We construct novel 7d supersymmetric gauge theories which include a Chern‐Simons‐like term on curved spaces. In order to so, we examine the supersymmetry constraints for E7‐branes in type IIA* theory, rather than making use of an off‐shell supergravity. We find two classes of solutions to the constraints, expressed in terms of a G2‐structure with non‐vanishing intrinsic torsion. The supersymmetric gauge theories are then obtained by coupling flat gauge theory to such supersymmetric backgrounds. Various examples are given, including round and squashed S7 as well as S3×M4 with M4 hyperkähler.