The way things have always been done in agencies with timesheets and manual reporting to understand performance is no longer working well. AI has changed how work is created, and tracking hours has lost its relevance as a proxy for effort, cost and value. As AI accelerates workflows and compresses creative timelines, the traditional agency model is increasingly out of step with reality.

Manifest, an AI-powered operational intelligence platform for agencies, is one of the new options reimagining how agencies to operate. And industry investors such as 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/Ideally) and Tim Burrowes (Mumbrella) are backing its power to shape the future.

The launch of Manifest was announced today alongside an AU$2 million pre-seed round led by Brand Fund by Previously Unavailable (Early investors in Tracksuit, Ideally, and Appetise), with participation from Antler, Icehouse Ventures, Techstars, Huljich & Bhatnagar Family Offices, and a group of industry angels.

Manifest is built for the inevitable new era in which humans and AI co-create in real time, where value is no longer defined by hours worked, but by how effectively ideas are brought to life. That shift is already creating both a challenge, and a significant opportunity for agencies to rethink how they operate. The platform automatically captures how work happens across teams, tools and AI, mapping time, effort and workflows in real time. This provides a continuous, accurate view of agency operations, enabling leaders to understand where work is created, how it flows, and what it truly costs to deliver.

“Agencies are operating on a model that no longer reflects how work happens,” stated Freddie McKenzie, CEO and co-founder of Manifest, who previously built and exited Auckland-based creative production company VIVID Creative.

The acceleration of AI across creative workflows has made the issue more urgent, not less, he said.

“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.”

McKenzie co-founded Manifest with Henry Collinson, a product leader and long-time collaborator, after the pair identified the same problem during COVID-era experimentation with new ways of working.

Completing the Kiwi leadership team is CTO, Tom Reid, an ex-Microsoft AI veteran who led development of Manifest’s proprietary AI model, with a strong focus on privacy and enterprise-grade security.

Co-CEO of Previously Unavailable, and GP of Brand Fund, Simon Pound, commented, “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.”

By replacing lagging, manual inputs with real-time operational data, Manifest gives agencies a new foundation for decision-making, one that reflects both human and AI-driven work. The result is a shift in how agencies can operate – from fragmented workflows to connected, measurable systems, from billing for inputs to pricing for outcomes, and from retrospective reporting to real-time visibility.

Beyond improving efficiency, Manifest supports a broader transition already underway across the industry – moving beyond billable hours toward more flexible, value-based models. By giving agencies visibility into the true cost and flow of work, including the growing role of AI, the platform helps leaders better understand profitability, utilisation, and the real drivers of performance.

The company positions itself not just as a tool, but as a system agencies can rely on to navigate a rapidly changing landscape, where the challenge is no longer just doing the work, but understanding it.

Mutinex co-founder, Henry Innis, stated, “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 currently rolling out in agencies across Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, with customer announcements to follow and plans for global expansion underway.