GD1

Creating a brand story and identity with one of New Zealand’s top-tier VC firms to help the best New Zealand companies, founders and teams Believe Bigger. 

The Opportunity
GD1 are one of New Zealand’s most experienced and significant venture capital firms. They came to Previously shortly after the launch of their new fund and having had a number of internationally experienced new key partners join the firm. 

We worked with the team to define a brand strategy and positioning in market that would clearly communicate their differentiating factors in a field that can sometimes see a lot of similar messages. We honed in on the global networks, experience and empowerment capability of the team, and the goal of the company to help take New Zealand companies to the world’s biggest markets. Many local venture backed companies do really well in the Australasian scene, but can sometimes find it harder to take a leadership position in much bigger, more distant markets. Through the process we defined that the issue was not a lack of local talent or capability. The issue we identified is that if your network and frame of reference is set locally the scale of the problem you set out to solve can be also. It comes down to belief that you can go all the way, and it is that belief, as well as the scaffolding to succeed that GD1 is best set to deliver. 

GD1’s brand purpose is to help the best New Zealand companies, founders and teams to believe bigger, and to be the VC firm creating connections and pathways for all truly globally ambitious founders and investors. 
The Result
With a goal to foster, fan and celebrate global ambition, we visually expressed this concept and positioning through a contemporary yet established tonality (to acknowledge the significant scale of the firm and its reach). We created a unique globe logo mark and graphic framing system to hero portfolio companies and their stories. The brand identity uses Klim Type Foundry fonts to hero the best of New Zealand design.

Along with core brand assets, we supported GD1 and Harry Burt on the website, and commissioned core logo animations for the brand.

As huge believers in the talent we have here, it was a pleasure to be part of this project.

Get in touch

We take on select projects, working with companies who are inventing or reinventing. If there’s a project you’d like to talk to us about, please get in touch.

Auckland

Shop Future Demand

Red “Future Demand” book standing against a red background

Future Demand Vol. 2

Buy Now ↗

How marketing to tomorrow’s customers will break your brand out of the performance trap

Social Updates

Dark poster reading "Our $20,000 creativity and innovation scholarship is now open" with Previously Unavailable and AUT logos

Instagram

01 Oct

Our creativity and innovation scholarship with AUT is back.

PU Air wordmark in teal and blue letters with two pink hibiscus flowers on a cream background

Instagram

25 Sept

We took to the 'skies' for our annual mid-winter Christmas party.

Black Tika logo with an exclamation-mark icon on a lilac-blue background

LinkedIn

Sept 24

TIKA IS LIVE. Our biggest congratulations to founders Alison Mau and Zoë Lawton on the massive effort it’s taken to reach this milestone.

By The Numbers

$500m+

Launched
Companies

40+

Equity
Companies

4

Venture Funds

Weekly Whakatauki

He iti te mokoroa, nāna i kati te kahikatea
Something much larger can be overcome by something much smaller.

Where in the world is James Hurman?

Auckland
36.8485° S, 174.7633° E

Bookshelf

The Fastest Way to Your First Home – Derek Handley & Karl Fleet

AUX

Dive – Olivia Dean

Overheard at Previously

“Walking is actually good for you”

Studio Snaps

Black and white photo of a dog sitting indoors
Black and white photo of a man sitting on a sofa
Black and white photo of people gathered at an event
Black and white photo of two women standing together smiling
Black and white photo of people chatting in a room
Black and white photo of people in a living space
Black and white photo of a busy open-plan office

Clients & Partners

Icehouse Ventures
Westpac
AF Drinks
Ārepa
Fonterra
Emma Lewisham
MedWorld
DB Breweries
Education Perfect
Torrens University Australia
OnBoard
Shuttlerock
Pylot
Lion
Mānuka Health
Ideally
Tracksuit
Breast Cancer Foundation NZ
Helius
Brothers Beer
ASB
BNZ
Melodics
Sunfeld
Contact Energy
Simplicity
Futurity
PieFunds
WOOP!
Hawker & Roll
Stolen Rum
21C Skills Lab
Ascential
Heineken
Clearhead
Stuff
Spark
The Comfort Group
NZ Trade & Enterprise
Serious Food Co.
Toothcrush
Timely
Compostic
Growbright
Sanford
Goodman Fielder
TVNZ
PĀMU
New & Improved
Kiwibank
Humankind
Blunt
Deloitte
Hancocks
Genesis
Cannes Lions
Jade Software
Bankwest
Dentons
NeuAudio
Nibblish
Media Design School
Skyline
ZURU
ECC
Caffeine
Jade
Blackbird
NZME
Outset Ventures
Private Wealth Network
Special Group
TRA
The Tuesday Club
Lume
Aera
Abroad
Sharesies
KPMG
Constellation
Tika
Soul Capital
Scholarship
Rev.Social
Friends That Invest
Hiraya Ventures
Appetise
Icehouse
Manifest
Lumos
Simfuni
Levno
Kamal
Re-Leased
Extraordinary
Yarken
Nevam
Aglow
Abodo
Spoke
Andfoods
Marloo
Anthony Harper
Aplenty
Bustle