What KBD does

KBD is a privately held, founder-controlled brand experience agency founded in 2001 by Katie Bush and headquartered in Louisville, KY. The firm operates on a remote-first basis with team members distributed across the United States and serves two primary customer segments: enterprise technology startups and venture capital / investor funds. Its service portfolio spans brand identity development (branding, naming, positioning), digital presence (websites, digital events), communications materials (decks, sales collateral, case studies, explainer videos, newsletters, infographics, e-books, icons, business cards), and event production (AGMs, conference design and planning). The firm claims a 20+ year track record in the technology ecosystem, with more than 100 startup clients worked on and a stated $4 billion+ in client capital raised during the pandemic period alone. Notable named clients include Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock Partners, IVP, Mayfield, Sapphire Ventures, M12, Boldstart, Threshold, TrueBridge, MuleSoft, Tanium, Alation, Climate Corporation, Silicon Valley Bank, and Dyno Therapeutics.

KBD's business model is professional services delivered on a custom, quote-based engagement structure rather than tiered or productized pricing. Distribution is direct and relationship-led, with the firm leveraging its portfolio of high-caliber client work and Silicon Valley investor community ties as the primary demand-generation channel. The agency is bootstrapped with no external institutional investment, parent company, or acquisitions disclosed. Its technology footprint is modest: the team operates on standard creative and web production tooling, with one notable open-source contribution — ACF Builder, a PHP library for defining WordPress Advanced Custom Fields, created by Senior Director of Product Development Steve Pfisterer and released under open-source licensing. The firm operates as a horizontal services platform across multiple tech verticals (DevOps, Government, Biotech, Frontier Tech, SaaS, Infrastructure, Security, Digital Health, Crypto, Fintech) and across investor subsegments (CVCs, LPs and Family Offices, Growth/Private Equity, Emerging Managers, traditional Venture).

Name

KBD

Legal name

KBD

Website

https://wearekbd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KBD is a privately held, remote-first brand experience agency founded in 2001 that designs branding, websites, decks, digital events, and AGMs for enterprise technology startups and venture capital / investor funds in the US technology ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services - Creative and Design: KBD generates revenue through professional services including deck creation, branding, website development, digital events, sales collateral, naming, positioning, AGM execution, business cards, case studies, explainer videos, newsletters, infographics, e-books, icons, and conference design and planning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

KBD is a brand experience agency that provides creative, design, and digital production services to enterprise technology startups and investor funds. Core offerings include pitch decks, brand identity (branding, naming, positioning), website design and development, digital events and AGM execution, sales collateral, explainer videos, newsletters, e-books, infographics, icons, business cards, and conference design and planning. Services are tailored for company-builders that are simultaneously building their product and their brand presence.

Product overview

KBD is a brand experience agency providing a comprehensive suite of creative and strategic services for the technology ecosystem. The agency's offering is structured as a unified portfolio of interrelated service offerings rather than a modular software product. Core services include brand identity development (Branding, Naming, Positioning), digital presence (Websites, Digital Events), communications materials (Decks, Sales Collateral, Case Studies, Explainer Videos, Newsletters, Infographics, E-Books, Icons, Business Cards), and event production (Digital Events, AGMs, Conference Design & Planning). These services are tailored for company-builders including enterprise startups and investor funds, supporting them from initial branding through go-to-market execution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Decks Presentation deck creation and design for investor pitches, company meetings, and strategic communications, tailored to enterprise startups and investor funds.
• Branding Brand identity development including visual design systems, messaging frameworks, and positioning strategies for technology companies and investor funds.
• Websites Website design and development services for enterprise startups and investor funds, including full-stack web solutions.
• Digital Events Virtual and hybrid event production, including AGM support with deck execution and white-glove service for fully branded virtual experiences.
• Sales Collateral Marketing materials and sales support assets for technology companies, including case studies, infographics, and e-books.
• Naming Company and product naming services with strategic positioning development for startups and venture funds.
• Positioning Strategic messaging and market positioning services to define company identity and competitive differentiation.
• Annual General Meetings (AGMs) Annual meeting planning and execution, including deck design and white-glove virtual event support for investor funds.
• Conference Design & Planning Large-scale user conferences, corporate meetings, forums, and boutique corporate incentive program design and planning.
• Explainer Videos Video content creation for product demonstrations, company introductions, and investor communications.
• Newsletters Email newsletter design and content creation for ongoing stakeholder communications.
• E-Books Long-form digital content design and production for thought leadership and marketing purposes.
• Icons Custom icon design and iconography systems for digital and print applications.
• Business Cards Professional business card design and print coordination for corporate branding.
• Case Studies Case study design and content production for marketing and sales enablement purposes.
• Infographics Infographic design for data-driven storytelling and visual communications across marketing and sales contexts.

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MetaLab: Design and branding agency that has historically served tech-forward enterprise clients (Slack, Coinbase, Google). Directly comparable to KBD in serving technology companies with integrated brand experience work.
• Ueno: Boutique design and branding agency serving tech startups and venture-backed companies (Coinbase, Slack, Uber). Similar size and positioning to KBD as a brand experience studio for the tech ecosystem.
• Gale: Boutique creative agency specifically serving venture capital and technology clients with branding, websites, and event design. Highly comparable to KBD in targeting the VC and startup ecosystem with similar service offerings.
• Work & Co: Digital product and brand agency that designs and builds digital experiences for major tech and consumer brands (Apple, Google, Nike). Comparable to KBD on the website design and digital experience delivery side.
• Manual: Design and branding agency serving B2B technology companies and VC-backed startups with brand identity, websites, and pitch decks. Closely comparable to KBD's enterprise startup service line.
• Character: San Francisco-based branding and design agency serving venture-backed technology companies (Airbnb, Stripe, Notion, Square). Closely aligned with KBD in targeting enterprise startups and VC-adjacent clients.

Broad incumbents

• Huge: Full-service digital agency serving enterprise and tech clients (Google, Zelle, Under Armour). Competes with KBD for digital experience and branding work but at significantly larger scale.
• Pentagram: Iconic independent design firm specializing in brand identity and visual systems. Overlaps with KBD's branding practice but serves a much broader client base across industries.
• IDEO: Global design consultancy with deep tech and venture client roster. Overlaps with KBD on design strategy and brand experience but operates at much larger scale across multiple design disciplines.
• R/GA: Large global digital agency with deep tech sector practice (Google, Samsung, Verizon). Overlaps with KBD on branding and digital experience but operates at much larger scale with broader service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/weareKBD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/katie-bush-design

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 KBD