Border UX

What Border UX does

Border UX (legal entity: Border LLC, California) is a San Diego-based enterprise UX design agency providing UX strategy, design systems engineering, user research, and front-end development services. The firm was founded in 2018 by Aaron Martlage and Matt Massey and operates a remote-first model with team members distributed across San Diego, Mexico City, Denver, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, and Baja. Public team listings identify approximately eight contributors spanning UX design and software engineering, while firmographic data places headcount in the 11-50 range.

The firm's technical foundation is Recursica, an MIT-licensed open-source React design system powered by design tokens with Figma-to-code parity, positioned to compress design system delivery timelines from quarters to weeks. Adjacent tooling includes Theme Forge (visual editor for Recursica tokens), code-generated Figma components with git commit, Recursica Knowledge (structured knowledge base built for LLM and agentic consumption), n8n integration nodes, and Claude Skills. Border integrates commercial AI models (Anthropic Claude and Google Gemini) into a proprietary automated interview analysis pipeline that ingests transcripts, performs auto-tagging and clustering, and compresses research cycles from weeks to hours. The firm markets an explicit "human-centric research, AI-assisted tooling" positioning rather than an AI-first identity.

Border UX generates revenue through professional services engagements executed under per-project Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs). Target verticals are Private Equity portfolio companies (design debt remediation and unification), Cybersecurity and ISP providers (risk dashboarding and telemetry visualization), Telecom (network provisioning, outage journey, platform modernization), and B2B plus not-for-profit clients. Named customers include PADI (global diving certification, multilingual digital footprint consolidation) and Cymbiotika (health supplements, Shopify-based React/Figma design system deployment). In January 2024, Border acquired Cozy Design, a B2B brand and marketing studio now operating as a retained sub-brand under a new Creative division led by Lee Fuhr. Pricing, contract values, and revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Border UX

Legal name

Border LLC

Website

https://borderux.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Border UX is a San Diego-based UX design agency that delivers UX strategy, design systems, and research services to Private Equity firms, cybersecurity companies, telecom providers, and B2B clients, supported by open-source tooling (Recursica) and an acquired brand sub-brand (Cozy Design).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Enterprise UX Design Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Graphic Design Services (541430)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming Services (7371), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

UI/UX Engineering & Front-End Modernization (BPAEAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise Application UX, Portals & Low-Code Extensions (BPAEAGAM), Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD), Brand Experience (BX) & Service Design (BPAFAEAI)

Keywords

• Enterprise UX design
• Design systems engineering
• UX research services
• Open-source design tokens
• Front-end development

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional Design Services: UX strategy, design systems, and research services for enterprise software companies. Engagements governed by Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs). Includes design system creation, user research, and front-end development.
2. Cozy Sub-brand Services: Brand and marketing services through acquired Cozy Design sub-brand, including websites, brand collateral, paid ads, sales decks, trade show booths, and identity systems.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Border UX is a professional UX design agency that delivers enterprise UX strategy, design systems, and user research services to private equity, cybersecurity, and telecom clients. It also builds and releases MIT-licensed open-source design tooling (Recursica design token system, Theme Forge, Figma components) and operates the acquired Cozy Design sub-brand for brand and marketing services. Engagements are governed by Master Services Agreements and Statements of Work tailored to each enterprise project.

Product overview

Border UX is a San Diego-based UX design agency offering enterprise software design strategy, design systems, and research services. The portfolio includes proprietary open-source tools (Recursica design system, Theme Forge, Figma components, Knowledge base), acquired sub-brand Cozy Design for brand/marketing work, and core service offerings in UX research, design systems, and front-end development. The open-source tools are MIT-licensed and built on React/design tokens, while services span user interviews, automated interview analysis, and custom software design and build.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cozy: Studio brand for brand and marketing services including websites, brand collateral, paid ads, sales decks, trade show booths, identity systems, campaign sites, event environments and signage.

Products and services

• Recursica

Quantifiable outcome

• Design systems shipped in weeks (maybe days) using Recursica
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Cozy DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBorder LLC acquired Cozy Design in January 2024 to expand digital design services for enterprise and B2B clients. Cozy Design specializes in B2B and not-for-profit design, operating as a sub-brand under Border's new Creative division. Lee Fuhr leads the new Creative division.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Huge: Large experience design agency with an established design systems practice serving enterprise clients — directly comparable in enterprise UX and design-system engineering, though at materially greater scale.
• Instrument: Independent digital agency focused on brand, experience design, and product for enterprise clients; closely comparable in offering integrated design + engineering services to enterprise buyers.
• R/GA: Global digital agency combining brand, design, and technology for enterprise clients; comparable in offering cross-functional design-and-build engagements under a single agency roof.
• DockYard: Digital product consultancy delivering custom software, Elixir/React engineering, and product design; comparable in combining design systems and front-end engineering for enterprise clients.
• Frog Design: Global design and engineering firm (part of Capgemini Invent) delivering transformation, product design, and design systems to enterprise clients; overlaps with Border UX in enterprise design systems and product modernization work.
• ustwo: Global product studio delivering digital products, design systems, and venture building; overlaps with Border UX in shipping productized design tooling and operating a venture-studio adjacent to client services.
• Work & Co: Boutique digital product agency combining strategy, design, and engineering for enterprise and consumer clients, with a comparable emphasis on shipping product-grade UX rather than slide-deck consulting — closely aligned with Border UX's design-plus-engineering model.
• IDEO: Iconic design consultancy serving enterprise clients on strategy, digital product design, and service design; comparable in serving enterprise buyers on complex human-centered design engagements, though at much larger scale and brand recognition.

Broad incumbents

• Adobe: Suite-level design and digital experience vendor (XD, Creative Cloud, Experience Cloud) used by the same enterprise buyers Border UX targets; competes indirectly for design system tooling and enterprise design budgets.
• Figma: Dominant collaborative design platform and a key dependency for Border UX's Recursica Figma components; not a direct competitor in services but the broad incumbent whose tooling ecosystem shapes the firm's delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/borderux
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/borderux

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Border UX