Awake

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.

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

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

• Brand design services
• Digital product design
• UI/UX design
• Luxury retail platforms
• Creative agency

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• KeringflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeven-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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/awakedotus
• Facebookfacebook.com/awakeus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/awakeus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Awake