Tech company enters first retail partnership
DUNEDIN tech company Tussock Innovation has marked another milestone.
From last week, its Waterwatch water management system was available in Farmlands stores, its first retail partnership.
Waterwatch is a smart water tank monitor used on farms throughout the country to track changes in water storage, identify leaks and notify users of low water levels.
A WiFi version of the tank monitor was released earlier this year for the residential market, such as lifestyle blocks and holiday homes.
The tank monitors read the water level in the tank and sent it through to the Waterwatch mobile app. Alarms could be set for lowlevel and leak detection, access could be shared with family or staff, and many tanks could be managed across many properties.
Established in October 2014, Tussock Innovation was the brainchild of Jesse Teat and his friend Mark Butler, who completed MSc degrees in electronics together at the University of Otago.
They started designing software, mainly mobile apps, Mr Teat as electronics designer and Mr Butler as software engineer.
The Waterwatch brand, which was launched in 2018, was aimed at improving water management.
The team had now supplied more than 3500 level sensors throughout Australia and New Zealand, used by homeowners, farmers, industrial workers and local governments.
All its products were designed, assembled and tested in its Crawford St premises in Dunedin while a local plastics manufacturer in Mosgiel was also used.
In 2020, Tussock Innovation received the digital innovation award at the virtual National Fieldays, for its Waterwatch product.