What Nicholson Consulting does

Nicholson Consulting is a Wellington, New Zealand-based data consultancy that builds statistical models, microsimulation tools, machine learning systems, dashboards, and data strategy frameworks for New Zealand government agencies and iwi (Māori tribal) organisations. The firm is distinguished by its application of te ao Māori (Māori worldview) and Māori data sovereignty principles to data science, analytics, statistical modelling, and natural language processing. The team is composed primarily of statisticians and data scientists and totals roughly 30–35 staff, with the company remaining privately held by founder Todd Nicholson and operating without external investment.

The firm's productised offerings include the OHI Data Navigator dashboard for rangatahi (youth) wellbeing, the He Ara Poutama mō te reo Māori microsimulation model for forecasting the future of te reo Māori, and algorithms that automate approximately 90% of ACC (Accident Compensation Corporation) claims processing, handling around two million claims per year. Additional deliverables include the Te Matapaeroa Dashboard tracking Māori economic resilience and the Te Mātātupu ki te Rautaki Raraunga data strategy framework. Delivery is supported through long-running partnerships with Te Kotahi Research Institute, Kōtātā Insights, the University of Waikato (including a NZD $6M MBIE Endeavour Fund research programme), Deloitte NZ, the Centre for Social Impact, and the One Aotearoa Foundation.

The business operates a project-based professional services model, with revenue derived from contracts with central government agencies (ACC, Stats NZ, Te Puni Kōkiri, Ministry of Social Development, Payments NZ, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) and iwi and community entities (Waikato-Tainui, Whakatōhea Māori Trust Board, Manawanui, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Te Rourou/Vodafone Foundation). The company achieved B Corp certification in December 2022 and has transitioned chief executive twice since 2022 (Bernadette Scanlon from February 2022, succeeded more recently by Sara van der Velde), reflecting a maturing governance structure alongside continued founder control.

Name

Nicholson Consulting

Legal name

Nicholson Consulting

Website

https://nicholsonconsulting.co.nz

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nicholson Consulting is a Wellington-based data consultancy that builds statistical models, microsimulation tools, machine learning systems, and dashboards for New Zealand government agencies and iwi organisations, with specialisation in Māori data sovereignty and te ao Māori analytics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Data Analytics Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Innovation, Product & R&D Consulting (BPAHACAM), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)

Keywords

• Data consulting
• Statistical analysis
• Algorithm development
• Indigenous data sovereignty
• Data visualization

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Consulting: Nicholson Consulting generates revenue through commissioned consulting projects for government agencies, iwi organisations, and community groups. Services include data science, research & insights, and Māori data expertise delivered through project-based engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nicholson Consulting is a multi-disciplinary data consultancy providing data science, research and insights, and Māori data services to government agencies, iwi organisations, and community groups in Aotearoa New Zealand. Their work spans statistical modelling, machine learning, microsimulation forecasting, natural language processing, algorithm development, and the production of interactive dashboards and data strategy frameworks grounded in te ao Māori and Māori data sovereignty principles.

Product overview

Nicholson Consulting is a multi-disciplinary data consultancy offering a portfolio of data science, research, and Māori data services. Their core offerings include the OHI Data Navigator (an interactive dashboard for rangatahi wellbeing data), He Ara Poutama (a microsimulation model for te reo Māori revitalization forecasting), and ACC Claims Processing Algorithms. They complement these analytical tools with strategic consulting services including data strategy development with Māori worldview perspectives, research & insights, and specialized Māori data sovereignty services. The company is B Corp certified and focuses on analytics for the benefit of communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• He Ara Poutama mō te reo Māori: A microsimulation model that forecasts te reo Māori acquisition and fluency in Aotearoa, designed to support planning and investment for language revitalization.
• OHI Data Navigator
• Te Mātātupu ki te Rautaki Raraunga

Products and services

• Data Science Services Analytics, forecasting, and data science consulting services including statistical analysis, machine learning, automation, and data visualization for government and community organisations.
• Research & Insights Services Research consulting services providing evidence-based insights to inform policy decisions and strategic approaches for clients.
• Māori Data Services Specialized services applying Māori Data Sovereignty principles to ensure data is used in ways that are culturally appropriate and beneficial to Māori communities.
• OHI Data Navigator An interactive digital dashboard that provides insights into the experiences, opportunities, and challenges faced by rangatahi (young people) in Aotearoa, enabling communities to explore wellbeing data from local to national levels.
• He Ara Poutama mō te reo Māori A microsimulation model that forecasts te reo Māori usage and fluency in Aotearoa out to 2040, designed to support planning and investment decisions for Māori language revitalization.
• ACC Claims Processing Algorithms Operational algorithms built for ACC that automated approximately 90% of claim decision-making processes, reducing claim approval time from 2 weeks to seconds.
• Te Matapaeroa Dashboard An interactive dashboard developed with Te Puni Kōkiri that allows users to explore data about Māori businesses and economic resilience in Aotearoa.
• Te Mātātupu ki te Rautaki Raraunga (Data Strategy Framework) A strategic framework providing a whakaaro Māori perspective on data to inform the development of organizational data strategies, including recommended principles and initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• ACC claim processing reduced from 2 weeks to seconds; 90% of 2 million annual claims now automated
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Te Kotahi Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Ongoing partnership with Te Kotahi Research Institute for the 'Tikanga in Technology: Indigenous approaches to transforming data ecosystems' programme. Nicholson Consulting staff participate in the Whāki Webinar series and research collaboration.
• Kōtātā InsightscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020Long-term partnership with Kōtātā Insights for development of He Ara Poutama mō te reo Māori. The two companies jointly developed the microsimulation model and continue to partner on projects for Te Mātāwai and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
• University of WaikatocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2020University of Waikato, supported by Nicholson Consulting staff and other indigenous researchers, secured $6m MBIE Endeavour Fund over four years for the Tikanga in Technology project. Nicholson Consulting staff contribute expertise to this research programme.
• Centre for Social ImpactsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Centre for Social Impact on the OHI Data Navigator project alongside Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation and Deloitte.
• Deloitte New ZealandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Deloitte on the OHI Data Navigator project alongside Te Rourou, Vodafone Aotearoa Foundation and Centre for Social Impact.
• Precision Driven HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Precision Driven Health alongside Manawanui for disability support services research using Stats NZ IDI data.
• One Aotearoa FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with One Aotearoa Foundation for co-governance and administration of OHI Data Navigator. Te Rourou and Māori work together as kaipupuri (administrators) to ensure use aligns with interests of rangatahi, whānau and communities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Deloitte New Zealand: Big Four consulting firm already partnering with Nicholson Consulting on the OHI Data Navigator. Competes for the same NZ government and iwi data mandates but offers a much broader advisory portfolio and global delivery footprint.
• KPMG New Zealand: Big Four advisory firm with a NZ government and iwi consulting practice. Competes for the same data and policy mandates Nicholson Consulting serves, with materially larger resourcing but less cultural specialisation.
• PwC New Zealand: Big Four consultancy with an active NZ public sector and iwi advisory practice. Targets the same government agency buyers and increasingly competes in data, analytics, and indigenous services procurement.
• EY New Zealand: Big Four firm with a NZ public sector consulting practice and growing data/analytics capability. Targets overlapping government and iwi clients with broader transformation offerings.

Direct peers

• Allen + Clarke: Wellington-based policy, regulation, and evaluation consultancy serving NZ government and iwi. Directly comparable in scale, geography, and the type of policy and research services Nicholson Consulting delivers.
• Te Kotahi Research Institute: University of Waikato-based indigenous research institute partnering with Nicholson Consulting on the 'Tikanga in Technology' programme and broader Māori data sovereignty research — overlapping directly in cultural data methodology and policy work.
• Kōtātā Insights: NZ Māori insights and evaluation firm. Co-developed He Ara Poutama mō te reo Māori with Nicholson Consulting and continues to partner on Te Taura Whiri and Te Mātāwai projects, making the two firms direct collaborators on the same te ao Māori data services niche.
• Sapere Research Group: NZ-based expert economic and policy consultancy serving government agencies. Similar client base and Wellington footprint, with overlapping capability in evidence-based research and public sector analytics.
• MartinJenkins: NZ-owned public policy and management consultancy advising central and local government and iwi. Closely comparable in size, mission and client base to Nicholson Consulting's research and policy work.

Emerging players

• Impact Lab: NZ social enterprise co-founded by former Nicholson Consulting CEO Kylie Reiri. Operates in the same social-outcomes data and analytics space with a multi-disciplinary academic and iwi partnership model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nicholson-consulting-nz
• Instagraminstagram.com/nicholsonconsulting

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Nicholson Consulting