Five Years of Backing Kiwi Business: Celebrating The David Awards 2026

Another year, another impressive round up of Kiwi businesses showing just how much can be achieved with a small team, a good idea, and plenty of determination.

On Thursday 8 October, New Zealand’s small business community came together at GridAKL in Auckland to celebrate the winners. As principal sponsor for the fifth consecutive year, Voyager was proud to be part of an evening recognising the people and businesses making a difference across NZ.

From innovative new businesses to driven owner-operators and community-focused ventures, this year’s winners are a reminder that you don’t need to be a big business to make a big impact. This year was particularly special for us at Voyager, marking our fifth consecutive year as principal sponsor of The David Awards. Five years of celebrating Kiwi ingenuity, determination and the businesses punching well above their weight.

A night celebrating the people behind Kiwi businesses

The David Awards have been recognising the unsung heroes of New Zealand’s small business community since 2008. They’re all about celebrating businesses that might be small in size, but are making a real difference in their industries and communities.

The 2026 awards attracted a record number of entries, up 40% on the previous year, with businesses from across the country putting themselves forward despite what’s been another challenging year for many. This year’s winner’s presentation brought finalists, supporters, sponsors and members of the business community together to celebrate the achievements of small businesses from across New Zealand.

Having the opportunity to celebrate the winners together at GridAKL made this year’s announcement particularly meaningful. Beyond the awards themselves, the evening provided an opportunity for people to connect, share experiences and recognise the work that goes into building and running a business.

The event also featured a panel discussion exploring what it takes to build a successful small business in today’s environment, from navigating economic pressures to making the most of emerging technology like AI.

With rising costs, changing customer expectations and new technology creating both challenges and opportunities, the discussion was particularly relevant to the businesses being celebrated and the community they are a part of.

And while the awards recognise business achievements, they’re also about the people behind them. The owners who have taken a chance on an idea, put in the long hours, adapted when things didn’t go to plan, and kept moving forward.

That’s what makes The David Awards worth celebrating.

Meet The David Awards 2026 winners

A huge congratulations to all this year’s winners! Each winner has taken a different path and tackled a different industry, but all have demonstrated what small businesses can achieve through hard work, creativity and a commitment to what they do. The calibre of businesses recognised in 2026 was impressive, with winners spanning education, renewable energy, marketing, innovation and more.

We encourage you to take a look at their businesses, learn more about their stories and support them where you can.

A special congratulations goes to Study Nook, a Tauranga-based learning support business founded by Dani Archer, which took home both the Supreme Award and Most Outstanding Social Impact Award.

Study Nook supports dyslexic and neurodivergent learners, helping children build confidence and develop their learning skills. Since launching in 2024, the business has grown to support learners across eight schools, while also partnering with local businesses to make its services more accessible to families.

It’s a brilliant example of a small business making a meaningful difference.

SUPREME WINNER

Study Nook - Dani Archer, Tauranga

Most Outstanding Fledgling Business

Neck’s Best Thing - Aisha Addison, Rangiora

Most Outstanding Established Business

Esolar - Lance and Alex Double, Tasman

Most Innovative Business 

Goover - Frank Witowski, Nelson

Most Inspired Use of Marketing 

& Breathe First Aid - Charlotte Young, Auckland

Most Outstanding Social Impact 

Study Nook - Dani Archer, Tauranga

Solo Meo AWARD

Double Undies - Jane Bogust, Auckland 

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD

The Teacher’s Connections - Jenny Jefferson and Kelly Haysom, Auckland

Five years of supporting The David Awards

This year marks a special milestone for Voyager: five consecutive years as principal sponsor of The David Awards. Supporting New Zealand businesses is a big part of what we do at Voyager. Every day, we work with businesses of all sizes, helping them stay connected and making sure they’ve got the technology they need to get on with running their business and succeed against the Goliaths.

As a proudly Kiwi-owned business, we know how important small businesses are to New Zealand. They’re the local employers, service providers, innovators and problem-solvers that help our communities thrive. However, often, business owners are juggling everything from customer service and marketing to managing their finances, technology and day-to-day operations. Much of that work happens behind the scenes, without much recognition.

That’s one of the reasons we’ve continued supporting The David Awards.

The awards give small businesses an opportunity to share their stories, celebrate their progress and receive recognition for the work they’ve put into building something of their own. For Voyager, our involvement is about more than sponsorship. It’s about backing the people who are having a go, creating opportunities and contributing to New Zealand’s future.

As Voyager’s General Manager of Growth, Angela Hunter, shared in this year’s winner’s announcement:

“Small businesses are the engine room of New Zealand’s economy, but too often the people behind them don’t get the recognition they deserve. What makes The David Awards so special is the incredible diversity of businesses and entrepreneurs it celebrates – people showing courage, ingenuity and determination to build something, create opportunities and make a difference. The calibre of this year’s finalists is extraordinary, and Voyager is incredibly proud to support a platform that shines a light on their contribution to New Zealand.”

And after five years of supporting the awards, it’s something we’re just as passionate about today.

Continuing to support the winners beyond the awards

The winner’s presentation might be over, but our support doesn’t stop when the awards are handed out.

As part of Voyager’s 2026 sponsorship, category winners will receive additional opportunities to showcase their businesses to our social and email audiences and explore how emerging technology like our new Voice AI agents can support their next steps through a free AI Consultation. Likewise, NZ Business magazine will be doing a full profile on each winner, so kept an eye out for these!

We’re looking forward to sharing more about these businesses, the people behind them, and what they’re working towards next.

A big thank you to everyone involved

Awards like these don’t happen without a lot of work behind the scenes. A special thank you as always to The David Awards founder Heather Douglas, the NZBusiness magazine team, the judges, the panelists and everyone who contributed to making this year’s awards possible.

And, of course, thank you to every business that entered. Whether you took home an award, made the finalist list or simply put your business forward, you deserve recognition for the work you’re doing.

Want to learn more about this year’s winners? Visit The David Awards website and keep an eye on our social channels as we introduce you to the businesses behind the awards.