A Hundred Monkeys
A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley-based boutique naming and writing studio, founded in 1990, that provides company and product naming, brand messaging, and brand-ecosystem architecture services to enterprise and startup clients across technology, consumer, healthcare, and aerospace verticals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBerkeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What A Hundred Monkeys does
A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley, California-based boutique naming and writing studio founded in 1990 by Danny Altman. The firm operates as a six-person professional services practice offering three core services: company and product naming (including trademark screening, URL acquisition guidance, and cultural checks), brand messaging and copywriting, and brand-ecosystem architecture for clients with complex product portfolios. The team has completed over 700 naming projects for clients across all inhabited continents, including OpenAI, Alphabet, Samsung, Waymo, Okta, Miro, Abridge, Eero, Target, and Boom Supersonic.
The studio does not build technology products; its core capability is creative and linguistic expertise backed by proprietary trademark-screening and naming methodology. Eli Altman, son of the founder and current Managing Director, has authored naming books ('Don't Call it That', 'Go Name Yourself') and is quoted in major media (NYT, WSJ, NPR, Guardian), reinforcing thought leadership. The firm monetizes through project-based professional services fees and ancillary book sales, with go-to-market driven by referrals, case-study content marketing, and direct outreach. The team is highly selective about engagements, prioritizing clients who embrace creativity.
The business is privately held with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or institutional investment. Operating costs scale primarily with the small fixed team and select contractor partnerships (Manual Creative, Mucho, Moniker, Collins, Day Job, Play Studio, Out of Office, Upstatement) that provide design support on individual projects. Customer segments span enterprise technology, consumer brands, and startups across diverse verticals, with a stated vertical segmentation approach.
A Hundred Monkeys firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A Hundred Monkeys
- Legal name
- A Hundred Monkeys
- Website
- https://ahundredmonkeys.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley-based boutique naming and writing studio, founded in 1990, that provides company and product naming, brand messaging, and brand-ecosystem architecture services to enterprise and startup clients across technology, consumer, healthcare, and aerospace verticals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A Hundred Monkeys industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brand Naming & Writing Services
- NAICS
- Marketing Consulting Services (541613)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Naming & Verbal Identity (BPAFAEAB)
Keywords
Where A Hundred Monkeys is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berkeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
A Hundred Monkeys business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Naming Services: Core naming projects for companies and products, including trademark screening, URL acquisition guidance, and cultural checks as part of the process.
- Writing & Brand Positioning: Brand messaging, verbal identity, website copy, packaging copy, and copywriting services.
- Ecosystems: Naming architecture and brand ecosystem organization services for complex product portfolios.
- Books and Publications: Sale of naming books including 'Don't Call it That' and 'Go Name Yourself' for those seeking to self-educate on naming.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
A Hundred Monkeys product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley-based naming and writing studio that creates company and product names, brand messaging, verbal identity, and naming architecture for complex brand ecosystems. Engagements include trademark screening, URL acquisition guidance, cultural checks, and copywriting for websites, packaging, and brand communications. The firm operates as a professional services consultancy rather than a software or technology vendor.
Product overview
A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley, California-based naming and writing studio providing three core professional services: Naming Services (company and product naming with trademark screening and URL guidance), Writing & Brand Positioning (brand messaging, verbal identity, and copywriting), and Ecosystems/Brand Architecture (organizing complex brand ecosystems with naming architecture). Founded in 1990, the six-person team has completed over 700 projects, working with notable clients including Miro, Waymo, Eero, Okta, Samsung, and OpenAI. The company does not offer software products or technology platforms.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Naming Services Professional naming services for companies and products, including trademark screening, URL acquisition guidance, and cultural checks to develop impactful, ownable brand names for businesses across technology, consumer, and other sectors.
- Writing & Brand Positioning
Companies that use A Hundred Monkeys
Customer profileNamed customers29 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
A Hundred Monkeys technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
A Hundred Monkeys partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Manual CreativecoreDesign partner that collaborated with A Hundred Monkeys on Waymo brand messaging framework and Boom Supersonic Overture naming and communication strategy. Long-term working relationship across multiple projects.
- MuchominorDesign studio partner for Ultraderp dog leash naming project. Mucho developed the visual identity while A Hundred Monkeys provided naming and copywriting.
- MonikerminorDesign partner for Chuck's Takeaway restaurant naming project with Slanted Door Group.
- Day JobminorLos Angeles-based design studio collaborated with A Hundred Monkeys on Interior beverage brand naming project.
- UpstatementminorDesign studio that worked alongside A Hundred Monkeys to bring the Coefficient (formerly Open Philanthropy) name to life during rebranding.
- CollinsminorDesign team partner for Target's Heyday tech accessories brand naming project.
- Play StudiominorDesign studio partner for Atta analytics platform naming, visually bringing the brand to life.
- Out of OfficeminorDesign studio partnered with A Hundred Monkeys on Manna Molecular website copy project.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
A Hundred Monkeys competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Landor & Fitch: Landor is one of the world's largest brand strategy and design consultancies, with naming as part of a broader brand-portfolio offering. It competes for the same enterprise rebranding engagements as A Hundred Monkeys but with vastly larger scale and integrated design capabilities.
- Interbrand: Interbrand is a global brand consultancy offering naming alongside broader brand strategy, valuation, and design services. It is a broad incumbent competing for enterprise brand engagements A Hundred Monkeys also targets.
- Siegel+Gale: Siegel+Gale is a global brand strategy and design firm with naming as part of its verbal-identity practice. It competes with A Hundred Monkeys on writing and naming engagements, particularly for large enterprise rebrands.
- Pentagram: Pentagram is a design-led partnership that handles naming and brand identity work for major clients. It competes with A Hundred Monkeys for enterprise rebranding and naming engagements, typically at a larger scale and with integrated design execution.
- FutureBrand: FutureBrand is a global brand consultancy offering naming, verbal identity, and brand strategy as part of an integrated offering. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise brand engagements A Hundred Monkeys targets.
- Lippincott: Lippincott is a brand strategy consultancy with deep expertise in verbal identity, naming, and corporate rebranding. It targets many of the same enterprise clients as A Hundred Monkeys and is a leading competitor in the naming space.
Direct peers
- Catchword: Catchword is a boutique naming and brand-strategy agency offering company, product, and service naming with trademark screening. It competes head-to-head with A Hundred Monkeys for the same tech and consumer brand engagements.
- Lexicon Branding: Lexicon is one of the longest-standing dedicated naming firms, founded in 1982 and known for creating names like BlackBerry, Swiffer, and Pentium. It directly competes with A Hundred Monkeys on the same core service (strategic naming with trademark and linguistic expertise) for the same enterprise client base.
- Igor International: Igor is a naming-focused consultancy that has named major brands including Haagen-Dazs and Compaq. It competes directly with A Hundred Monkeys on strategy-driven naming projects for large enterprises.
- Tobias & Associates / River + Lime: Tobias is a naming firm with a long track record in technology, healthcare, and consumer naming, comparable in scale and positioning to A Hundred Monkeys' boutique studio model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A Hundred Monkeys social profiles
Digital presenceA Hundred Monkeys financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A Hundred Monkeys leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
A Hundred Monkeys funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A Hundred Monkeys 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 A Hundred Monkeys
What does A Hundred Monkeys do?
A Hundred Monkeys is a Berkeley-based naming and writing studio that creates company and product names, brand messaging, verbal identity, and naming architecture for complex brand ecosystems. Engagements include trademark screening, URL acquisition guidance, cultural checks, and copywriting for websites, packaging, and brand communications. The firm operates as a professional services consultancy rather than a software or technology vendor.
Is A Hundred Monkeys a public or private company?
A Hundred Monkeys is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was A Hundred Monkeys founded?
A Hundred Monkeys was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is A Hundred Monkeys based?
A Hundred Monkeys is headquartered in Berkeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does A Hundred Monkeys make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Naming Services are the primary driver. The others are writing & Brand Positioning, ecosystems and books and Publications.
Who are A Hundred Monkeys's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Landor & Fitch, Interbrand, Siegel+Gale, Pentagram, FutureBrand and Lippincott. Direct peers are Catchword, Lexicon Branding, Igor International and Tobias & Associates / River + Lime.
Does A Hundred Monkeys have an API?
No public API is recorded for A Hundred Monkeys.
What industry is A Hundred Monkeys in?
A Hundred Monkeys's product category is Brand Naming & Writing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAEAB, Naming & Verbal Identity. Its NAICS code is 541613 and its SIC code is 7311.