Drumbeat, a PR and communications platform for fast-growing companies, has raised NZ$2 million in seed funding. The round was led by Icehouse Ventures, with support from Brand Fund.
The company will use the new funding to expand into Australia and the United States. It also plans to improve the technology behind its platform, which helps companies manage media relations, create content, track campaigns, and monitor media coverage.
Drumbeat is built around the idea that brand awareness takes consistent effort, rather than just a few PR announcements. Its platform helps companies turn product launches, new hires, business milestones, and other updates into regular media and content opportunities.
The platform gives growing companies a more repeatable and measurable option compared with traditional PR agencies.
Drumbeat is entering the market at a time when the way people discover companies is changing. As AI tools and large language models become more important in how people search for and evaluate businesses, media coverage is becoming increasingly important for building visibility and trust.
“Storytelling is the oldest way humans have connected with each other – what’s changed is the technology. We’re now in an era where companies can tell their stories with a level of scale that was not possible before. Our mission is for every company to use the power of its own story to drive genuine connection with its audience, and real growth as a result.”
Barney Chunn, CEO and Co-founder, Drumbeat
Drumbeat launched in March 2026 and already has more than 50 customers across New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the US. Its customers include Andfoods, Re-Leased, Levno, and Factor.
Since its launch, Drumbeat’s customers have received media coverage in these four countries, as well as Singapore and Hong Kong. The company has also received support from marketing experts such as Adam Ferrier of Thinkerbell and Henry Innis of Mutinex.
“PR and comms are a core part of our marketing and growth engine. As we grow into new markets, getting our story in front of the right media in each one used to mean managing multiple agency relationships. Drumbeat has let us do that from one platform, and we’ve landed coverage in APAC markets that are typically challenging to crack.”
Alex Devereux, CEO, Andfoods
Jack McQuire, Partner at Icehouse Ventures, said the investment reflects a bigger change in how businesses need to operate. He believes companies now need to focus more on trusted information and high-quality content to reach and connect with their audiences.
“Speaking to customers, and witnessing their results, validated what we expected. PR is more important than ever, but too much of the industry still operates the way it did in the 90s. Drumbeat has brought that into the modern era, and it’s meant breakneck growth – for them, and their customers.” Jack McQuire, Partner, Icehouse Ventures
Founded in 2026 by Barney Chunn, Fallon Savery, and Aaron Croft, Drumbeat is a PR and communications platform that helps growing companies get media coverage, tell their stories, and track their results.
It helps businesses turn updates like new products, company milestones, new employees, and other achievements into stories that can attract media attention and build brand awareness.
