The Learning Wave

What The Learning Wave does

The Learning Wave Limited is a New Zealand-based workplace training and leadership development firm founded in 2005 by Peter Allen and Martyn Mckessar, currently led by CEO Richard Moxon. The company operates as an NZQA-registered Private Training Establishment with Category 1 status (the highest confidence rating for educational performance) and delivers customized learning programmes to enterprise clients primarily in the food manufacturing, infrastructure, and government sectors across New Zealand and Australia. With a team of over 50 staff and associates including more than 30 facilitators and coaches distributed throughout New Zealand, the firm services a substantial roster of New Zealand enterprise customers including Tegel, Nestle, Kraft Heinz, Silver Fern Farms, Freightways, Frucor Suntory, Farmlands, AFFCO, Vitaco, KiwiRail, Downer, Veolia, Auckland Transport, and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, alongside government clients such as Auckland Council, Rotorua Lakes Council and Te Whatu Ora.

All programmes are anchored by the proprietary, internationally accredited High Performance Learning Journey® methodology, which reframes training as on-the-job performance by aligning learning interventions directly with business goals and integrating skill application into workflow. Delivery is structured across three modalities—on-site facilitation at client premises, blended learning combining live sessions with online modules, and self-directed digital delivery through a partnership with Promote International (a prize-winning online learning transfer platform). The product portfolio is organised into five capability categories: Workplace Literacy (foundational literacy, numeracy and digital discovery), Leadership Capability (Grow Team, Grow Self, coaching, and NZQA-accredited qualifications), Workforce Capability (modular upskilling in communication, time management, lean fundamentals), Digital Capability (digital skills for manufacturing environments), and Safety Capability (culture-first safety programmes such as LeadSafe Supervisors and Safety After Dark), with NZQA Level 3 and Level 4 qualifications available for formal credentialing.

Revenue is generated through three streams: fee-based bespoke enterprise training engagements, government-funded delivery via the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund and MBIE-funded initiatives such as Project Ikuna (delivered for Auckland Council) and Project Fetu (delivered for Oamaru Pacific Island Trust via Hanga Aro Rau), and NZQA-accredited qualification licensing. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with a partnership-based co-design process; pricing is quote-based with no publicly disclosed rate cards, and select programmes are fully or partially government-funded. The company discloses no financial metrics, maintains no mobile app, has no public API or SDK, has no external venture investment, and operates from a single Auckland headquarters in Freemans Bay. Quantified customer outcomes cited include a 30% drop in absenteeism, a 49% reduction in annual staff turnover, NZD 120,000 in stock-management savings, a 15 percentage-point quality improvement (82% to 97%), and an NPS of 70+ from facilitators.

Name

The Learning Wave

Legal name

The Learning Wave Limited

Website

https://thelearningwave.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Learning Wave is a New Zealand-based workplace training and leadership development firm that delivers customized learning programmes anchored by its proprietary High Performance Learning Journey® methodology, serving manufacturing, infrastructure, and government enterprises across New Zealand and Australia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workplace Training and Leadership Development

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAGAKAC

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Instructional Design & Content Development Services

SECONDARYEDAGANAB

Human Resources & Talent Development

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional Development & Training Materials

SECONDARYBPACANAJ

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Training, Learning & Development Services

SECONDARYEDAMAIAG

Leadership, Character Education & Values Development

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Life Skills & Personal Development (Study Skills, Executive Function, SEL)

SECONDARYEDAGANAL

Education & Instructional Practice Professional Development

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Professional Development & Training Materials

Keywords

• Workplace training
• Leadership development
• Workforce capability
• Digital skills training
• Safety capability

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

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. B2B Workplace Training Services: Direct engagement with businesses to deliver customized workplace training programmes. Revenue generated through programme fees for leadership development, workforce capability, workplace literacy, digital capability, and safety training.
2. Government-Funded Training: Programmes funded by Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) through Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund. Also MBIE-funded programmes like Project Ikuna delivered for Auckland Council.
3. NZQA Accredited Qualifications: Formal recognition through NZQA qualifications including New Zealand Certificate in Business (First Line Management Level 4, Introduction to Team Leadership Level 3) and Project Management Level 4.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Learning Wave delivers workplace training, leadership development, and learning solutions to New Zealand and Australian enterprises and government agencies. Its portfolio spans workplace literacy, leadership, workforce capability, digital skills, safety capability, NZQA-accredited qualifications, and government-funded programmes such as Project Ikuna, all anchored by the proprietary High Performance Learning Journey® methodology.

Product overview

The Learning Wave operates as a workplace training and leadership development organization offering a portfolio of learning solutions anchored by its proprietary High Performance Learning Journey® methodology. The core offering spans five capability areas: Workplace Literacy (foundational skills including literacy, numeracy, and digital discovery), Leadership Capability (Grow Team, Grow Self, coaching, and NZQA-accredited qualifications), Workforce Capability (short modules for upskilling), Digital Capability (digital skills for manufacturing), and Safety Capability (culture-first safety training). The company also delivers Project Ikuna, a government-funded initiative for Pacific and Māori workforce development. All programmes are available through flexible delivery options including in-room facilitation, blended learning, and digital platforms, with the option of formal NZQA recognition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• High Performance Learning Journey®: The company's internationally accredited methodology that aligns learning with business goals for tangible results.

Products and services

• High Performance Learning Journey® The company's internationally accredited proprietary methodology that aligns learning with business goals and underpins all of The Learning Wave's training programmes for enterprise and government clients.
• Workplace Literacy Foundational literacy, numeracy, and communication training programmes delivered to enterprise frontline workforces, with government-funded options available through TEC's Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund.
• Leadership Capability Leadership development programmes for emerging leaders through to senior teams, including Grow Team, Grow Self, One-to-One Coaching, and NZQA-accredited qualifications, designed to shape culture and lift performance.
• Workforce Capability Short upskilling modules covering digital confidence, communication, time management, wellbeing, conflict resolution, train-the-trainer, lean fundamentals, fatigue management, and money confidence for frontline employees.
• Digital Capability Digital skills training solutions including Digital Skills for Manufacturing, Digital Discovery, and Project Fetu micro-credentialing for Pasifika workforce upskilling, designed to build digital confidence and technology adoption.
• Safety Capability Safety culture training programmes including LeadSafe Supervisors, Safety After Dark, and customised safety training designed to create high-performance safety cultures in industrial workplaces.
• Qualifications NZQA-accredited qualifications including New Zealand Certificate in Business (Level 3 and Level 4) in Team Leadership and First Line Management, New Zealand Certificate in Project Management (Level 4), and micro-credentials in digital processes for manufacturing.
• Project Ikuna Government-funded (MBIE) workforce development initiative offering courses in digital literacy, financial capability, leadership, wellbeing, and home ownership preparation through micro-credentials for Auckland's Pacific and Māori workforce.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30% drop in absenteeism
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers28 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and strategic.

• Promote InternationalcoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with prize-winning online learning transfer platform to host many of The Learning Wave's programmes. Provides robust and tested environment to transform formal learning into rich digital learning journeys.
• AU ConsultingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides additional guidance and insights through culturally sensitive working environments, supporting The Learning Wave's culturally responsive delivery approach.
• Competenz Te PukengacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved sub-contractor relationship supporting Manufacturing, Engineering and Logistics clients with NZQA-accredited qualifications.
• Connexis Te PukengacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApproved provider relationship supporting Infrastructure sector clients with industry training and qualifications.
• Hanga Aro RaustrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Hanga Aro Rau and Oamaru Pacific Island Trust on Project Fetu - upskilling Pasifika workforce through micro-credentialing.
• Oamaru Pacific Island TruststrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Project Fetu to upskill Pasifika workforce through micro-credentialing in Oamaru.
• Te PukengacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella partnership through sub-contractor relationships with Competenz and Connexis for NZQA qualification delivery.
• WorkSafe NZsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnership for co-designing practical, high-impact safety learning journeys.
• Construction Health and Safety New Zealand (CHASNZ)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnership for co-designing practical, high-impact safety learning journeys in construction sector.
• Auckland CouncilstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner for MBIE-funded Project Ikuna programme for Auckland's Pacific and Māori workforce.
• Tertiary Education Commission (TEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership for Workplace Literacy and Numeracy Fund programmes supporting eligible learners.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BTS: Stockholm-headquartered business training and strategy execution firm focused on leadership, sales and operational excellence. Comparable as a specialist provider of outcomes-driven, custom enterprise learning journeys with strong case-study evidence.
• Korn Ferry: Global organisational consulting firm with a substantial leadership and professional development practice. Comparable as a large incumbent offering leadership development, coaching and capability building to enterprise customers in similar verticals.
• FranklinCovey: Global leadership and effectiveness training firm (The 7 Habits, etc.). Comparable as a large-scale provider of proprietary leadership methodologies and enterprise training, representing the kind of global incumbent The Learning Wave competes against on methodology.
• The Ken Blanchard Companies: Long-established leadership training and management education firm with proprietary methodologies (SLII, etc.). Comparable as a methodology-led, outcomes-focused L&D incumbent selling to enterprise clients worldwide.
• Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership development and talent management firm serving large enterprises. Comparable as a broad incumbent with proprietary leadership methodologies and measurable outcome claims, competing for the same enterprise L&D budgets.
• GP Strategies: Global workforce performance improvement and training outsourcing firm. Comparable as a broad incumbent delivering customised workplace training, leadership development and digital learning solutions to enterprise and government clients.

Direct peers

• Wilson Learning: Specialist provider of sales, leadership and workforce learning solutions with measurable business outcome claims. Comparable as a methodology-led L&D firm operating globally and selling outcomes-driven programmes similar to High Performance Learning Journey®.
• Inspire Group: New Zealand-based leadership, team development and organisational performance consultancy. Directly comparable as a NZ-headquartered L&D firm selling customised programmes to enterprise clients with similar outcomes-led positioning.

Regional players

• Auldhouse: Major NZ provider of corporate IT and business training, including NZQA-aligned programmes. Comparable as a NZ training establishment competing for similar enterprise and government-funded training budgets, though with a stronger IT/technical focus.
• Skills Consulting Group: New Zealand workplace learning and capability development consultancy. Comparable as a NZ-based regional player operating in adjacent L&D, leadership and workplace literacy space, competing for similar enterprise and government-funded mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thelearningwave
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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The Learning Wave