Inside the University of Waikato’s HIKO Hub, a quiet revolution in data software is underway.
Exaba, a fast-growing technology company founded by Waikato alumni Peter Boyle (CEO) and Dr Stuart Inglis (CTO), is redefining how the world thinks about data storage and distributed cloud technology. What began as a shared vision between two innovators has rapidly evolved into a global-scale enterprise and it’s doing it right here, on the Hamilton campus.
Big ambitions, local beginnings
Founded in 2024 and now employing more than 30 people, Exaba is working with service providers across New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. The company has recently unveiled a distributed cloud storage solution that allows service providers to deploy interconnected, locally controlled data clusters, called LocalScaler. The team says it’s gaining traction worldwide.
Exaba staff at HIKO Hub
Exaba says its platform empowers Managed and Cloud Service Providers to build scalable, high-performance data networks that keep information close to where it’s created and used. It’s a model built for the modern internet: faster, more efficient, and free from the centralised limits of hyperscale cloud platforms.
“We’re proving that you don’t need to be in Silicon Valley to build world-class infrastructure,” says Dr Inglis. “We’re doing it right here in Waikato, surrounded by the talent, innovation, and energy that make this region such a powerful tech hub.”
Powered by people and proximity
The company’s growth has been fuelled by its close connection to the University of Waikato and the HIKO Hub, where Exaba’s headquarters and engineering teams operate.
Being embedded within the University gives Exaba a direct link to emerging talent, research partnerships, and new ideas. Through internships, part-time roles, and supervised research projects, more than 30 students are currently gaining hands-on experience with Exaba’s product and technology teams.
University of Waikato student Riley Cooney is one of them. Studying for a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Software Engineering, Riley was first introduced to Exaba through the University’s ENGEN271X paper, which required an internship placement.
University of Waikato student Riley Cooney
“I had some interviews elsewhere, but when I discovered Exaba was located on campus, the convenience stood out straight away,” Riley says. “After speaking with the team about the projects they were working on, I was impressed by both the people and the work.”
Riley says working at Exaba while continuing his studies has provided him with invaluable exposure to large-scale commercial software development.
“One of the most valuable skills I’ve developed is learning to work within an existing codebase,” he explains. “Throughout university, I was used to writing smaller projects from scratch, but at Exaba I’ve had to adapt to projects that were already well-established.”
For Exaba, this two-way learning dynamic is exactly why they chose the HIKO Hub: for a constant flow of fresh ideas and practical experience between industry and academia.
“The students here are incredible,” says Nick Humphries, Exaba’s Director of Solutions. “They’re sharp, curious, and fast learners. We get to mentor them in the realities of product development, testing, and global-scale deployment - while they bring new energy and ideas that feed straight into our innovation pipeline.”
The collaboration extends into the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, where Exaba provides access to hardware and resources that support AI, storage, and distributed systems research. This fusion of academic depth and commercial urgency gives students a real-world understanding of how large-scale cloud systems are designed, tested, and delivered.
From Waikato to the world
Since setting up at HIKO Hub in May 2024, Exaba’s growth has been fast. The company quickly outgrew its initial offices, expanded across multiple offices within the Hub, merging with a regional IT company to accelerate scale.
Today, Exaba’s footprint reaches across Australasia and North America, with a rapidly expanding partner network that includes leading service providers and technology integrators. The team says its long-term vision is to create a global distributed cloud network, driving a new category of services under its LocalScaler services, connecting regional innovation hubs and giving organisations more control, performance, and choice over where their data lives.
“Our ambition is global, but our foundation will always be local,” says Peter Boyle, Exaba’s CEO. “We’re proud to build a company of international scale from Waikato. It’s proof that world-class technology doesn’t have to be built somewhere else, it can be built right here, with the people and the spirit that define New Zealand innovation.”
