GD1 (Global From Day One)

What GD1 (Global From Day One) does

GD1 (Global From Day One) is a New Zealand-based venture capital firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Auckland, investing in New Zealand technology companies from inception through Series B across deep tech, connected hardware, health tech, SaaS, and Web3 verticals. The firm's stated thesis is to help local founders scale into global markets, evidenced by 95% of portfolio company revenue being generated outside Australia and New Zealand and named case studies such as Runn (80% growth, customers in 43 countries). Fund 3 (2021 vintage, ~NZ$150M committed) was anchored by the NZ Government's Elevate Venture Fund and deployed across 24 portfolio companies, currently generating over NZ$200M in aggregate portfolio revenue at greater than 1.5x invested value. AUM is approximately US$250M.

The firm operates three fund vehicles: GD1 Fund 4 (marquee fund for wholesale investors, AIP-approved), GD1 Select SPV (late-stage follow-on into top Fund 3 assets, AIP-approved), and GD1 Web3 Fund 1 (a globally deployed crypto/Web3 fund with 40+ LPs and 11 investments). Beyond capital, GD1 offers the in-house "GD1 Build" program delivering Go-To-Market strategy, strategic finance, and business strategy support, and operates a portfolio careers platform (careers.gd1.vc, powered by Getro). The firm is led by Co-Managing Partners Vignesh Kumar and John Kells, with General Partner Nawaz Ahmed heading the Web3 fund, Investment Principal Dr. Aaron Small, and Go-To-Market Principal Doug Bohaboy.

Revenue is generated through traditional VC fund mechanics: recurring management fees on committed capital plus carried interest from successful exits. The LP base is restricted to wholesale and eligible investors under the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, with distribution supported by partnerships with Immigration New Zealand (Active Investor Plus visa pathway) and NZTE. The technology stack is operational rather than productized: fund administration, investor portal (gd1.fundwave.com), and the Getro-powered careers platform constitute the core infrastructure, with no proprietary AI/ML, no app, and no public API.

Name

GD1 (Global From Day One)

Legal name

GD1 Management Limited

Website

https://www.gd1.vc/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GD1 is a New Zealand venture capital firm investing from inception through Series B in deep tech, SaaS, health tech, and Web3 companies, pairing capital with in-house Go-To-Market and strategic finance support to help founders scale globally from a New Zealand base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)

Keywords

• Venture capital funds
• Early-stage investing
• Portfolio company support
• Crypto web3 fund
• Growth equity investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Management Fees: VC fund management fees charged on committed capital under management
2. Carried Interest: Performance-based carried interest from successful portfolio exits

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GD1 is a New Zealand-based venture capital firm that invests in early-stage to Series B technology companies with global ambitions. The firm manages multiple investment funds (Fund 3, Fund 4, Select SPV, and Web3 Fund 1) for wholesale and eligible investors, and provides hands-on operational support through its GD1 Build program covering go-to-market strategy, strategic finance, and business strategy.

Product overview

GD1 (Global From Day One) is a New Zealand-based venture capital firm offering multiple investment fund products: GD1 Fund 4 (marquee fund for wholesale investors), GD1 Select SPV (late-stage growth vehicle from Fund 3), and GD1 Web3 Fund 1 (crypto/Web3 focused fund). The firm also operates the GD1 Build Program providing operational support to portfolio companies. The funds are structured for investors seeking exposure to early-stage to Series B New Zealand technology companies targeting global markets. Additionally, GD1 operates a portfolio job board powered by Getro connecting talent with portfolio company opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GD1 Build: A go-to-market support program for portfolio companies providing strategic finance and business strategy assistance.
• GD1 Web3 Fund

Products and services

• GD1 Fund 4 GD1's flagship fund for wholesale investors wishing to invest in early-stage venture assets and hold for long-term capital growth; AIP Approved.
• GD1 Select SPV Special purpose vehicle focused on late-stage growth investments into best-performing assets from Fund 3 (2021 vintage), with AIP approval status.
• GD1 Web3 Fund 1 Cryptocurrency and Web3 focused venture capital fund investing in early-stage crypto companies globally.
• GD1 Build Program Operational support program providing GD1 portfolio companies with go-to-market strategy, strategic finance, and business strategy assistance.
• GD1 Portfolio Job Board Career platform powered by Getro connecting job seekers with opportunities across GD1's portfolio companies, featuring 78+ open positions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of portfolio company revenue generated outside Australia and New Zealand
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Opacity NetworkcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Web3 portfolio company providing zkTLS technology enabling web2 data verification on-chain. Used by EarnOS for provably verifying users' identity and engagement across platforms, driving better unit economics for brands.
• Immigration New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive Investor Plus (AIP) pathway partnership enabling visa-aligned investment objectives with GD1's fund offerings.
• NZTE (New Zealand Trade and Enterprise)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency providing export support and connections. GD1 team members previously held roles at NZTE. Partnership enables NZ technology companies to connect with local and international VCs.
• GetrocoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform provider for GD1's portfolio careers job board. Powers the technical infrastructure for the careers.gd1.vc job board.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Icehouse Ventures: New Zealand's largest early-stage VC fund manager, investing in NZ tech startups from pre-seed through Series A. Direct peer based on overlapping investment stage, NZ geographic focus, and co-investment alongside GD1 in Alimetry.
• Punakaiki Fund: Long-duration New Zealand growth fund investing in high-growth NZ technology companies. Direct peer given shared NZ focus and growth-stage investment orientation.
• Movac: New Zealand-based deep tech venture capital firm investing from seed through Series A in NZ technology companies. Direct peer given similar NZ focus, deep tech orientation, and co-investment relationship with GD1 in Alimetry's Series A Expansion.
• Pacific Channel: NZ-based deep tech VC firm specializing in science and engineering-led startups. Direct peer given shared NZ focus, deep tech thesis, and similar Series A/B investment stage.
• WNT Ventures: New Zealand deep tech VC fund backed by NZ Government through Callaghan Innovation, investing in early-stage science and engineering companies. Direct peer as a fellow NZ-based government-supported early-stage deep tech investor.
• Hillfarrance: New Zealand seed-stage venture capital firm investing in early-stage NZ tech startups. Direct peer given overlapping pre-seed/seed investment stage and NZ geographic focus.
• K1W1: New Zealand investment entity founded by Sir Stephen Tindall, investing in early-stage NZ technology companies. Direct peer given NZ geographic focus and co-investment relationship with GD1 in Alimetry.
• Nuance Connected Capital: New Zealand-based angel investment and early-stage venture capital firm investing in NZ tech startups. Direct peer based on shared NZ market and early-stage investment focus.

Others

• Craft Ventures: US-based early-stage venture capital firm founded by David Sacks. Comparable as a fellow early-stage VC with co-investment relationship with GD1 in Latch's pre-seed round, though operates in a different geography and at a larger scale.

Regional players

• Blackbird Ventures: Australia/NZ-focused early-stage venture capital firm investing in ANZ tech startups. Regional peer given broader ANZ geographic focus, but comparable generalist early-stage VC model and adjacent target market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gd1_vc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/17932029
• Facebookfacebook.com/globalfromdayone

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments55 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GD1 (Global From Day One)