Awake
Awake is a Palo Alto-based creative agency providing brand strategy, digital product design, and UI/UX services to enterprise luxury and premium-brand clients, including Kering, Gucci, Apple, and Microsoft, with its flagship LUCE retail platform serving 20,000+ daily users.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Awake does
Awake (legal entity: AWAKE US, Inc.) is a privately held, Palo Alto-headquartered creative agency founded around 2013 that delivers brand strategy, digital product design, and UI/UX design services to enterprise clients globally. The firm employs 11-50 people and is led by founders Roberto Tagliabue (founder and creative director) and Domenico Pisaturo (co-founder). Awake's work has been intentionally confidential for more than two decades, with a public client roster that includes luxury houses such as Kering, Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, and The Row, alongside premium technology and consumer brands including Apple, Microsoft, Nokia, Dolby, and Puma.
Awake's core product capability is the LUCE digital retail platform, developed over a seven-year strategic collaboration with Kering and deployed across Kering's fashion houses. LUCE and its constellation of apps and services are used daily by more than 20,000 sales associates worldwide to deliver retail experiences and clienteling services in the luxury market. Awake claims that its designed experiences touch millions of people globally each day, and the company positions itself as a confidential, long-term design partner rather than a transactional agency.
The business model is professional services delivered on a quote-based, project or retainer basis to enterprise clients, with a direct consultative sales motion executed through the awake.us website and [email protected] email channel. The firm does not publish pricing, operates no self-service or e-commerce distribution, and has no disclosed institutional investors, venture backing, or parent company. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, and the company has no recorded funding rounds, acquisitions, or public-company filings. All go-to-market activity is conducted from a single Palo Alto office despite a claimed global delivery footprint.
Awake firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Awake
- Legal name
- AWAKE US, Inc.
- Website
- https://awake.us
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Awake is a Palo Alto-based creative agency providing brand strategy, digital product design, and UI/UX services to enterprise luxury and premium-brand clients, including Kering, Gucci, Apple, and Microsoft, with its flagship LUCE retail platform serving 20,000+ daily users.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Awake industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brand and Digital Product Design Services
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (54143), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD), Enterprise Architecture & IT Operating Model (BPAHAEAB)
Keywords
Where Awake is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Awake business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Creative Agency Services: Revenue generated through brand strategy, digital product design, and UI/UX design services delivered to enterprise clients on a project or retainer basis. The company has maintained long-term strategic relationships spanning multiple years with key accounts.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Awake product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Awake is a San Francisco-based creative agency that provides brand strategy, digital product design, and UI/UX design services to premium and luxury enterprise clients. Its flagship engagement is the LUCE digital retail platform developed in a 7-year collaboration with Kering, encompassing constellations of apps and services used daily by 20,000+ sales associates worldwide to deliver luxury retail experiences.
Product overview
Awake is a San Francisco-based creative agency offering brand, digital product, and UI/UX design services. The company developed LUCE, a digital retail platform for Kering that powers apps and services used by over 20,000 sales associates globally. Awake works with premium brands including Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Apple, Microsoft, and others to deliver transformative product experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- LUCE Digital Retail Platform A digital retail platform developed for Kering encompassing constellations of apps and services, used daily by more than 20,000 sales associates worldwide to deliver luxury retail experiences and client services across Kering's fashion houses.
- Brand Strategy Services Brand strategy and identity development services delivered to enterprise clients across luxury fashion, technology, and premium consumer goods sectors.
- Digital Product Design Services Digital product design services delivered to enterprise clients, including the design of platforms, applications, and digital experiences for premium and luxury brands.
- UI/UX Design Services User interface and user experience design services delivered to enterprise clients for consumer-facing applications and digital experiences.
Quantifiable outcome
- LUCE platform used by 20,000+ Sales Associates daily
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Awake
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Awake technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Awake partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- KeringflagshipSeven-year deep collaboration on LUCE platform development - a revolutionary digital retail platform serving luxury market. Worked hand-in-hand with Kering at its fashion houses to envision, design and develop the platform and its constellations of apps and services.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Awake competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand consulting and design firm with deep luxury and fashion heritage—directly comparable to Awake's luxury vertical focus and premium brand strategy offering.
- Work & Co: Digital product and brand design agency known for high-profile platform work with global brands (e.g., Google, Nike, United)—comparable to Awake's enterprise digital product engagements.
- R/GA: Global digital design and innovation agency offering brand strategy, digital product design, and connected experiences for premium enterprise clients—directly comparable to Awake's integrated creative + digital product model.
- Ustwo: Digital product studio specializing in premium UI/UX, app, and platform design for marquee global brands—closely aligned with Awake's digital product design and platform development focus.
- Huge: Digital experience agency offering strategy, design, and technology services to enterprise clients including luxury and consumer brands—overlapping with Awake's brand strategy + UI/UX scope.
- Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy creating brand strategy and identity for major global brands—comparable to Awake's premium brand and design services for luxury and tech clients.
- Pentagram: Independent design firm serving many of the world's most prestigious brands with brand identity and design work—comparable to Awake's premium positioning and elite client roster.
Broad incumbents
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy offering brand, product, and experience design—comparable strategic design offering to Awake's, though serving a broader range of industries and clients.
- Deloitte Digital (Fantasy): Large-scale digital agency within Deloitte offering brand, design, and platform services—competes with Awake in the premium enterprise digital product space but at greater scale and broader portfolio.
Emerging players
- Smart Design: Design consultancy focused on brand and product experiences for global clients—comparable boutique positioning and premium brand design capabilities to Awake.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Awake social profiles
Digital presenceAwake financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Awake leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Awake funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Awake M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Awake
What does Awake do?
Awake is a San Francisco-based creative agency that provides brand strategy, digital product design, and UI/UX design services to premium and luxury enterprise clients. Its flagship engagement is the LUCE digital retail platform developed in a 7-year collaboration with Kering, encompassing constellations of apps and services used daily by 20,000+ sales associates worldwide to deliver luxury retail experiences.
Is Awake a public or private company?
Awake is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Awake founded?
Awake was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Awake based?
Awake is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Awake make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative Agency Services.
Who are Awake's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Landor & Fitch, Work & Co, R/GA, Ustwo, Huge, Wolff Olins and Pentagram. Broad incumbents are IDEO and Deloitte Digital (Fantasy). Smart Design is listed as an emerging player.
Does Awake have an API?
No public API is recorded for Awake.
What industry is Awake in?
Awake's product category is Brand and Digital Product Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies, with a secondary code of MPAAAAAD, Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX). Its NAICS code is 54143 and its SIC code is 7311.