Kerapast was born from groundbreaking scientific research that began on opposite sides of the world.
Let’s travel back to 1996, Mississippi in the United States. During his surgical practice, Dr Robert Allen Smith observed the unusual properties of keratin materials, such as hair. From these observations and pioneering medical research, he showed the potent wound healing properties of keratin protein, leading to the foundation of Keraplast in 1996.
Jump to New Zealand, 2001 – With support from the New Zealand wool industry, Keratec began groundbreaking research to identify industrial processes for functional Keratin proteins’ isolation and commercialisation of these discoveries.
When Keraplast from the USA & Keratec from New Zealand met in the early 2000s, a strong partnership evolved. This resulted, several years later, in the merging of the businesses into one entity with an international patent portfolio of over 130 individual patents in 36 patent families.
Production is centred in Christchurch, New Zealand, a recognised hub of excellence in agricultural research allied with Lincoln University.
New Zealand sourced wool is shorn sustainably from sheep at the start of each Kiwi summer, ensuring the sheep survive the summer heat while growing a new coat in time to be well protected for winter.
For the past 20 years, Keraplast has manufactured branded ingredients for distribution amongst the world’s leading health, nutrition and personal care companies. Our innovative technology and extensive body of research have led us to become the world’s leading innovator of keratin protein technology.
Keraplast — with collective ambition and innovation, we will approach the future curiously, pushing ourselves forward whilst contributing to something larger than ourselves, something that truly matters — enhancing the future of food and wellness.
We are ambitious to disrupt and make a real difference in people’s lives; we care about people and wish to support and empower everyone to live well. Therefore, we are on a mission to create life-changing ingredients for life-changing products.
We will do this while safekeeping our place — it’s where we are from; we’re close to our product, which keeps us close to our land. So it’s time for us to actively collaborate and engage with like-minded organisations to benefit New Zealand on the world stage.
Our journey is only just beginning. Whether we are looking at our company’s past 20 years or our country’s past 2000 years, we will respect where we have come from while keeping our focus on the future.
We are ambitious to disrupt and make a real difference in people’s lives; we care about people and wish to support and empower everyone to live well. Therefore, we are on a mission to create life-changing ingredients for life-changing products.
We will do this while safekeeping our place — it’s where we are from; we’re close to our product, which keeps us close to our land. So it’s time for us to actively collaborate and engage with like-minded organisations to benefit New Zealand on the world stage.
Our journey is only just beginning. Whether we are looking at our company’s past 20 years or our country’s past 2000 years, we will respect where we have come from while keeping our focus on the future.
“Regenerative strategies cannot be based on one-size-fits-all solutions but are necessarily targeted to the specific characteristics of the social-ecological systems with which business organisations interact”
Our Purpose
To create benefits that improve the wellbeing of both society and the environment
To be the global leader in health and wellness enhancing keratin products
To develop innovative, ethical keratin ingredients that are evidence based and sustainably manufactured
Our team at Keraplast is driven by a shared passion for innovation and sustainability. From our Functional Keratin® scientists—who bring over two decades of keratin research—to our regenerative farming specialists and client support experts, each member is committed to delivering bioactive ingredients of unparalleled purity and efficacy. We pride ourselves on long-term partnerships grounded in trust, transparency, and a collective dedication to doing more good for people and the planet.
Senior Executive Team
CEO
An agritech/foodtech/
Specialties: Founding, fund raising, leading and governance of technology companies with a focus on the life sciences sector. Driving innovation in the dairy, food, agri and biotech sectors.
General Manager - Nutraceuticals & Personal Care
Tony brings a wealth of experience in Commercial leadership, having previously worked in the Dairy sector heading up the Ingredients portfolio with a strong emphasis on Protein. Passionate about showcasing New Zealand’s world-class ingredients and products on the global stage, is dedicated to driving innovation and sustainable growth.
General Manager of Business Operations
Lu brings over 15 years of experience in manufacturing and operational leadership, with a background in Biochemical Engineering and a Master’s in Management.
Throughout her career, she has successfully led major projects including factory relocations, post-incident rebuilds, and continuous improvement initiatives across a range of industries.
At Keraplast, Lu leads with a practical, people-focused approach—working closely with teams to streamline operations, support growth, and drive meaningful change.
She is committed to building efficient systems and fostering high performing, engaged teams.
General Manager – Medtech & API
Dave is an experienced commercial leader with over 20 years of international experience across healthcare, supply chain, manufacturing and public sector systems. He has held senior leadership roles with organisations including the United Nations and Gavi, and successfully led complex programmes across Africa, Asia, and Europe.
At Keraplast, Dave leads the global development and commercialisation of keratin-based medical technologies. He is responsible for regulated manufacturing, regulatory strategy, and building international partnerships to bring Keraplast’s innovative medical and pharmaceutical products to market.
Dave brings a pragmatic, execution-focused approach to leadership, working closely with teams and partners to translate strategy into delivery.
Chief Financial Officer
Greg brings a wealth of experience in financial leadership, having previously served as CFO for a number of manufacturing entities. In these roles, he led strategic financial planning, risk management, and operational improvements that delivered measurable business impact. His consulting background also gives him a well-rounded perspective that supports innovation and efficiency across our finance and systems functions.
Greg holds a Bachelor of Commerce and is a Chartered Accountant.
Chief Scientific Officer
Sujay is an experienced science leader with over 15 years spent bridging research and industry. He has led major programmes in biomaterials, bioprocessing, and sustainable innovation, with a strong focus on creating value from co-products and developing technologies with global market potential.
At Keraplast, he leads the R&D portfolio, taking projects from concept through to regulatory readiness and commercial application, while also providing ongoing scientific support for the current product portfolio. Recognised for securing national research funding and building effective cross-sector collaborations, Sujay has delivered technologies that enhance product quality and open new markets. He holds a PhD in Materials Chemistry.
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