Mohammed Hikmet

Mohammed Hikmet is a New Zealand entrepreneur and founder of HMI Technologies, the intelligent transport systems company behind some of the country’s most ambitious autonomous vehicle projects.

Hikmet migrated to New Zealand with his family after the 1991 Gulf War, arriving in 1996. He completed an electronic engineering diploma at AIT while delivering pizzas at night to support himself. In 1999, he and his brother Ahmed founded HMI Technologies, initially as a computer repair business. Hikmet identified an opportunity in electronic road signs and spent four years in China founding his own factory to ensure manufacturing quality in the supply chain.

HMI grew into a leading manufacturer and integrator of intelligent transport systems, supplying electronic signage and traffic management technology across New Zealand. In 2017, Hikmet formed Ohmio Automotion, developing autonomous vehicles as a critical link in future transport infrastructure, a natural extension of HMI’s work in connected transport.

Hikmet was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year for New Zealand in 2019 and represented the country at the global finals in 2020. He also served as president of Intelligent Transport Systems New Zealand from 2015 to 2017.

Hikmet’s profile is noteworthy because his journey, from Gulf War refugee to pizza delivery to founding a nationally significant transport technology company — is one of New Zealand’s most compelling immigration-to-entrepreneurship stories. HMI and Ohmio demonstrate that deep-tech hardware companies can be built from New Zealand, even in sectors dominated by global giants.

Mohammed features in our look at the NZ founders who built moats out of regulation.

Sources: NZ Herald · Ohmio · Interest.co.nz