Chestnut

What Chestnut does

Chestnut operates as Castano Group, an SBA 8(a) certified minority-owned creative agency headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Founded in 2016 with a team of 1-10 employees, the firm delivers video production, 2D/3D animation, motion graphics, projection mapping, and experiential design services to federal and state government agencies, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and cultural nonprofits. Core clients include the CDC, HRSA, HHS, FDIC, FTC, and Florida Department of Health, with commercial work for entities such as Baptist Health, Whitefish Credit Union, Haskell/Dysruptek, and Feeding America. The firm's technical capabilities center on real-time visual production platforms including TouchDesigner and Notch, 3D animation built from CAD models, and large-scale projection mapping deployments using 40,000-lumen projectors, as evidenced by the Baptist Health Reflections of Hope installation visible to 170,000+ daily I-95 travelers. Custom interactive exhibits incorporate sensor integration, multi-zone audio, and conductive ink touch displays for museum and advocacy environments.

The business model is project-based professional services with custom-quoted engagements, delivered through two primary go-to-market channels: direct federal contracting via SBA 8(a) set-aside procurement, and white-label production partnerships with larger agencies including Brunet-García Advertising, ForsMarsh, and Golin. Revenue streams span video production, animation, experiential design, and projection mapping installations. The firm holds Gold and National ADDY Awards from the American Advertising Federation (2023, 2025) and reports 100% SLA accomplishment since formation with 7+ years of federal past performance. Documented client outcomes include $443M+ in certificate balances generated for Whitefish Credit Union, 8.5M broadcast impressions and $5.6M media value for HRSA campaigns, and 16M+ web/social impressions for the 2024-2025 HRSA program. Geographic delivery spans U.S. regions including the Southeast, Northeast, Mountain West, and Mid-Atlantic despite a single-office footprint. The firm is privately held with no disclosed external investors, parent company, or funding rounds.

Name

Chestnut

Legal name

Castano Group

Website

https://castanogroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Castano Group is a Jacksonville-based SBA 8(a) certified creative agency providing video production, animation, projection mapping, and experiential design services to federal agencies, healthcare organizations, financial institutions, and cultural nonprofits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative and Advertising Services

NAICS

Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Teleproduction and Other Postproduction Services (512191)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Content Production (Video, Design, Copy, Studio) (BPAFAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Production & Talent Services (Casting, Crew, Production Management) (MPAAAMAF)

Keywords

• Creative agency services
• Video production
• Animation services
• Projection mapping
• Experiential design

Headquarters

HQ city

Jacksonville

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

Revenue model

1. Video Production Services: Project-based video production for government and commercial clients, including PSA campaigns, narrative videos, and documentary-style case studies
2. Animation Services: Custom animation production including 2D/3D animation, motion graphics, and micro-moments animation series for public health campaigns
3. Experiential Design: Immersive installation design, interactive exhibits, and pop-up experiences for cultural institutions and advocacy organizations
4. Projection Mapping: Large-scale projection mapping installations on architectural landmarks and building facades for events and cultural celebrations

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Castano Group is a creative agency that produces video content, 2D and 3D animation, large-scale architectural projection mapping, and interactive experiential installations for government agencies, healthcare organizations, cultural institutions, and commercial clients. Services include public service announcements, public health campaigns, brand identity development, event branding, and immersive installations combining projection mapping, sensors, and conductive ink touch technology.

Product overview

Castano Group is a creative agency offering a portfolio of services including video production, animation, projection mapping, and experiential design. Rather than a unified software product, it provides professional creative services to government and commercial clients. Projects range from public health campaigns (HRSA Poison Help Line, CDC initiatives) and financial services marketing (Whitefish Credit Union, FDIC) to cultural installations (MOCA Jacksonville, Cultural Council) and branded content. The company operates as an SBA 8(a) certified small business specializing in video production and immersive design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Video Production

Quantifiable outcome

• Whitefish Credit Union campaign: $443M+ in certificate balances, 7,946 accounts opened
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Brunet-García AdvertisingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-standing agency partnership where Castano Group serves as production partner for public health campaigns. Castano produces video, animation, and digital content conceived by Brunet-García for clients including CDC, FDIC, and Delores Barr Weaver Policy Center.
• ForsMarshcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ForsMarsh on CDC polysubstance PSA video series and FTC Youville digital literacy program. ForsMarsh provides research-based creative direction while Castano handles production.
• GolinmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCastano Group partnered with Golin to create the Tobacco Free Florida In the Cut campaign targeting menthol cigarette marketing in communities.
• Haskell Architecture and EngineeringmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Baptist Health Reflections of Hope projection mapping project, working to ensure creative vision aligned with architectural design of the children's hospital tower.
• Miller ElectricsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInfrastructure partner responsible for energy and information technology systems supporting the Baptist Health projection mapping installation.
• Dysruptek (Haskell)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for RAPTOR remote pneumatic pressure testing technology rebranding and launch, and Big Pitch innovation event production across multiple years.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ogilvy Public Relations: Global public relations and behavior-change communications firm with significant federal government practice (CDC, HHS, USAID campaigns). Competes for the same federal public-health creative RFPs Castano serves, but at global holding-company scale.
• ICF Next: Larger digital services and communications division of ICF International, with a deep public-sector federal marketing practice. Competes for the same federal public-health communications RFPs but at significantly greater scale and with broader service lines.
• Golin: Global PR and communications agency that partners with Castano on Tobacco Free Florida. Larger, broader communications firm but operates in adjacent healthcare and government communications lanes.

Emerging players

• ARTECHOUSE: Specializes in technology-driven immersive art installations using projection mapping and sensor-based interactivity. Comparable craft capability to Castano's projection mapping and interactive exhibit work, though oriented toward commercial art exhibitions rather than government/cultural installations.
• Obscura Digital: Boutique experiential studio with deep projection mapping and immersive installation pedigree. Comparable technical craft for architectural-scale projection work; serves more commercial and entertainment clients than government.

Direct peers

• DDC Public Affairs: SBA-certified small business specializing in public-affairs creative for federal campaigns. Operates in the same procurement lanes (8(a) set-asides) with overlapping public-health and civic-engagement focus.
• Moment Factory: Montreal-based experiential studio specializing in large-scale projection mapping and immersive installations. Closest direct peer for Castano's architectural projection mapping work (Baptist Health, Cathedral District Jacksonville), though at significantly larger scale and international reach.
• Brunet-García Advertising: Independent creative agency with deep federal government public-health and behavioral-change focus. Listed as Castano's core production partner, with overlapping federal client base (CDC, FDIC) and similar mission-driven creative positioning.
• The Hannon Group: Small SBA-certified creative agency focused on federal government public-affairs campaigns. Similar size, certification profile, and federal public-health/behavioral-change focus to Castano.
• ForsMarsh Group: Research-driven federal marketing and communications firm that partners with Castano on CDC and FTC work. Similar behavior-change expertise and government client mix; comparable size and SBA-adjacent positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/castano-group
• Facebookfacebook.com/castanogroupinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Chestnut