What Plau does

Plau is a Brazilian type foundry and brand identity studio headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, operating under the legal entity Niramekko Multimídia Ltda (CNPJ 08.698.460/0001-47). Founded by Rodrigo Saiani in 2012–2013 following a spinout from a prior design partnership with his brother, Plau designs both retail fonts and bespoke typographic systems for enterprises, with a current catalog of 26+ retail families — Grama, Grecotipo (33 styles variable), Spalla, Histerica, Ana Banana, Motiva Sans, Redonda, Matria (73 styles), Paddock, Vinila, Dupincel, and others — most implemented with variable font technology supporting multiple axes (weight, italics, corner rounding, width) and multi-language coverage. The proprietary pipeline includes OpenType feature engineering, extensive glyph sets (e.g., Spalla at 290+ glyphs and 27 languages), and stylistic alternates developed by a six-person multidisciplinary team including partner Carlos Mignot (TDC Ascenders 2023) and senior designer Ana Laura Ferraz (Type Paris graduate 2022).

Name

Plau

Legal name

Niramekko Multimídia Ltda

Website

https://plau.design

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Plau is a Rio de Janeiro–based type foundry and brand identity studio founded by Rodrigo Saiani that designs variable retail fonts (26+ families) and bespoke custom typefaces for enterprise clients including Rede Globo, Valve/Steam, and Reserva, distributing through its own store, Type Network, and Adobe Fonts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Type Design

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Packaging & Product Brand Design (BPAFAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fine Arts, Design & Architecture (EDAGABAJ)

Keywords

• Retail typefaces
• Custom type design
• Variable fonts
• Brand typography
• Type foundry

Headquarters

HQ city

Rio De Janeiro

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Font Sales: Sale of font licenses (one-time perpetual license) for commercial use. Pricing tiers based on company size (number of employees). Fonts include desktop, webfont, and app usage rights.
2. Custom Typeface Projects: Bespoke font design services for brands requiring proprietary typography. Projects include typographic identity systems, custom logotypes, and brand-specific letterforms.
3. Education and Workshops: Typographic education through Plau Ensino platform, in-company workshops, and mentorship programs for design teams and students.
4. Special Licensing: Custom licenses for special use cases including TV broadcasting, streaming, video games, and large enterprise deployments (>500 employees).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Plau is a Brazilian type foundry that designs and sells retail typefaces (font families, including variable fonts) directly through its own website, Type Network, and Adobe Fonts, while also developing bespoke custom typeface projects for enterprise brands. Beyond retail fonts and custom type design, the studio runs educational workshops through Plau Ensino and publishes Entrelinha, a weekly typography publication. Revenue is generated primarily through perpetual font licenses and bespoke type design services.

Product overview

Plau is a Brazilian type foundry and design studio offering a portfolio of retail typefaces (approximately 30+ font families including Grama, Grecotipo, Spalla, Histerica, Ana Banana, Dupincel, Motiva Sans, Redonda, Vinila, and others) alongside custom type design services. The company provides bespoke typeface development for brand identities, proprietary fonts, logotypes, and visual messaging. Their services include typographic consulting, logo refinement, visual identity, and typography education. Distribution occurs through their own website, Adobe Fonts, and Type Network. They also operate Entrelinha, a content publication platform, and Plau Ensino, their education platform. The company has developed custom type systems for major clients including Rede Globo, Reserva, PRIO, Stone, XP Investimentos, and others.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Entrelinha: Plau's publication platform featuring articles about typography, branding, design history, and type tutorials, updated weekly with content in Portuguese and English
• Plau Ensino

Products and services

• Grama Variable retail typeface family with 17 styles, designed by Carlos Mignot, available for desktop, web, and app licensing.
• Grecotipo Versatile grotesque variable typeface offered in 33 styles that transforms along weight, italics, and corner-rounding axes; priced at R$749 for the complete family.
• Spalla All-caps display typeface in 9 styles plus a variable version, with over 290 glyphs and 27-language support; full family starts at R$399.
• Ana Banana Variable typeface featuring 9 weights with deep inktraps, bell-shaped stroke endings, and smiling counters; full variable family available for R$549.
• Histerica Serif typeface with curly endings, rounded-base serifs, and sharply cut corners, inspired by a 1908 French newspaper typeface, awarded Bronze at Brasil Design Award 2025.
• Dupincel Retail variable typeface family with 38 styles, winner of a 2024 Type Directors Club (New York) award.
• Motiva Sans Variable typeface family in 16 styles selected by Valve as the official typeface for the Steam platform and Steam OS.
• Redonda Award-winning retail variable typeface family with 37 styles, recognized with multiple Brasil Design Award medals.
• Vinila Variable typeface offered in 49 styles within Plau's retail font catalog.
• Salsero Single-style display typeface with inverted contrast and expressive curves, rounded serifs, and intentional 'happy mistakes'; starting at R$99.
• Paddock Variable typeface family with 61 styles available in Plau's retail font catalog.
• Matria Variable typeface family with 73 styles available in Plau's retail font catalog.
• Fontes Sob Medida (Custom Type Design Service) Bespoke typeface development service for brands, including proprietary fonts, brand typographic identities, logotypes, lettering, calligraphy, and custom visual messaging; delivered to clients such as Rede Globo, Reserva, XP Investimentos, PRIO, Stone, Paramount Plus, Will Bank, Canal Brasil, NotCo, and VTEX.
• Plau Ensino Typography education platform delivering workshops, in-company training, and mentorship for design teams and students, accessible at ensino.plau.design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Millions of people see Plau typefaces daily through clients like Rede Globo, Staples, and Valve/Steam
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and minor.

• MotoranotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Motora is the design studio where Ana Banana was developed starting in 2021. Their team (Luize Araújo, Monique Lemos, Julia Chaves, Maria Stéfanni Carvalho, Isabele Santos) collaborated on the typeface's development.
• Type NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2019Exclusive distribution partnership with Type Network for retail fonts. Partnership includes active quality control, feedback system, and access to Slack community with network members. Over 25 years of experience in retail and custom font projects.
• Adobe Fonts (Typekit)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFonts distributed through Adobe Creative Cloud subscription service. Fonts available for web and desktop use within Adobe ecosystem. Designers can sync fonts directly to desktop applications.
• NOO WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign collaboration on Histerica typeface project. NOO Works provided graphic design and motion contributions to the project.
• GreconotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreco is the client/collaborator for the Grecotipo typeface project. The typeface was developed inspired by Greco's design solutions and physical/digital design aesthetic.
• TwoominorOthersWebsite credit: 'Made by Twoo®' - web development/design agency responsible for Plau's website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Optimo: Swiss type foundry offering retail and custom typefaces. Comparable as a boutique foundry with curated catalog and bespoke commissions, distributed through own storefront and partner platforms including Adobe Fonts.
• Production Type: French independent foundry with retail families and custom type projects. Comparable mid-size boutique operation with award-recognized work, multi-axis variable fonts, and enterprise brand clients.
• Milieu Grotesque: Independent foundry with retail typefaces and custom commissions. Comparable as a boutique design studio with selective catalog, award-recognized work and enterprise brand clients.
• Klim Type Foundry: New Zealand-based independent foundry offering retail fonts and custom typeface services. Comparable as a craft-led boutique foundry with strong retail catalog and selective enterprise custom commissions, distributed via direct sales and partner platforms.
• Dinamo: Swiss boutique foundry offering distinctive retail typefaces and custom type projects for brands. Comparable in catalog depth and creative positioning, with strong international client base spanning brand identity work.
• Commercial Type: Independent type foundry known for retail families and high-profile custom typefaces. Closely comparable business model — retail catalog plus bespoke commissions for major brands and institutions — and similar distribution through their own storefront plus Adobe Fonts.
• Grilli Type: Swiss independent type foundry of comparable size offering retail typefaces and custom type projects. Directly comparable as a mid-size boutique foundry combining award-winning retail catalog with bespoke commissions, with similar variable font focus and enterprise client roster.
• OHno Type: Independent type foundry known for distinctive retail typefaces and custom projects. Comparable in size and creative positioning as a craft-driven boutique foundry.

Emerging players

• Type Network: Plau's exclusive distribution partner and a foundry consortium offering retail and custom typefaces from independent designers. Relevant as both a channel partner and a competing platform that aggregates other boutique foundries.

Broad incumbents

• Monotype: Global incumbent controlling the largest commercial typeface library (Helvetica, Times, etc.) and a broad licensing platform serving enterprise and SMB customers. Relevant as the dominant scale player against which Plau competes in retail distribution and enterprise licensing negotiations.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PlauStudio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOGx_roVyS7aVsE-2e647ZQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plau
• Instagraminstagram.com/plaudesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Plau