Lumin

Hands up if you’ve ever used Lumin PDF?

If you’ve ever annotated a PDF, signed a contract digitally, or submitted an assignment online, chances are you’ve used Lumin – even if you didn’t realise it. With around 125 million users worldwide, Lumin is a global success story that started in Ōtautahi Christchurch, and still proudly calls the city home.

Local roots, global impact

In 2014, while studying Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury and working on the post-earthquake rebuild with Downer, Max Ferguson noticed something inefficient: construction sites were drowning in paper.

So he did something about it.

Ferguson wrote the original source code for Lumin PDF in just three weeks. The product was a lightweight, browser-based tool that let anyone annotate, redact, or restructure documents in the cloud. What began as a simple tool to improve document workflows quickly gained global traction.

Lumin’s user base includes everyone from students and small businesses to global enterprises. Some of the world’s most recognisable brands – including Netflix, Uber, and Airbnb – use Lumin to manage documents securely and efficiently.

Closer to home, real estate giants like Bayleys and property tech leaders like Renti have integrated Lumin into their workflows.

“Whether it's sending out contracts, generating agreements, or collecting signatures, we help make those processes seamless,” says Ferguson.

A city reimagined

“I left in 2014, when Christchurch was still rebuilding. Back then, it was unclear what it would become,” recalls Ferguson. “Now, you look around and there’s incredible momentum. It’s well set up for tech companies like Lumin.”

He adds that the Christchurch mindset aligns naturally with tech. “There’s a real ‘get it done’ attitude here. If something’s broken or inefficient, people just fix it. That aligns really well with what we do at Lumin.”

Ferguson spent several years at Stanford University and immersed himself in the Bay Area startup ecosystem. But returning to Christchurch in 2021 reinforced something he hadn’t fully appreciated: the advantages of being remote.

The company employs around 100 people globally, with its development team based in Vietnam, support shared between New Zealand and the Philippines, and marketing operating out of both Ukraine and New Zealand.

Scaling smart, and fast

Lumin’s explosive growth hasn’t come by chasing trends, but by solving practical problems with discipline and speed.

“The biggest challenge is just the sheer speed of change,” says Ferguson. “Especially on the AI side – there’s something new every day. It’s complex to navigate, not just for tech companies, but for every kind of business.”

That pace has forced a shift in how the company builds.

“We can’t afford to work on something for 10 years and then unveil it – we’re working on much faster release cycles now.”

Their newest leap? Reinventing how contracts work.

Building the ecosystem

Ferguson says Lumin is committed to Christchurch’s tech future. That includes mentorship, early-stage investment, and partnerships with local companies.

“The success of any tech company depends on the ecosystem it exists in. When you look at the biggest companies globally, none of them operate in isolation – they all lean on their partners, collaborate, and help grow the community around them.”

Education is another priority.

“We want to inspire young people to see the tech industry as an exciting, viable path. There are roles at Lumin today that many students wouldn’t even know exist and helping raise that awareness is something we’re passionate about.”

The Christchurch talent advantage

What sets Christchurch apart, in Ferguson’s view, is not just its quality of life – it’s the calibre and commitment of its people.