1. Outcrowd
US/Ukraine studio claiming $300M raised by clients after its design work; Clutch lists a $5k+ minimum and a $50–99/hr rate.
studios · updated 2026-10-14 · ordered by Clutch reviews, then starting price
22 branding agencies for US startups
Identity and brand-system studios based in the US or naming US clients.
Who wrote this: we hate vanilla, a design studio that is also on this list. Every number is from the studio's own site or public directory profile on 2026-10-14; nothing is paid placement. Order is by Clutch reviews, then starting price — a rule stated up front — except that we place ourselves at #2 by choice, marked as such; judge us on the work, not the position. 22 studios. 7 publish a starting price; the rest are estimated. Public starting prices run $2,200–$50,000.
| Studio | Based | Model | From (USD) | Clutch | YC clients named |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcrowd | Oakland Park, USA | Project | $5,000* | 4.9 · 78 | 0 |
| Huemor | Pittsburgh, USA | Project | $50,000 | 4.8 · 72 | 0 |
| 500 Designs | Irvine, USA | Project | $25,000* | 5.0 · 43 | 0 |
| Superside | Remote (global) | Subscription | $6,000 | 4.8 · 40 | 0 |
| Metabrand | San Francisco, USA | Project | $15,000 | 5.0 · 27 | 0 |
| Zajno | Lewes, USA | Project | $10,000* | 5.0 · 21 | 0 |
| Ramotion | San Francisco, USA | Project | $50,000* | 4.9 · 20 | 0 |
| Condensed | Brooklyn, USA | Project | $20,000 | 5.0 · 18 | 0 |
| Wavespace | San Francisco, USA | Project | $2,200 | 4.9 · 16 | 0 |
| The Branx | Remote (Europe) | Project | $10,000* | 5.0 · 15 | 0 |
| Big Human | New York, USA | Project | — | 4.9 · 12 | 0 |
| Refokus | New York, USA | Project | $25,000* | 5.0 · 10 | 0 |
| Designjoy | Remote (USA) | Subscription | $4,995 | — | 0 |
| Foundey | Remote | Retainer | $6,000 | — | 2 |
| Red Antler | Brooklyn, USA | Project | $10,000* | — | 0 |
| Deserve Studio | San Francisco, USA | Project | $15,000* | — | 0 |
| Friendly | Remote | Retainer | — | — | 0 |
| 8020 | Remote | Project / retainer | — | — | 0 |
| Semiotic Studio | Remote | Project / retainer | — | — | 0 |
| Fantasy | San Francisco, USA | Project | — | — | 0 |
| Instrument | Portland, USA | Project | — | — | 0 |
| Design Pickle | Scottsdale, USA | Subscription | — | — | 0 |
* not published by the studio; estimate from public quotes or Clutch minimum project size. Clutch = rating · review count.
The studios
2. Huemor
States website projects typically run $50k–$100k; mostly WordPress per Clutch; names Boston Dynamics and Cloudinary.
3. 500 Designs
Full-service agency naming Google, Meta, TikTok and HubSpot as clients; Clutch lists a $25k+ minimum.
4. Superside
Enterprise-leaning creative subscription.
5. Metabrand
States startup branding starts at $15k and brand plus Webflow site runs $18k–$35k; offices listed in SF, NYC, Berlin and London.
6. Zajno
Motion-heavy web and product studio; Clutch HQ is Delaware with a $10k+ minimum and $50–99/hr.
7. Ramotion
Established SF agency; startup branding page ranks for 'brand design agency for startups'.
8. Condensed
Principal-led Brooklyn branding studio stating startup branding runs $20k–$50k; ShopMy is a named client.
9. Wavespace
Publishes a brand starter pack from $2,200; says it is trusted by YC, a16z and Sequoia portfolio firms; team largely in Dhaka.
10. The Branx
Homepage ranks for 'startup design agency'.
11. Big Human
35-person NY/LA/SF agency citing 262 websites and 80 apps shipped; Gemini and Inspiration4 are named clients.
12. Refokus
Webflow Premium Partner claiming 62 awards; Clutch lists New York and Hamburg with a $25k+ minimum.
13. Designjoy
One-person subscription studio; $4,995/month, pause anytime.
14. Foundey
States $6k–7k/month with no long-term commitment and a 2-week pilot sprint; names YC clients Sero AI and Athina. YC clients named: Sero AI (S23), Athina (W23).
15. Red Antler
Brooklyn branding company whose named clients include Hinge, Ramp, Chime and Archer; Clutch lists a $10k+ minimum and no reviews.
16. Deserve Studio
Framer-first studio naming Frigade, Screenloop and AG2 as clients; $15k+ is from a third-party list.
17. Friendly
Offers senior product designers on fractional or full-time retainers and says it is trusted by YC-, Bloomberg Beta- and Techstars-backed firms.
18. 8020
First agency in Webflow's Enterprise Partner Program; clients include Vanta, Pilot.com and Circle.
19. Semiotic Studio
Startup design partner with one-off and cancel-anytime retainer tiers; dollar prices not shown.
20. Fantasy
Context tier: global product agency since 1999 (Nike, Netflix, Spotify, Microsoft), now pitched as AI-native; above startup budgets.
21. Instrument
Context tier: digital-first agency naming Nike, Google, Stripe and Oura; enterprise scale and pricing.
22. Design Pickle
Creative-as-a-service subscription citing 320+ creatives; pricing page now says plans are quoted on a call.
Questions
Can a studio outside my country work with my startup?
Most studios on this list work remotely with clients across the US, UK, Europe and Australia. What to check: named clients in your market, a contract entity you can pay in your currency, IP assignment in the contract, and working hours that overlap yours.
How much does startup branding cost?
From about $5,000 for a lean identity to $15,000–50,000 at studios like Metabrand and Condensed (both publish ranges); Ramotion, Clay and Koto sit well above. we hate vanilla brand projects sit in the $15,000–25,000 range.
Do I need a full brand before product-market fit?
Usually not. A wordmark, a type pair and a colour system are enough to ship; invest in a full identity when the positioning is stable, typically around seed.
How did you choose and order this list?
Inclusion: the studio publicly states it serves this segment or names clients in it. Ordering is the rule stated at the top of the page, applied the same to us as to everyone else. Prices are the lowest the studio publishes; unpublished ones are estimates from public quotes and marked. Clutch figures are read on the date shown. Corrections: hello@wehatevanilla.com.
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Building something people should remember?
we hate vanilla is a product and brand design studio in Bangalore, India, working with startups and tech companies across the US, Europe and Australia. Average engagement around $20,000. hello@wehatevanilla.com