SYDNEY, Today: Kiwi-founded Manifest has launched with $2 million in pre-seed funding, as agencies look for smarter ways to measure work in an AI-powered world.
The round was led by Brand Fund by Previously Unavailable, early investors in Tracksuit, Ideally and Appetise, with backing from Antler, Icehouse Ventures, Techstars, Huljich & Bhatnagar Family Offices and industry angels.
Manifest is an AI-powered operational intelligence platform built for agencies, replacing timesheets and manual reporting with real-time data on how work moves across teams, tools and AI.
For decades, agencies have used hours as a rough measure of effort, cost and value. But as AI speeds up creative workflows, that model is becoming harder to rely on.
The platform captures how work happens in real time, mapping time, effort and workflows to give agency leaders a clearer view of what work costs, where it happens and how it flows.
“Agencies are operating on a model that no longer reflects how work happens,” said Freddie McKenzie, CEO and Co-Founder of Manifest, who previously built and exited Auckland-based creative production company VIVID Creative.
Freddie says AI has made the issue more urgent. “As agencies adopt AI, the gap between how work actually happens and how it’s measured is widening. You can’t price or optimise for outcomes if you’re still only measuring self-reported hours.”
“As agencies adopt AI, the gap between how work actually happens and how it’s measured is widening. You can’t price or optimise for outcomes if you’re still only measuring self-reported hours.” – Freddie McKenzie, CEO and Co-Founder of Manifest
Freddie co-founded Manifest with Henry Collinson, a product leader and long-time collaborator, after the pair explored new ways of working during the COVID era.
The Kiwi leadership team also includes Tom Reid, CTO, an ex-Microsoft AI veteran who led the development of Manifest’s proprietary AI model, with privacy and enterprise-grade security at its core.
Simon Pound, Co-CEO of Previously Unavailable and GP of Brand Fund, says Manifest is tackling a major industry problem.
“Manifest solves a massive problem for services businesses: how do you track, value and charge for work in an AI-enabled world? We love how the team is building, their customer-centricity, and the scale of the problem they’re tackling.”
Manifest gives agencies a stronger base for decision-making, helping them move from fragmented workflows to connected systems, and from billable hours toward more flexible, value-based models.
The company says the platform helps leaders better understand profitability, utilisation and the real drivers of performance as AI takes on a bigger role in agency work.
Industry investors backing Manifest include Henry Innis, Mutinex; Mark Coad, ex-IPG Mediabrands CEO; Jamie Mackay, BWM Dentsu; Jonathan Isaacs, Taboo Group; James Hutchinson, Sling & Stone; Jordan Taylor-Bartels, Prophet; Connon Bray, TRA, Tracksuit and Ideally; and Tim Burrowes, Mumbrella.
“The problem of agency return on effort is well known, and one Matt Farrugia and I experienced firsthand at WPP. Getting to know the team has been a thrill. I couldn’t be more excited to support them at this early stage and help bring together such a strong group of investors around the business.”
Manifest is now rolling out with agencies across Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, with customer announcements to follow and global expansion underway.
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