Icehouse severs links with Chinese company

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Business incubator Icehouse Ventures has pulled out of a partnership with a Chinese company blacklisted by the United States for its role in human rights abuses, following an investigation by Stuff Circuit.

The investigation exposed government backing of New Zealand entities partnering with the Chinese artificial intelligence giant iFlytek, whose technology is used in the surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China.

The board of Icehouse Ventures launched its own investigation and had ended the partnership, chief executive Robbie Paul said.

IFlytek is the leading supplier of voiceprint technology used to take voice samples from the minority Muslim Uyghur population in Xinjiang, where a brutal regime of oppression is in place.

The agreement between Icehouse Ventures and iFlytek was signed in March 2019.

In 2019 publicity material about the partnership, iFlytek called it a ‘‘strategic co-operation agreement’’.

Paul said it was a ‘‘nonbinding agreement, outlining an intent to partner on developing opportunities together’’.

The Icehouse Ventures board requested the review of the partnership in February, during the Stuff Circuit investigation.

Responding to Stuff Circuit’s questions over the result of the review, Paul said it ‘‘will not be pursuing’’ the relationship.

‘‘We don’t invest in, or make money from companies that cause harm,’’ he said, while acknowledging that Icehouse Ventures was ‘‘committed to making improvements to our policies and processes’’.

Icehouse Ventures is the second New Zealand entity to be embarrassed into ending its relationship with iFlytek.

Rocos Global abruptly discontinued its own partnership with iFlytek during the Stuff Circuit investigation, saying in a statement: ‘‘Rocos is no longer involved in any projects with iFlytek. And there are no future projects planned’’. Icehouse Ventures is the majority shareholder in Rocos Global.

The Rocos and Icehouse Ventures partnerships were formed in spite of concerns having been raised about iFlytek since 2017.

Both Rocos and Icehouse Ventures are backed by government money. Through the Aspire NZ Seed Fund, the government has a 3.5 per cent stake in Rocos and provides about $700,000 a year to Icehouse Ventures through Callaghan Innovation.

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