Gretel

What Gretel does

Gretel is an independent branding, strategy, and design studio based in Brooklyn, New York, founded in 2005. The studio delivers integrated brand transformation engagements spanning discovery, strategy, brand architecture, visual identity, writing, experience design, and art direction. Its service portfolio includes custom typography design (e.g., Fairmount Serif for the Philadelphia Museum of Art), digital experience design, wayfinding and environmental graphics, and editorial/publication design. The studio operates without proprietary technology platforms and has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, relying instead on a creative philosophy centered on tension between opposing forces (old/new, high/low, order/chaos, organic/inorganic) paired with bespoke collaborations with type foundries, illustrators, photographers, and digital partners.

The firm's customer base spans Fortune 500 enterprises (Netflix, CBS, Nike, WeWork, GoodRx, MasterClass), major media brands (The Athletic, IFC, Viceland), and cultural/educational institutions (Philadelphia Museum of Art, RISD, Noma Projects), alongside hospitality and SMB clients (Hart Bageri, Hija de Sanchez). The studio is sales-led, acquiring clients primarily through industry reputation, referrals, and direct outreach via a senior new business manager. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services engagements with publicly undisclosed pricing, supplemented by repeat work from existing clients as they expand (e.g., multi-location rollouts).

Gretel appears to be independently owned and founder-managed, with no venture capital or private equity backing disclosed. It maintains a team of approximately 20 members across creative direction, design, strategy, motion design, and project operations. The studio's competitive position rests on a portfolio of award-winning work (D&AD Wood Pencils, Clio, ADC, TDC awards) and earned media coverage in Fast Company, Communication Arts, Brand New, and Adweek, rather than on technology differentiation or scale advantages.

Name

Gretel

Legal name

Gretel

Website

https://gretelny.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gretel is an independent Brooklyn-based branding, strategy, and design studio founded in 2005, serving enterprise clients, cultural institutions, and select SMBs through project-based identity, brand architecture, custom typography, and experience design engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Brand Strategy and Design Services: Project-based engagements for visual identity, brand architecture, experience design, writing, and art direction. Revenue is generated through client projects for major brands and institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gretel is an independent branding, strategy, and design studio that delivers full-service brand creation and transformation engagements for enterprise and mid-market clients. Their work spans discovery, brand strategy, brand architecture, visual identity systems, custom typography, experience design, copywriting, and art direction for organizations across industries including cultural institutions, media, sports, hospitality, finance, and consumer brands.

Product overview

Gretel is an independent branding, strategy, and design studio based in Brooklyn, NY. The company operates as a service-based consultancy offering a unified portfolio of creative services rather than a packaged software product. Their core offerings span Discovery, Strategy, Brand Architecture, Visual Identity, Writing, Experience Design, and Art Direction. The studio has developed custom typography systems (such as Fairmount Serif for Philadelphia Museum of Art), executed comprehensive brand launches for clients like League One Volleyball, Finer Sounds, and POPL, and refreshed existing brand identities for established companies including Hart Bageri and IFC. Their work extends to digital experience design, wayfinding systems, editorial publications, and product launch campaigns across industries including hospitality, sports, media, finance, and cultural institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Branding and Identity Design Services Full-service branding and visual identity design including discovery, strategy, brand architecture, visual identity systems, writing, experience design, and art direction for clients across various industries.
• Brand Refresh Services Revisiting and updating existing brand identities for established clients, including visual refinements, expanded applications, and refreshed visual language systems.
• Custom Typography Design Creation of bespoke typefaces and typographic systems for institutional and commercial clients, such as Fairmount Serif for the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• Digital Experience Design Comprehensive website and digital platform design services including user experience strategy, visual design, and collaboration with implementation partners.
• Wayfinding and Environmental Design Physical signage, wayfinding systems, and environmental graphics for museums, institutions, and commercial spaces.
• Editorial Design and Publication Services Annual publication design combining magazine, lookbook, and catalog formats with editorial content creation, layout design, and custom typography.

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ryan BugdencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Philadelphia Museum of Art project - co-designed custom typeface Fairmount Serif with Gretel
• Gone FishingcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital partner for Philadelphia Museum of Art web experience redesign
• Self AwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationPhiladelphia-based digital partner for Philadelphia Museum of Art web redesign
• F37 StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefined mark for Houston (HTX) team for League One Volleyball brand
• Bráulio AmadocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllustrator partnership for Hart Bageri brand refresh - infused warmth and wit into graphic and typographic language
• Martin KaufmannminorOthersPhotography partner for Hart Bageri project
• Spacon & XcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner for Hart Bageri project - contributed to store photography and design applications
• SpaconAndXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design partner for Hija de Sanchez Carlsberg Byen location - combined contemporary Danish sensibility with traditional taqueria soul
• Ace Hotel BrooklyncoreOthersLocation partner for Finer Sounds - curated vinyl and audio goods shop launched at Ace Hotel Brooklyn
• AntfoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudio partner for CBS brand refresh - created five-beat sonic signature based on original 'This is CBS'
• Aleksandar SavićminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortrait illustrations partner for NI - created distinctive interconnected visual language portraits
• A2-TYPEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated custom inline font for The Athletic based on A2's Regular Slab and the logo
• OEO StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPackaging design partner for Noma Projects
• David ShrigleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRenowned artist and illustrator created illustrations for Noma Projects to showcase star ingredients
• Spacon & XcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design and photography partner for POPL restaurant brand

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pentagram: Pentagram is the world's most iconic partner-led design studio with offices in NYC, London, Austin, and Berlin. It is the closest direct peer to Gretel — comparable boutique brand-identity practice serving Fortune 500 clients, similar project-based model, similar focus on visual identity, brand strategy, and custom typography.
• COLLINS: COLLINS is a brand strategy and design firm with offices in NYC and San Francisco serving enterprise clients across consumer, technology, and culture. Comparable in scale and positioning to Gretel — boutique, brand-architecture-led, enterprise-focused identity work with strong creative reputation.
• Order Design: Order is a New York-based brand strategy and design studio with a similar boutique size, custom-typography practice, and focus on enterprise identity and brand systems. Direct peer in scale, geography, and service offering.
• Mast Studio: Mast is a Brooklyn-based brand and design studio of comparable boutique size to Gretel, focused on identity systems, brand strategy, and digital experience for cultural and consumer clients. Strong direct peer given shared NYC base, similar scale, and overlapping enterprise/cultural-institution clientele.
• MetaDesign: MetaDesign is a Berlin- and San Francisco-based brand strategy and design agency with a comparable boutique-to-mid-scale profile, specializing in identity systems and brand architecture for European and global clients. Direct peer in service mix and creative positioning.
• Studio Dumbar: Studio Dumbar is a Rotterdam-based independent design studio specializing in brand identity, typography, and motion design. Comparable to Gretel as a boutique, founder-led identity practice with a strong typographic and custom-design orientation serving cultural and enterprise clients.
• DIA Studio: DIA Studio is an independent NYC-based brand strategy and design firm of similar boutique size to Gretel, focused on identity systems and cultural-brand work. Direct peer given shared NYC base, comparable scale, and overlapping focus on cultural institutions and premium consumer brands.

Broad incumbents

• Wolff Olins: Wolff Olins is a global brand consultancy with offices in London, NYC, and San Francisco and substantially larger headcount than Gretel. Operates broadly in the same brand-strategy and identity space — competing for similar enterprise rebrands but at much larger scale and with broader consulting offerings beyond design.
• Landor & Fitch: Landor & Fitch is one of the world's largest brand consulting networks, part of WPP, with deep enterprise rebranding expertise. Competes with Gretel on flagship enterprise brand transformations but operates at a fundamentally larger scale with broader strategy, naming, and environmental-design practices.
• Mother Design: Mother Design is the design arm of the Mother advertising network, with offices in NYC and London. Overlaps with Gretel on brand identity and brand-system work for major brands but operates with the resources and reach of the broader Mother network behind it.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/gretel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gretelny
• Instagraminstagram.com/gretelnyc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/gretel_ny
• Xx.com/gretelnyc
• Facebookfacebook.com/gretelny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gretel