New Kind
New Kind is a B2B tech branding and positioning consultancy founded in 2009, headquartered in Raleigh-Durham, NC, serving SaaS and open source companies through a $75K-$125K Positioning Accelerator and custom engagements starting at $200K.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What New Kind does
New Kind is a privately-held B2B technology branding and positioning consultancy founded in 2009 in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, operating as a remote-first LLC. The firm is led by former Red Hat brand executives, including CEO and Partner David Burney and President and Partner Jonathan Opp, and specializes in helping SaaS and open source technology companies define positioning, craft messaging architectures, develop visual and verbal identity systems, and execute brand transformations. The company serves a hybrid client base ranging from funded startups to established global enterprises, publicly traded companies, and PE/VC-backed firms, with named logos including Liquibase, Bandwidth, Codefresh, OpenNMS, Zeplin, GitLab, Lenovo, and Red Hat.
The firm's core commercial offerings are the Positioning Accelerator, a 4-6 week sprint-based engagement priced at $75K-$125K that delivers a Company Positioning Map, Messaging Architecture, and Overarching Brand Story, and Customized Positioning, a tailored 3-6 month engagement starting at $200K for companies with complex stakeholder environments. Adjacent service offerings include Brand Strategy, Brand Story and Messaging, Visual and Verbal Identity, and a Brand Diagnostic (a 150+ metric assessment tool). Underlying 'technology' is positioned as a set of proprietary frameworks and workshop-based methodology rather than a software product; the firm has no API, no SDK, no patents, and no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.
New Kind operates a sales-led, consultative go-to-market model with senior team members involved throughout the sales cycle, and relies on organic content marketing (Insights blog, email newsletter, case studies, Start Here guide) as the primary demand generation channel, with no paid advertising disclosed. The company has remained independent and bootstrapped since founding, with no external funding, no parent company, and no M&A activity. It has been a Certified B Corporation since 2019 and reports an NPS of 87 and 93% 'excellent/exceptional' client ratings, supporting a reputation-driven, high-touch boutique consultancy model.
New Kind firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- New Kind
- Legal name
- New Kind LLC
- Website
- https://newkind.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- New Kind is a B2B tech branding and positioning consultancy founded in 2009, headquartered in Raleigh-Durham, NC, serving SaaS and open source companies through a $75K-$125K Positioning Accelerator and custom engagements starting at $200K.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
New Kind industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Brand Strategy Consulting
- NAICS
- Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Advertising Agencies (541810), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technology & B2B PR (BPAFADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Product & Brand PR (Consumer & B2B) (BPAFADAH)
Keywords
Where New Kind is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
New Kind business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Positioning Accelerator: 4-6 week sprint-based positioning engagement delivering positioning system, messaging architecture, and brand story. Investment range of $75K-$125K.
- Customized Positioning Strategy: Tailored engagements for companies with complex stakeholder environments, running 3-6 months. Starting at $200K, these custom engagements include strategy workshops, alignment sessions, and bespoke deliverables.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Positioning Accelerator - sprint-based engagement |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Customized Positioning - bespoke engagement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
New Kind product offering
Product offeringCore offering
New Kind is a branding and positioning consultancy that helps B2B technology companies define how they position themselves in the market, craft messaging architectures, and develop visual and verbal brand identities. Its core deliverables are the Positioning Accelerator (a 4-6 week sprint engagement at $75K-$125K producing a Company Positioning Map, Messaging Architecture, and Overarching Brand Story) and Customized Positioning engagements (bespoke 3-6 month projects starting at $200K for complex stakeholder environments).
Product overview
New Kind is a professional services firm offering strategic branding and positioning consulting for B2B technology companies. Their core offerings consist of the Positioning Accelerator (a 4-6 week sprint-based engagement at $75K-$125K) and Customized Positioning (tailored engagements starting at $200K). They provide holistic brand strategy services including brand story and messaging, visual and verbal identity development, naming, employer value propositions, and product marketing strategy. The Positioning Accelerator produces specific deliverables including a Company Positioning Map, Messaging Architecture, and Overarching Brand Story. They specialize in SaaS and open source companies and have worked with clients including Red Hat, GitLab, Lenovo, Codefresh, OpenNMS, and Bandwidth.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Positioning Accelerator
- Customized Positioning
- Brand Strategy Services
- Brand Diagnostic
Quantifiable outcome
- NPS Score of 87
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use New Kind
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
New Kind technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
New Kind partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
New Kind competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Landor & Fitch: Global brand transformation and design consultancy with deep experience in technology, mobility, and consumer sectors. Comparable strategic brand work but operates at much larger scale and broader industry scope.
- Interbrand: Global brand consultancy offering strategy, naming, design, and brand valuation across all industries. Overlaps with New Kind's positioning and identity work but serves much larger enterprise clients with broader portfolios.
- Wolff Olins: Global brand consultancy serving technology, telecom, and consumer clients with brand strategy and identity. Adjacent positioning discipline but at much larger scale and broader industry footprint than New Kind.
- Huge: Digital experience and brand agency serving major tech and consumer clients across strategy, design, and technology — overlaps with New Kind's brand strategy work but operates as a much larger full-service digital agency.
Direct peers
- BrandExtract: Houston-based brand strategy agency that helps B2B and B2C organizations clarify positioning, messaging, and identity — directly comparable to New Kind's positioning-led service model and similar mid-market enterprise client mix.
- Tenet Partners: B2B brand and communications consultancy focused on brand strategy, positioning, and research for technology and industrial clients. Comparable in scope of services and enterprise/B2B tech buyer overlap.
- 1o8: Chicago-based brand consultancy working with founders and CMOs on positioning, identity, and go-to-market narrative — overlaps in mid-market B2B tech buyer persona and strategic positioning services.
- Sklar Wilk & Associates: B2B brand marketing agency specializing in brand strategy, positioning, and messaging for technology and B2B clients — closely mirrors New Kind's strategic positioning and B2B tech specialization.
- Matchstick Creative: Brand strategy and design agency helping B2B and technology companies clarify positioning and visual identity. Comparable senior-led engagement model and B2B tech client focus.
- Coley & Partners: Brand positioning and messaging consultancy focused on B2B technology and financial services brands. Comparable project-based engagement model and senior-led delivery.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
New Kind social profiles
Digital presenceNew Kind financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
New Kind leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
New Kind funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
New Kind 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 New Kind
What does New Kind do?
New Kind is a branding and positioning consultancy that helps B2B technology companies define how they position themselves in the market, craft messaging architectures, and develop visual and verbal brand identities. Its core deliverables are the Positioning Accelerator (a 4-6 week sprint engagement at $75K-$125K producing a Company Positioning Map, Messaging Architecture, and Overarching Brand Story) and Customized Positioning engagements (bespoke 3-6 month projects starting at $200K for complex stakeholder environments).
Is New Kind a public or private company?
New Kind is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was New Kind founded?
New Kind was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is New Kind based?
New Kind is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does New Kind make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Positioning Accelerator is the primary driver. The others are customized Positioning Strategy.
Who are New Kind's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Landor & Fitch, Interbrand, Wolff Olins and Huge. Direct peers are BrandExtract, Tenet Partners, 1o8, Sklar Wilk & Associates, Matchstick Creative and Coley & Partners.
Does New Kind have an API?
No public API is recorded for New Kind.
What industry is New Kind in?
New Kind's product category is Brand Strategy Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAI, Technology & B2B PR, with a secondary code of BPAFADAH, Product & Brand PR (Consumer & B2B). Its NAICS code is 541613 and its SIC code is 8742.