Previously

What Previously does

Previously Unavailable is an Auckland-based innovation studio and venture firm founded in 2015 by James Hurman, operating in both a consultancy capacity (brand strategy, innovation consulting, customer experience, venture development) and as a venture builder taking equity stakes in companies it co-creates. The firm serves two primary customer segments: ambitious leaders of established NZ corporates (Heineken NZ, DB Breweries, Spark, Genesis Energy, Simplicity KiwiSaver) seeking innovation and brand strategy support, and startups seeking brand development, venture creation, and equity partnerships. Its revenue model blends professional services fees, equity participation in 30 portfolio companies (including four launched companies with combined valuations exceeding $500M), and the Brand Fund investment vehicle that has raised $12M across two vintages and led investments such as the AUD $2M pre-seed round for Manifest.

The firm's core offerings include consulting services (venture development, brand strategy, brand identity, innovation strategy, CX strategy, capital raising, product design, packaging, NPD, content creation), the productized Storytech digital platform (a $999, video-led one-day brand strategy workshop), the Tracksuit online brand tracking platform built in joint venture with TRA, and equity-backed venture creation (AF Drinks, Toothcrush, Soda Brewery for Heineken). Distribution relies on direct client engagement in New Zealand and Australia, supported by thought leadership content (books, research reports, frameworks), the award-winning Business is Boring podcast, and partnerships with NZ Government, accelerators, universities, and major banks. Technology infrastructure is built around proprietary frameworks — Creative Effectiveness Ladder, Creative Commitment Principle, Risk Assessment Canvas, Big I Little i research, and the Brand Maturity Test — rather than software platforms with AI/ML components. Leadership comprises Founder and Chair James Hurman and Partner Simon Pound, with no disclosed institutional investment in the parent entity.

Name

Previously

Legal name

Previously Unavailable

Website

https://previously.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Previously Unavailable is an Auckland-based innovation studio and venture firm that provides brand strategy, innovation consulting, and venture development to ambitious NZ corporates and startups, combining consulting fees with equity stakes across 30 portfolio companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation Consulting & Brand Strategy Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Innovation & Technology Scouting Units (with investment mandate) (FSANAHAI), Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF), Emerging Manager / Seeding Platforms (Multi-Manager) (FSANAGAF)

Keywords

• Innovation consulting services
• Brand strategy services
• Venture development
• Corporate innovation
• Creative effectiveness research

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. Innovation Consulting & Brand Strategy: Professional services fees for brand strategy, innovation consulting, and venture development engagements with corporate clients and startups.
2. Venture Equity Stakes: Equity participation in ventures co-created with clients or independently launched. The firm has launched multiple ventures (Toothcrush, Tracksuit, Storytech, AF Drinks) where they hold ownership stakes.
3. Brand Fund Investment Vehicle: Previously Unavailable operates Brand Fund, investing in early-stage companies. The fund led the $2M pre-seed round for Manifest and has raised $12M across Brand Fund 1 and 2.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Previously Unavailable is an innovation studio and venture firm that provides brand strategy, innovation consulting, venture development, and customer experience services to ambitious corporate leaders and startups. It also creates and co-invests in ventures (Tracksuit, AF Drinks, Toothcrush, Storytech) and operates the Brand Fund investment vehicle, combining professional services revenue with equity participation in launched ventures.

Product overview

Previously Unavailable is an innovation studio and venture firm based in New Zealand that works with ambitious leaders inventing or reinventing. The company operates a multi-offering portfolio consisting of professional services (brand strategy, venture development, innovation consulting), its proprietary digital product Storytech (a video-led brand strategy platform), the Brand Fund venture investment arm, and joint venture ventures such as Tracksuit (brand tracking platform). The company has also invested in or acquired equity stakes in various ventures including AF Drinks, Compostic, and Toothcrush.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brand Fund: Venture capital fund operated by Previously Unavailable, focused on brand and marketing technology investments. Led pre-seed round for Manifest (AUD $2M).

Products and services

• Innovation Studio Services Previously Unavailable's flagship professional services offering, covering venture development, brand strategy, brand identity, innovation strategy, customer experience (CX) strategy, capital raising, product design, packaging, new product development (NPD), and content creation. It is sold to ambitious corporate leaders and startups seeking to invent or reinvent their business.
• Storytech A self-serve, video-led digital platform that delivers Previously Unavailable's brand strategy process, enabling startups and small businesses to develop a brand story and strategy in one day for $999 without requiring human input from the firm.
• Tracksuit An online brand tracking platform, created as a joint venture with TRA (New Zealand's leading brand tracking research provider), that enables companies to track brand strength, compare against competitors, and receive actionable advice at a fraction of traditional brand tracking costs.
• Brand Fund Previously Unavailable's wholly-owned venture investment vehicle that invests in early-stage brand and marketing technology companies, providing capital and strategic support. Brand Fund has raised $12M across two vintages and led the AUD $2M pre-seed round for Manifest.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stolen Rum Coffee & Cigarettes spiced rum led to $21M acquisition by Liquid Asset Brands
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• TRA (New Zealand)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint-venture partnership with TRA, New Zealand's leading provider of brand tracking research services, to create Tracksuit - an online brand tracking platform making brand health monitoring accessible at a fraction of traditional costs.
• NZ GovernmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStorytech established partnerships with the NZ Government in its first ten weeks, along with leading accelerator programmes, universities, and major banks.
• Leading Accelerators and UniversitiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStorytech digital brand strategy platform partnered with NZ's two leading accelerator programmes and three universities for distribution and user acquisition.
• The Tuesday Club and Inhouse DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity partnership with The Tuesday Club and Inhouse Design in AF Drinks venture, collaborating on product and business creation stages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Antler: Global venture studio and early-stage investor that builds and backs startups from scratch. Closely comparable to Previously Unavailable's venture-studio + fund model, with active presence in New Zealand and Australia.
• Entrepreneur First: Talent-first venture builder that helps individuals form startups from idea stage. Comparable as a venture studio model investing in and co-founding companies from inception.
• Atomic: Venture studio that co-creates startups with founders and corporations, providing capital and operating support. Directly comparable venture-building model to Previously Unavailable's studio arm.
• Highline Beta: Corporate venture studio that builds new ventures with large enterprises — a near-analogue to Previously Unavailable's corporate-innovation and co-creation engagements with clients like Heineken and Spark.

Broad incumbents

• R/GA: Global digital agency and innovation consultancy that combines brand strategy with venture-building (e.g., R/GA Ventures). Comparable as a scaled incumbent offering innovation consulting plus venture creation.
• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy serving large enterprises on strategy, brand, and venture creation. Comparable as a higher-end, established innovation and brand strategy peer.
• Landor: Global brand consulting and design firm. Comparable as a scaled brand strategy peer to Previously Unavailable's corporate brand-strategy engagements.
• Interbrand: Global brand strategy consultancy. Comparable along the brand strategy and identity service line that Previously Unavailable delivers to enterprise clients.
• Science (formerly Social Capital): Larger, US-based innovation and venture studio operating across multiple sectors. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the corporate venture studio category.

Regional players

• Movac: New Zealand venture capital investor backing technology and consumer brands. Comparable as a NZ-based investor that deploys capital into brand-led ventures, overlapping with Brand Fund's mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/previouslyco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/previously-unavailable
• Instagraminstagram.com/previously.unavailable
• Xx.com/PreviouslyCo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Previously