysing the Impact of Wood Treatments on Aquatic Environments: USA
Environmental Modelling Tool
Shopify Website for Family Winery
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a winery established in the 1994 by the White Family in the Marlborough region. The White family has been in the wine business for the last 25years. Having a huge international presence in markets like US, UK, Ireland, Asia and Australia, they realised they needed a more user friendly and modern website for their target audiences.
Nutritional Guidance Mobile App: AU & NZ
KaiWise
KaiWise is a nutrition scanner app created to help everyday people make better food choices. Designed for users across New Zealand & Australia, it breaks down complex food labels into a simple colour-coded traffic light system. The app supports clearer decision-making around ingredients, additives, & nutritional content for families, health-conscious individuals, & people with specific dietary needs.