Cactus
Cactus is an interdisciplinary design studio integrating strategy, brand, architectural, and digital product design. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York, it primarily serves healthcare systems, wellness brands, and cultural institutions across global markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cactus does
Cactus is an interdisciplinary design studio that operates at the intersection of digital technology and physical architecture, delivering four integrated service lines: Innovation Consulting, Brand, Spatial/Architectural Design, and Digital Product Design & Development. Founded in 2016 and headquartered at 335 Madison Avenue, New York, the firm is fully remote with senior leadership leading every project rather than delegating to junior staff. Its delivery model combines strategic consulting, brand identity, architectural design, and software product development under a single studio process, eliminating the handoff friction typical between consultancies, branding agencies, architects, and software shops.
The studio's customer base is anchored in healthcare systems (Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai, Wellstar, AdventHealth, Northwell, NYU Langone, Harvard Medical School), wellness and fitness brands (Canyon Ranch, Ever/Body, CLMBR, Aescape, Welcome Health), cultural institutions (Beyoncé/UN, Ai Weiwei & Olafur Eliasson, Expo 2020 Dubai), and government health initiatives (Institute for Healthier Living Abu Dhabi). Its technology stack includes AWS/GCP/Azure cloud infrastructure, HIPAA-compliant development practices, and FHIR standards integration; in March 2025 the firm acquired Lightmatter to bring healthcare software engineering in-house, adding applications, APIs, and infrastructure capability plus relationships with NYU Langone, Northwell Health, Providence, and Harvard Medical School. The studio also operates Terrarium, a healthcare venture studio launched in partnership with Company Ventures and Wellstar Health System that researches, develops, staffs, and funds startups from validated clinical problem statements, and has developed MIRA, an automated photography system for experiential installations deployed at Color Factory.
Cactus generates revenue through project-based, custom-scoped professional services engagements with multi-year contracts. Pricing is quote-driven with no public tiers; distribution is direct enterprise sales targeting healthcare C-suites, innovation leadership, and brand teams via referrals, RFPs, and industry reputation. The firm is privately held by its three co-founders — Marcelo Pontes (Chief Creative Officer), Noah Waxman (Chief Executive Officer), and Lucas Werthein (Chief Operating Officer) — with no disclosed external institutional funding. Recognition includes the 2025 Modern Healthcare Best in Business Award in Healthcare Consultants, Fast Company Innovation General Excellence, multiple Frame Awards including Healthcare Centre of the Year, and design recognition from Architectural Record, Interior Design, and Architizer.
Cactus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cactus
- Legal name
- Cactus
- Website
- https://cactus.is
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cactus is an interdisciplinary design studio integrating strategy, brand, architectural, and digital product design. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in New York, it primarily serves healthcare systems, wellness brands, and cultural institutions across global markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Cactus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cactus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Design and Consulting Services: Project-based professional services spanning innovation consulting, brand design, architectural design, and digital product development. Engagements range from strategic advisory to full execution across physical and digital domains.
- Venture Studio (Terrarium): Co-development of healthcare startups through Terrarium venture studio partnership with Company Ventures and Wellstar Health System
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Cactus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cactus is an interdisciplinary design studio that delivers project-based professional services combining strategic innovation consulting, brand design, spatial/architectural design, and digital product development for healthcare systems, wellness brands, and enterprise clients. It also operates Terrarium, a healthcare venture studio (with Company Ventures and Wellstar Health System) that researches, develops, staffs, and funds healthcare startups, and has developed MIRA, an automated photography system for experiential installations.
Product overview
Cactus is an interdisciplinary design studio combining strategic consulting, architectural design, and digital product development. The company operates four core service offerings: Innovation Consulting Services (user/market research, category insights, commercial strategy, business model innovation, digital transformation, workshops, stakeholder engagement, concept development), Brand Services (naming, visual identity, marketing positioning, mission/vision/values, brand experience strategy), Spatial/Architectural Design Services (architectural design, interior and retail design, interactive environments, experience design, exhibition design, pop-ups, masterplanning, modular systems), and Digital Product Design & Development Services (product design, immersive experience design, interactive content, UX/UI, rapid prototyping, technology implementation, software development). The company also operates Terrarium, a healthcare-focused venture studio in partnership with Company Ventures and Wellstar Health System. Cactus has developed MIRA, an automated photography system for experiential installations. Projects span healthcare systems (Mayo Clinic, Mount Sinai, Wellstar, AdventHealth), wellness brands (CLMBR, Ever/Body, Canyon Ranch), and entertainment (Beyoncé, Color Factory, Expo 2020 Dubai).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Terrarium: A venture studio launched in partnership with Company Ventures and Wellstar Health System that researches, develops, staffs and funds companies making a difference in the healthcare industry.
Products and services
- Innovation Consulting Services Strategic insights and design-driven innovation services delivered to senior leadership, including user and market research, category insights, commercial strategy, business model innovation, digital transformation, workshops, stakeholder engagement, and concept development.
- Brand Services Comprehensive branding and visual identity design services including naming, visual identity creation, marketing positioning, mission/vision/values development, and brand experience strategy for building new brands or evolving existing ones.
- Spatial/Architectural Design Services Architectural design services spanning from patient rooms to campus masterplans, including interior and retail design, interactive environments, experience design, exhibition design, pop-ups and activations, masterplanning, and modular systems.
- Digital Product Design & Development Services Digital tools design and development including product design and development, immersive experience design, interactive content, UX/UI design, rapid prototyping, technology implementation, and software design and development for apps, digital platforms, and interactive content.
- Terrarium Venture Studio Venture studio launched in partnership with Company Ventures and Wellstar Health System that researches, develops, staffs, and funds healthcare startups. Identifies market opportunities, assembles talent, and provides clinical and operational input to build companies from validated problem statements.
- MIRA Automated Photography System Automated photography and registration system designed by Cactus for experiential installations. Integrated at Color Factory to automate registration and photography systems, allowing visitors to stay present without phones while capturing media from their visit.
Quantifiable outcome
- Mayo Clinic $5 billion budget approval from Board of Trustees for Rochester campus expansion
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Cactus
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cactus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature5 records
Cactus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LightmattercoreAcquired healthcare-focused software engineering firm Lightmatter, bringing deep expertise building applications, APIs, and infrastructure for health systems including NYU Langone, Northwell Health, Providence, and Harvard Medical School. Greg Hausheer, former CEO of Lightmatter, now serves as Head of Engineering at Cactus.
- Terrarium (Company Ventures, Cactus, Wellstar Health System)coreTerrarium is a venture studio launched by Company Ventures, Cactus, and Wellstar Health System to build healthcare startups. Instead of waiting for great health tech companies to emerge, Terrarium builds them with real clinical environments and validated problems from day one. Cactus works directly with health systems to uncover pain points and translate them into strategic venture theses.
- Foster + PartnersminorCollaborated with Foster + Partners and CannonDesign on Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus masterplan, part of $5 billion expansion initiative.
- CannonDesignminorCollaborated with Foster + Partners and CannonDesign on Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus masterplan, part of $5 billion expansion initiative.
- MMBB, JPG.ARQ and BEN-AVID ArchitectsminorCollaborated with MMBB, JPG.ARQ and BEN-AVID Architects on the Brazilian Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, featuring 140+ projectors covering 24,800 sq ft.
- Company VenturescoreCo-founder of Terrarium venture studio alongside Cactus and Wellstar Health System, focused on building healthcare startups from validated problem statements.
- Wellstar Health SystemcoreFounding partner of Terrarium venture studio and client for digital transformation and Catalyst Innovation Center projects. Every Terrarium incubation gains access to frontline insights and real clinical environments from Wellstar.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cactus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- frog: frog (part of Capgemini Engineering) blends design, strategy, and technology for global brands, with deep work in healthcare, connected products, and digital experiences. Highly comparable to Cactus's interdisciplinary studio model and senior-led engagement style.
- IDEO: IDEO is the archetypal interdisciplinary design consultancy combining strategy, brand, and product design. It is the closest direct peer to Cactus in offering a similar integrated model targeting healthcare and consumer clients with senior-led creative delivery.
- Pentagram: Pentagram is a partner-led brand and design firm covering identity, digital, and environments. While more brand-focused than Cactus, it overlaps on the senior-led creative engagement model for healthcare and consumer clients.
- Work & Co: Work & Co is a digital product design and development agency serving global brands with end-to-end product delivery. It is a relevant peer given Cactus's digital product practice and a prior employer of Cactus Head of Design Luciano Pouzada.
- R/GA: R/GA is an integrated design and technology agency that connects brand, digital product, and innovation consulting under one roof. Comparable to Cactus in combining creative, technology, and venture-style offerings for enterprise clients.
- Smart Design: Smart Design is a multidisciplinary design consultancy with healthcare and consumer expertise, combining strategy, brand, and product design. Directly comparable to Cactus's integrated offering and project-based enterprise model.
Broad incumbents
- Gensler: Gensler is a global architecture and design firm with deep healthcare practice across hospital masterplans and interiors. It is a broad incumbent overlapping with Cactus's architectural work, but does not integrate digital product development.
- Deloitte Digital: Deloitte Digital combines strategy, design, and technology implementation for enterprise clients including health systems. It is a broad incumbent competing for similar transformation engagements as Cactus but at far greater scale.
- McKinsey & Company: McKinsey's healthcare strategy practice and design capabilities (e.g., McKinsey Design) overlap with Cactus's innovation consulting offering. It is a broad incumbent rather than a direct peer due to its generalist scale and lack of integrated architecture.
- HOK: HOK is a global architecture firm with significant healthcare facility design work. It overlaps with Cactus's spatial/architectural practice but lacks Cactus's integrated digital product and venture studio capabilities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cactus social profiles
Digital presenceCactus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cactus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cactus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Cactus subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Cactus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cactus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cactus
What does Cactus do?
Cactus is an interdisciplinary design studio that delivers project-based professional services combining strategic innovation consulting, brand design, spatial/architectural design, and digital product development for healthcare systems, wellness brands, and enterprise clients. It also operates Terrarium, a healthcare venture studio (with Company Ventures and Wellstar Health System) that researches, develops, staffs, and funds healthcare startups, and has developed MIRA, an automated photography system for experiential installations.
Is Cactus a public or private company?
Cactus is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cactus founded?
Cactus was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cactus based?
Cactus is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cactus make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Design and Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are venture Studio (Terrarium).
Who are Cactus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are frog, IDEO, Pentagram, Work & Co, R/GA and Smart Design. Broad incumbents are Gensler, Deloitte Digital, McKinsey & Company and HOK.
Does Cactus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cactus.