What began as experiments with locally sourced materials, 3D printing, and AI systems has grown into a company building real-time camera sensors, robotics, and automation platforms that help industries work smarter and more sustainably.

By designing and building everything in-house, RossAi turns complex data into instant, actionable insight—reducing waste, cutting costs, and helping businesses grow responsibly.

“We started with timber and a conviction: make technology feel more human, more sustainable, and put it to work for the environment,” says founder Callum Ross.

From garage craft to field-ready intelligence

Founded in 2019, RossAi set out with a simple design principle: blend advanced engineering with materials and methods that respect the natural world.

That ethos shaped every early prototype, and it still underpins the company’s flagship platforms today—systems that live in the field, gather data in real time, and turn complexity into clear, confident decisions.

The clearest example is LabLess™.

Instead of hauling samples back to a lab and waiting days for results, this in-situ sensing platform runs the test on the spot. Chemistry, water quality, or process control—LabLess™ captures data instantly and feeds it through an AI layer for interpretation.

Fewer site visits. Faster decisions. Lower carbon miles.

Measurement with a smaller footprint and a bigger impact.

The same thinking powers products like NAGS™ and WasteLens™, which use AI-integrated sensing to spot issues earlier, reduce manual checks, and keep production lines—and the environment around them—running at their best.

People at the Core

At the heart of RossAi are Callum Ross and Graham Ward—two innovators united by a shared vision to create world-class technology, built right here in Hawke’s Bay.

Callum, RossAi’s Founder and CEO, brings over 20 years’ experience across horticulture, healthcare, engineering, and high-tech industries. His deep connection to the region and passion for sustainability drive RossAi’s mission: build smart, practical solutions that make industry more efficient and environmentally responsible.

Alongside him is CTO Graham Ward, an expert in automation, robotics, and sensor integration. Callum’s industry insight and product development background pair with Graham’s engineering precision to create a partnership that fuses innovation with purpose.

Together with their growing team, they embody what Future Makers is all about: Kiwi creativity, community commitment, and the belief that globally competitive technology can be designed, built, and tested right here at home.

Challenges, breakthroughs, and Kiwi grit

Every innovation comes with its share of hurdles—and for RossAi, that’s where the real growth happened.

Developing fully integrated AI sensor systems meant navigating constant technical challenges: data accuracy, hardware calibration, automation that needs to perform in unpredictable, real-world environments.

Instead of outsourcing the hard parts, the team chose a different path.

They built everything themselves, applying Kiwi ingenuity, persistence, and a “figure-it-out” mindset to each problem. Working side-by-side with growers, manufacturers, and waste teams, they turned setbacks into insights—and those insights into better products.

That combination of hands-on collaboration, grit, and local innovation has become one of RossAi’s greatest strengths, proving that global breakthroughs can be made in a Hawke’s Bay workshop.

Why it’s world-class

RossAi’s technology is designed from the ground up to compete globally—combining world-leading AI capability with rugged, locally built hardware.

Their impact is already being recognised:
  • PanPac Best Sustainability Award (2024)
  • Silver at the Best Design Awards (2023)

These honours acknowledge RossAi’s commitment to sustainable design and smart engineering, and they sit alongside real-world results: industries that are measuring more, wasting less, and gaining new levels of visibility over their operations.

With products like LabLess™, NAGS™, and WasteLens™, RossAi is showing that breakthrough technology can be conceived, designed, and built in Hawke’s Bay—and still stand proudly on the world stage.

Sustainability by design, not as decoration

At RossAi, sustainability isn’t a veneer—it’s built into every design decision.

The team manufactures locally in Hawke’s Bay and uses woodpulp-based biocomposite materials in their hardware, reducing plastic use while maintaining strength and durability. Their modular AI sensor systems are built to last, easy to repair, and recyclable at end of life.

Sustainability here means more than just materials. It’s about:

  • Supporting local industry and skilled jobs
  • Designing products that reduce waste and energy use
  • Leaving a legacy of innovation for future generations

Smart technology, made responsibly, for a cleaner Aotearoa.

Pathways that look like the future

Step inside RossAi’s space and you’ll see the roles tomorrow’s manufacturers need right now: mechatronics and electronics, AI and data science, PCB and product design, precision fabrication, field deployment, and technical support.

It’s the kind of place where a graduate can cut their teeth across disciplines—and where a technician can move from assembly to R&D because curiosity is treated as a job requirement.

“Where people and technology meet—that’s where we want RossAi to be,” says Callum. “Simple to use, rigorous under the hood, and gentle on the environment.”

From a garage vision to field-proven platforms, RossAi shows what happens when Kiwi ingenuity meets environmental stewardship: you get tools that help us measure the world more wisely—and care for it more effectively.

Words of advice for future makers

“Start making things, even if they’re rough. Advanced manufacturing isn’t about perfection—it’s about problem-solving, persistence, and learning by doing.
We began by experimenting with local materials, 3D printing, and AI systems in a small Hawke’s Bay garage. Each prototype taught us something new. Don’t wait for the perfect plan—get your hands dirty, test ideas, and collaborate with others. That’s the Kiwi way. Curiosity, creativity, and grit will take you further than you think.”