A Hundred Monkeys

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.

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

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

• Brand naming services
• Company naming consultancy
• Brand messaging strategy
• Verbal identity design
• Naming architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Naming Services: Core naming projects for companies and products, including trademark screening, URL acquisition guidance, and cultural checks as part of the process.
2. Writing & Brand Positioning: Brand messaging, verbal identity, website copy, packaging copy, and copywriting services.
3. Ecosystems: Naming architecture and brand ecosystem organization services for complex product portfolios.
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers29 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Manual CreativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign 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.
• MuchominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio partner for Ultraderp dog leash naming project. Mucho developed the visual identity while A Hundred Monkeys provided naming and copywriting.
• MonikerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign partner for Chuck's Takeaway restaurant naming project with Slanted Door Group.
• Day JobminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLos Angeles-based design studio collaborated with A Hundred Monkeys on Interior beverage brand naming project.
• UpstatementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio that worked alongside A Hundred Monkeys to bring the Coefficient (formerly Open Philanthropy) name to life during rebranding.
• CollinsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign team partner for Target's Heyday tech accessories brand naming project.
• Play StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio partner for Atta analytics platform naming, visually bringing the brand to life.
• Out of OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign studio partnered with A Hundred Monkeys on Manna Molecular website copy project.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad 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

• Instagraminstagram.com/ahundredmonkeys
• Xx.com/ahundredmonkeys

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 A Hundred Monkeys