Manuka AI launches ANZ operations amid AUD $28m annual spend

Manuka AI has announced the launch of its Australia and New Zealand operations, expanding its data and artificial intelligence consultancy business into the region.

This follows the company's earlier entry into the UK market and is supported by venture builder Tquila through its Fund of Founders. The move also builds on recent investments by Tquila, including Arcbricks in Japan, as part of a wider global expansion strategy with further plans for growth in Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

Regional expansion

Manuka AI's entry into Australia and New Zealand comes at a time when local enterprises are significantly increasing their investments in data and AI. ADAPT research reports that Australian organisations are spending an average of AUD $28 million annually on these technologies. However, despite the substantial budgets, 72% of enterprises have not achieved measurable return on investment from these projects, according to the same research. Additionally, findings from the Governance Institute of Australia reveal that 93% of organisations are unable to effectively measure AI ROI, while 88% face challenges integrating AI into legacy systems.

The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform is central to Manuka AI's approach, with the consultancy aiming to support enterprises in getting greater value from their data assets. Databricks, used by over 20,000 customers worldwide, has been recognised by analysts such as Gartner, IDC, and Forrester for its integrated approach to data, analytics, and AI.

Addressing the skills and execution gap

"Enterprises across Australia and New Zealand are accelerating their AI agendas, but many are still struggling to scale beyond isolated pilots. ADAPT research shows organisations are investing an average of AU$28 million per year in data and AI, but only 24% have AI-ready data architectures. This is the gap Manuka AI is here to close. With Databricks Data Intelligence Platform and our AI-first mindset, we help ANZ enterprises - across all industries rapidly deploy use-cases that operate at scalable, and deliver valuable, outcomes."

These comments were made by Stephen Aitken, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Manuka AI.

Jeff Clark, Chief Growth Officer and Co-Founder of Manuka AI, pointed to the limited availability of experienced practitioners as a key challenge holding organisations back from achieving their aims in AI adoption:

"In ANZ, the appetite for AI innovation is enormous, but the shortage of AI practitioners is holding back progress. The Governance Institute of Australia found that 93% of local organisations can't effectively measure AI ROI, and 88% struggle to integrate AI into legacy systems-a clear signal that capability, not ambition, is the bottleneck. That's why we've brought the 'Manuka Way' to ANZ: our proven methodology for building The Intelligent Enterprise-an organisation that embeds AI across its entire process flow, turning strategy into execution and delivering measurable value from every use case."

Backed by venture investment

Tquila, a venture builder investing in technology services businesses, is supporting Manuka AI's regional growth through its Fund of Founders. Michael McCannon, Partner at Tquila, commented on the move:

"We are delighted to back Stephen, Jeff, and the Manuka AI ANZ team. Stephen has successfully partnered with Tquila on multiple ventures before, leading companies from startup to exit, and his expertise - combined with Jeff's growth leadership - sets the stage for something truly exceptional. Extending the Manuka AI pure play brand into ANZ gives customers a platform to leverage significant experience and success from the group across the UK&I, Germany and our related offshore resource centres. With Tquila's financial backing, strong network and Databricks as the outright leader in its space, this investment marks another exciting step in our global rollout."

The launch of Manuka AI in Australia and New Zealand is part of Tquila's broader strategy, with its portfolio including high-growth technology services companies that work with platforms such as Google, ServiceNow, UiPath, Microsoft, AWS, and others. With a focus on delivering measurable outcomes for enterprises, Manuka AI will offer consultancy grounded in practical execution and data-driven results.