Dairy farmer turned property developer Christopher Reeve is branching out, through investments into New Zealand’s burgeoning medical technology sector.
Morrinsville born-and-bred Christopher Reeve was a dairy farmer on Waiheke Island before subdividing his 800ha waterfront.
His 84-acre Kauaroa Bay property – boasting a pool, spa, tennis court, helipad and about a $15 million price tag – has been on the market for about a year with no successful sale.
He and partner Jackie Kerridge split their time between Waiheke – where they often support community causes, such as opening their property for the annual charity garden ramble – and a $12 million heritage-listed Takapuna waterfront mansion that once belonged to the Winstone family.
Mr Reeve, who has investments spanning New Zealand, Australia and Asia, has a large property portfolio that includes the International College of Education building on Auckland’s Queen St and Ward Tower in Hamilton’s CBD.
He has also recently taken an interest in the local medical tech sector. He invested into Upstream Medical Technologies in November to hold 10.4% of the company, and bumped up his investment in Caldera Health over the past year to become the largest shareholder with a 25.4% stake.
Christchurch-based Upstream raised money for clinical trials of its technology that could reduce chest pain hospital patient admissions by up to 40%, while Auckland-based Caldera aims to commercialise its gene-based prostate cancer diagnostic tests.