RUSH
RUSH is a New Zealand-based integrated design and technology studio of 100+ that builds AI-first digital products, computer vision platforms, and managed services for ambitious enterprises and government organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersParnell, New Zealand
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RUSH does
RUSH Digital Interactive Limited, trading as RUSH, is a New Zealand-based integrated design and technology studio founded in 2007 by Danushka Abeysuriya and headquartered in Parnell, Auckland with a team of 100+ spanning 30 nationalities. The firm designs and builds digital products for ambitious enterprises and government organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand, with named engagements spanning the Ministry of Health (NZ COVID Tracer, 804M+ scans for 3.6M users), Watercare (smart-meter app for 1.7M Aucklanders), Z Energy (Sharetank, Fastlane, Z Rewards plus managed services), KiwiRail, MetService (Unreal Engine weather platform reaching 500M daily global viewers), Google/UNESCO (Woolaroo indigenous-language platform), Farmlands and Auckland University of Technology, among others.
Its core technology portfolio spans cloud engineering, AI/ML integration, mobile and web development, DevOps, human-centred design, computer vision (proprietary R/VISION platform), Unity VR development, React Native and microservices architecture. Notable proprietary assets include R/VISION for real-time workplace safety insights, a world-first decentralised QR-code privacy architecture for NZ COVID Tracer, and an Unreal Engine-based environmental visualisation platform for MetService. The firm holds ISO-certified cybersecurity credentials and supports PCI DSS and NIST-compliant managed infrastructure for Z Energy.
RUSH operates as a professional services firm with bespoke engagement models across four modes (Consult, Augment, Outsource, Educate), complemented by managed services, AI enablement training, and cybersecurity. Revenue streams are project-based professional services plus recurring managed services for clients such as Z Energy. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, targeting complex enterprise and government digital transformation mandates domestically in New Zealand, with limited opportunistic international reach (Cook Islands, global broadcasters).
RUSH firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RUSH
- Legal name
- RUSH Digital Interactive Limited
- Website
- https://rush.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- RUSH is a New Zealand-based integrated design and technology studio of 100+ that builds AI-first digital products, computer vision platforms, and managed services for ambitious enterprises and government organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RUSH industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Product Design & Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile App Development Platforms (MADP) (HDAEAKAD)
Keywords
Where RUSH is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Parnell
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
RUSH business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consulting & Strategy Services: RUSH offers consultative engagements with strategic product and tech experts to create now, next, and later value for clients. Engagements include digital strategy reviews, discovery, and innovation consulting.
- Design & Engineering Services: Full-service digital product design and software engineering including UX/design, full-stack development, cloud engineering, mobile/web development, solution architecture, and DevOps with comprehensive QA and test automation.
- Managed Services: Ongoing product operations, cloud infrastructure support, proactive engineering support, 24/7 incident response, security monitoring, and compliance management for clients such as Z Energy.
- Team Augmentation: RUSH augments clients' existing teams with skilled professionals to accelerate delivery and fill capability gaps.
- Education & Training: RUSH educates client teams in world-leading product leadership, design, and delivery practices.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
RUSH product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RUSH is an integrated design and technology studio that designs and builds secure, AI-first digital experiences for ambitious enterprises and government organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand. Its core offering combines human-centred digital product strategy, design, full-stack software engineering, AI strategy and enablement, managed services, and ISO-certified cybersecurity delivered through four engagement models: Consult, Augment, Outsource, and Educate.
Product overview
RUSH is a digital design and development agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services. Their core offerings include R/VISION (real-time computer vision workplace safety technology), Watercare App (smart water meter integration platform serving 1.7 million Aucklanders), MetService Environmental Visualisation (weather visualization platform using Unreal Engine), and various mobile applications across health, government, retail, and utilities sectors. The company provides end-to-end services including digital strategy, AI enablement, design systems, software engineering, managed services, and cybersecurity, working primarily with enterprise clients across New Zealand's public sector, utilities, retail, and health industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- R/VISION: Computer vision technology pioneered by RUSH that provides real-time insights into workplace operations, developed to enhance safety practices.
Products and services
- R/VISION
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% time saved 'locking on' to sites using KiwiRail Digital Lock
- +13 more outcomes
Companies that use RUSH
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
RUSH technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
RUSH partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- UNESCOflagshipUNESCO Decade of Indigenous Languages Secretariat partnered with RUSH and Google for the July 2022 regional launch of Woolaroo. UNESCO predicts the loss of 3,000 indigenous languages by end of century, making this partnership globally significant for language preservation.
- Google Arts & CultureflagshipRUSH co-developed Google Woolaroo with Google Arts & Culture - an open-source platform using ML and Cloud Vision APIs to translate images into endangered indigenous languages. RUSH previously worked with Google on the Kūpu app for te reo Māori translation in 2019. Woolaroo is built on an open-source platform ensuring indigenous communities retain data sovereignty.
- UNICEF AotearoaflagshipRUSH redesigned the UNICEF Aotearoa website for a digital-first donor experience, achieving 476% increase in online donations. RUSH founder Danu Abeysuriya personally raised over $70,000 for UNICEF's COVAX programme in 2021, forming the foundation of the partnership.
- Auckland University of Technology (AUT)coreRUSH developed VR Pain Management solution with AUT's Pain and Musculoskeletal Conditions Research Team, creating a therapeutic VR application for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome patients using Unity for Meta Quest 2/3. AUT Ventures is commercialising the technology. Also partnered on VR Pain Management project.
- WatercarecoreRUSH designed and built the Watercare native app integrating with the smart water meter network, providing 1.7 million Aucklanders with real-time water consumption insights. RUSH works closely with Watercare's ecosystem of internal stakeholders and external vendors for seamless customer experience delivery.
- MetServicecoreRUSH collaborated with MetService to create a world-first photo-realistic weather visualisation platform using Unreal Engine, enabling global broadcasters to understand weather forecasts as if watching live action. The platform serves 500M daily global viewers.
- Z EnergyflagshipRUSH has a long-standing strategic partnership with Z Energy spanning multiple projects including Z App 2.0, Sharetank (world-first fuel sharing), Fastlane (world-first pay-by-plate fuelling), Z Rewards loyalty programme, and premium managed services covering 24/7 operations, compliance, and security for Z Energy and Caltex.
- FarmlandscoreRUSH partnered with Farmlands to build FarmlandsPRO end-to-end digital platform and delivered an AI enablement programme covering Prompt Engineering and Agentic Coding workshops, achieving 4.6 hours weekly time savings per technical staff member.
- Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health NZflagshipRUSH designed and built the COVID-19 Health Hub and NZ COVID Tracer app for the Ministry of Health. NZ COVID Tracer handled 804M+ transactions for 3.6M New Zealanders with a world-first decentralised privacy architecture, contributing to the Linux Foundation Public Health open source project.
- Access AdvisorsminorRUSH partners with Access Advisors as external accessibility consultants to help identify and resolve barriers to access in technology products, supporting WCAG 2.2 AA compliance across client projects.
- DioscuriminorRUSH partnered with cultural content specialists Dioscuri to collaboratively recreate The Lowdown mental wellbeing platform, ensuring effective application of Te Ao Māori principles for Māori, Pasifika and rainbow rangatahi.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RUSH competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- PaperKite: Christchurch-based digital agency specialising in digital strategy, design, and engineering for NZ enterprises. Comparable in scale, target market, and bespoke service model, often competing for similar government and enterprise digital transformation work.
- Salt Interactive: NZ-based digital agency offering design and development services to enterprise clients. Comparable in scale and bespoke service model, often competing for similar NZ mid-market and enterprise digital work.
- Springload: Wellington-based digital product studio offering design, UX, and custom software development for enterprise and government clients across New Zealand. Closely comparable in service mix, customer segments (NZ enterprise/public sector), and human-centred design methodology.
- Shift: Auckland-based digital transformation and software engineering consultancy serving NZ enterprise clients. Directly comparable in service portfolio (design, build, manage) and target customer base of ambitious NZ enterprises.
- Gladeye: New Zealand digital studio focused on design-led digital products and platforms for enterprise clients. Similar offering in bespoke digital product design and engineering, frequently competing in the same NZ enterprise RFPs.
Emerging players
- Primesoft: NZ digital product development firm offering custom software, web, and mobile development for NZ enterprises. Comparable in custom development services but typically smaller scale than RUSH.
Broad incumbents
- Accenture New Zealand: Global consulting giant with a New Zealand presence offering digital strategy, design (Accenture Song), and engineering services. Increasingly competing for NZ enterprise and government digital mandates that RUSH pursues.
- Thoughtworks: Global technology consultancy specialising in software engineering, design, and digital transformation. Operates in Oceania and competes for enterprise digital strategy and engineering work comparable to RUSH's offering.
- Datacom: Largest NZ-owned IT services company offering digital, cloud, and managed services across ANZ. Competes for many of the same enterprise and government digital transformation engagements but at significantly greater scale and breadth.
- Deloitte Digital New Zealand: Big Four advisory firm with a digital agency arm serving NZ enterprise and government clients on strategy, design, and engineering engagements. Competes for larger public-sector and enterprise digital transformation mandates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RUSH social profiles
Digital presenceRUSH compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
RUSH financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RUSH leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
RUSH funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RUSH M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RUSH
What does RUSH do?
RUSH is an integrated design and technology studio that designs and builds secure, AI-first digital experiences for ambitious enterprises and government organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand. Its core offering combines human-centred digital product strategy, design, full-stack software engineering, AI strategy and enablement, managed services, and ISO-certified cybersecurity delivered through four engagement models: Consult, Augment, Outsource, and Educate.
Is RUSH a public or private company?
RUSH is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was RUSH founded?
RUSH was founded in 2007. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is RUSH based?
RUSH is headquartered in Parnell, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does RUSH make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Consulting & Strategy Services are the primary driver. The others are design & Engineering Services, managed Services, team Augmentation and education & Training.
Who are RUSH's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are PaperKite, Salt Interactive, Springload, Shift and Gladeye. Primesoft is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Accenture New Zealand, Thoughtworks, Datacom and Deloitte Digital New Zealand.
Does RUSH have an API?
No public API is recorded for RUSH.
What industry is RUSH in?
RUSH's product category is Digital Product Design & Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAKAD, Mobile App Development Platforms (MADP). Its NAICS code is 5418 and its SIC code is 7371.