Gusto Collective
Gusto Collective is a Hong Kong-headquartered BrandTech holding company offering AR/VR, metahuman, Web3, and luxury brand consulting services to enterprise clients across Asia. It serves luxury, entertainment, telecom, retail, and government sectors from offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersHong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gusto Collective does
Gusto Collective is an Asia-based BrandTech holding company founded in January 2020 by Aaron Lau in Hong Kong. The firm operates four service specialisms — AR/VR experiences, Metahuman (virtual human) technology, Luxury brand consulting, and Web3 services — delivered to enterprise clients across luxury, entertainment, telecommunications, retail, government, and cultural sectors. Its proprietary technology stack includes a metahuman platform that produces virtual artists and influencers such as MonoC (a generative art virtual artist exhibited at Digital Art Fair and commissioned by Phillips Auction House) and AjA (a China-focused urban-sports metahuman), alongside AR Lens platforms integrated with 5G, NFT minting and community-marketing infrastructure, and data-driven generative art capabilities.
The company's revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services engagements, supplemented by consulting fees, Web3/NFT service fees, and an early recurring-revenue push via productized offerings such as the CoReality enterprise metaverse platform. Distribution is sales-led and direct-to-enterprise, supported by event presence at venues like Art Basel and Digital Art Fair and earned media in Bloomberg, SCMP, Forbes, and Vogue Business. Notable client engagements include the Warriors of Future NFT program (10,000 PFPs and a virtual showroom for Louis Koo's sci-fi film), Pixar Fest AR activation with Harbour City, the csl 5G x Mirror AR Lens platform, AR installations commissioned by HK LCSD and the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and ongoing work with Rosewood Hong Kong, NBA Grooming, Phillips, and 7-Eleven. The firm is privately held, venture-backed (most recently with an $11M seed plus round led by Animoca Brands and Gaw Capital in May 2022), and has grown to 250+ employees across Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur following the June 2023 acquisition of Mercury Integrated.
Gusto Collective firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gusto Collective
- Legal name
- Gusto Collective
- Website
- https://www.thisisgusto.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Gusto Collective is a Hong Kong-headquartered BrandTech holding company offering AR/VR, metahuman, Web3, and luxury brand consulting services to enterprise clients across Asia. It serves luxury, entertainment, telecom, retail, and government sectors from offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gusto Collective industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brand Technology Services
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Advertising Agencies (541810), Corporate, Subsidiary, and Regional Managing Offices (551114), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Metaverse & Social Virtual Worlds (BPAMAKAF)
Keywords
Where Gusto Collective is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hong Kong
- HQ country
- Hong Kong SAR China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices7 records
Markets served
Gusto Collective business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Professional Services / Project-based: Custom brandtech projects for enterprise clients including AR activations, Web3 campaigns, metahuman development, and luxury brand consulting
- Web3/NFT Services: NFT program development, minting, and virtual showroom creation for entertainment and brand IP
- Luxury Brand Management Consulting: Strategic consulting services for luxury brands including brand strategy, sustainability, creative marketing, and cultural partnerships
- Recurring Revenue Products: Development of recurring revenue products in immersive technologies like AR, VR, and metaverse experiences
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Gusto Collective product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gusto Collective delivers end-to-end BrandTech solutions across four service specialisms: AR/VR experiences, Metahuman (virtual human) technology, Web3/NFT programs, and luxury brand consulting. The firm operates as a project-based B2B services provider, designing immersive activations, virtual influencers, NFT ecosystems, and brand strategies for enterprise clients in luxury, entertainment, retail, telecom, and cultural sectors across Asia. Revenue is generated through custom enterprise engagements rather than self-serve or product-based distribution.
Product overview
Gusto Collective is Asia's leading BrandTech holding company offering four core service specialisms: AR/VR experiences, Metahuman (virtual human) technology, Luxury brand management, and Web3 services. Founded in January 2020 by Aaron Lau, the company operates across Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur with over 250 full-time employees. Their service offerings include AR Specialism (O2O activation, content marketing, metaverse, games, AR/VR content, immersive experiences, virtual store, e-commerce), Metahuman Specialism (virtual influencer development, marketing platforms, IP creation, art tech), Web3 Specialism (NFT minting, community marketing, blockchain, metaverse), and Luxury Specialism (consulting, creativity, connections). Featured projects include Warriors of Future NFT Program, Art for Everyone at HKMOA, Garden of Eden AR Installation, AjA and MonoC metahumans, Pixar Fest AR activation, csl 5G AR Lens, Corona Florella and Drowning in Love generative art series, Gullu Gullu mascots, and Rhapsody in Bloom. The company also launched CoReality in June 2023 for enterprise metaverse showcasing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AR Specialism
Quantifiable outcome
- Warriors of Future NFT program achieved number one Top Grossing Domestic film status
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Gusto Collective
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Gusto Collective technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
Gusto Collective partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Mercury IntegratedcoreAcquired by Gusto Collective in June 2023 to expand into Southeast Asia market. Mercury Integrated is a marketing communications agency based in the region.
- OneCool CollectivecoreCollaborated on Warriors of Future NFT program - Asia's first blockbuster movie NFT. Gusto developed 360-degree Web3 marketing program including 10,000 PFPs, mobile game, and virtual showroom.
- Louis KoocoreActor and producer who partnered with Gusto for Warriors of Future NFT program to extend the film's IP into Web3 space.
- 7-ElevenminorCross-cultural Web2 to Web3 collaboration partner for Warriors of Future NFT mobile game, providing physical-digital redemption opportunities.
- Yoho MallminorCross-cultural collaboration partner for Warriors of Future virtual-to-reality (V2R) ecosystem.
- Harbour CitycoreMajor Hong Kong shopping mall that partnered for Pixar Fest AR activation - geo-tagged AR experience bringing Pixar characters to life for mall visitors.
- cslcoreHong Kong's first 5G network provider partnered to develop unique AR Lens platform for consumer engagement and immersive reward experiences with Mirror band.
- Hong Kong Museum of ArtcoreFriends of Hong Kong Museum of Art partnered for 30th anniversary Art for Everyone project - AR activation of 10 iconic artworks for immersive experiences.
- Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services DepartmentcoreGovernment department that commissioned Garden of Eden AR installation for 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China under Art@Harbour initiative.
- MonoCcoreFirst virtual human artist created by Gusto Collective. MonoC creates data-driven generative art and has exhibited at Digital Art Fair, partnered with Phillips auction house, and created artwork for Rosewood Hotel and government installations.
- Rosewood Hong KongcoreLuxury hotel partnered for Rhapsody in Bloom generative art installation at Art Basel Hong Kong celebration of 4th anniversary.
- Wellness Med LtdcorePartnered to extend Gusto's metahuman platform in China with AjA - urban sports metahuman targeting younger Chinese audience and wellness industry.
- NBA Grooming Product LinecoreLong-term strategic collaboration with NBA men's grooming product line through AjA metahuman brand ambassadors.
- Shanghai International Fashion Education CenterminorHosted digital clothing competition with AjA metahuman, with winning pieces showcased at 2022 CIIE.
- Digital Art Fair Xperience 2022coreInvited MonoC as the first metahuman artist to exhibit at Digital Art Fair Xperience 2022.
- Phillips Auction HousecoreCommissioned MonoC to create Drowning in Love generative art piece for 7-day NFT auction, collecting 100,000+ data points for the artwork.
- DSLCollectionminorAcquired Corona Florella generative art piece from MonoC's exhibition at Digital Art Fair.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Gusto Collective competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Accenture Song: Accenture's experience and marketing transformation business with capabilities in metaverse, AR/VR, content and commerce. Comparable as a large incumbent pitching against Gusto for enterprise brandtech mandates.
- Publicis Sapient: Tech-enabled brand and experience transformation arm of Publicis Groupe, covering digital strategy, immersive experiences and platform engineering. Comparable as a much larger alternative for enterprise clients seeking brandtech transformation.
- Dentsu Isobar: Global digital agency network within Dentsu with strong APAC presence in brand experience, AR/VR and content. Comparable as a broader incumbent competitor for enterprise brandtech budgets across Asia.
- We Are Social: Global socially-led creative agency with a dedicated Web3/metaverse practice and APAC offices. Overlaps with Gusto's Web3, social and content marketing capabilities but operates as a much larger, broader network.
Direct peers
- UNIT9: Global creative technology studio delivering AR/VR, Web3/NFT, immersive experiences and branded content for enterprise and entertainment clients. Closely mirrors Gusto's AR Specialism and Web3 Specialism across an overlapping enterprise/luxury/CPG client base.
- Powster: Immersive marketing company specializing in movie and entertainment campaign activations, including AR/Web3 work for studios. Direct overlap with Gusto's Warriors of Future-style film NFT programs and entertainment IP work.
- Emperia: Immersive 3D, AR and virtual store platform for retail and luxury brands. Closely comparable to Gusto's AR/virtual-store work for clients like Harbour City and luxury retailers.
- Tool of North America: Creative technology studio with strong AR/VR, virtual production and interactive content capabilities. Comparable to Gusto's AR Specialism and immersive experience offerings for brand and entertainment clients.
- Journee: Enterprise metaverse and immersive web experience platform used by global brands for virtual showrooms and 3D experiences. Directly comparable to Gusto's CoReality product and metaverse services pillar for luxury and enterprise clients.
- Amplify: Independent global brand activation and experience agency with deep Asia-Pacific presence. Comparable in offering immersive AR activations, branded content and experiential campaigns for enterprise and entertainment brands in the same geographies Gusto serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Gusto Collective social profiles
Digital presenceGusto Collective financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gusto Collective leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Gusto Collective subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Gusto Collective funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gusto Collective M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gusto Collective
What does Gusto Collective do?
Gusto Collective delivers end-to-end BrandTech solutions across four service specialisms: AR/VR experiences, Metahuman (virtual human) technology, Web3/NFT programs, and luxury brand consulting. The firm operates as a project-based B2B services provider, designing immersive activations, virtual influencers, NFT ecosystems, and brand strategies for enterprise clients in luxury, entertainment, retail, telecom, and cultural sectors across Asia. Revenue is generated through custom enterprise engagements rather than self-serve or product-based distribution.
Is Gusto Collective a public or private company?
Gusto Collective is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Gusto Collective founded?
Gusto Collective was founded in 2020. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Gusto Collective based?
Gusto Collective is headquartered in Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China, in the Asia region.
How does Gusto Collective make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Professional Services / Project-based is the primary driver. The others are web3/NFT Services, luxury Brand Management Consulting and recurring Revenue Products.
Who are Gusto Collective's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Accenture Song, Publicis Sapient, Dentsu Isobar and We Are Social. Direct peers are UNIT9, Powster, Emperia, Tool of North America, Journee and Amplify.
Does Gusto Collective have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gusto Collective.
What industry is Gusto Collective in?
Gusto Collective's product category is Brand Technology Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAKAF, Metaverse & Social Virtual Worlds. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.