Garupa
Garupa is a Florianópolis-based design studio offering UX research, product design, and visual design through embedded (DaaS) and project-based (DesOn) service models, serving enterprise clients across fintech, retail, automotive, banking, and media sectors in Brazil and internationally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersFlorianópolis, Brazil
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Garupa does
Garupa is a privately-held design studio (self-described as a 'People Studio') headquartered in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, founded in 2010. The firm provides UX research, product design, and visual design services to enterprise clients, with a claimed portfolio of more than 100 brands including VWFS, Electrolux, Safe2Pay, Grupo CA, Brivia, Jornal do Comércio, and Solutis. The company operates two productized service lines: Design-as-a-Service (DaaS), a subscription-based embedded-designer model where Garupa specialists integrate with client in-house teams aligned to client KPIs and OKRs, and Design-on-Demand (DesOn), a project-based model with defined scope, deliverables, and timelines from discovery through go-live. Both services are delivered through a comprehensive Design Suite covering strategy, research, innovation, UX/UI, and AI-augmented design, using methodologies including Design Thinking, Lean UX, Double Diamond, Service Blueprint, and Customer Journey.
The firm's core technology approach is a human-AI hybrid: professional designers curate and supervise third-party AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude AI, Google Gemini, Midjourney, Figma Make, Lovable) to produce digital experiences, rather than building proprietary AI models. Garupa positions itself as a 'co-sourcing' extension of client in-house teams, with a curated talent network ('Garupers'), proprietary seniority benchmarks, and a knowledge-retention philosophy where generated knowledge stays with the client. Distribution is direct: enterprise leads come through the company website, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn, with explicit CEO involvement in client engagement.
Commercially, Garupa uses a quote-based pricing model with no publicly disclosed rates. Revenue is split between recurring (DaaS) subscriptions and project-based (DesOn) professional services. The firm is operating, actively hiring, Great Place to Work certified, and remains in the 11–50 employee band. No parent company, institutional investors, funding rounds, M&A activity, patents, or formal partnerships are disclosed, indicating a bootstrapped, founder-led operation.
Garupa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Garupa
- Legal name
- Garupa
- Website
- https://garupa.com.vc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Garupa is a Florianópolis-based design studio offering UX research, product design, and visual design through embedded (DaaS) and project-based (DesOn) service models, serving enterprise clients across fintech, retail, automotive, banking, and media sectors in Brazil and internationally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Garupa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- UX/UI Design Consulting
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD)
Keywords
Where Garupa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Florianópolis
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Garupa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Design-as-a-Service (DaaS): Subscription-based model providing dedicated designers who integrate with client in-house teams. Flexible and scalable based on client needs, aligned with business KPIs and OKRs.
- Design-on-Demand (DesOn): Project-based engagements with predefined scope, objectives, timelines, and deliverables from discovery to go-live.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Garupa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Garupa is a People Studio based in Florianópolis, Brazil, that provides dedicated design talent and project-based design services to enterprise clients. The studio combines human designers with AI tools to deliver UX research, product design, and visual design work through three service models: a subscription-based dedicated designer offering, on-demand project engagements, and a comprehensive design suite spanning strategy, research, innovation, UX/UI, and AI.
Product overview
Garupa is a People Studio that operates as a unified platform combining two main service offerings: DaaS (Design-as-a-Service) for dedicated, flexible team augmentation and DesOn (Design-on-Demand) for scoped project deliveries. Both services are powered by the company's comprehensive Design Suite that combines human designers with AI capabilities, encompassing strategy, research, innovation, UX/UI design, and various methodologies including Design Thinking, Lean UX, and Double Diamond. The company positions itself as an extension of in-house teams, providing co-sourcing and consulting services rather than a standalone software product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DaaS (Design-as-a-Service) Subscription-based service that provides clients with dedicated embedded designers working as an extension of the client's internal team. Designed for companies needing ongoing, scalable design capacity.
- DesOn (Design-on-Demand) Project-based design engagement for clients with specific, scoped design deliverables. Suited to companies that need targeted design output on a per-project basis.
- Suite Partner (Design Suite) Comprehensive design suite that combines strategy, research, innovation, UX/UI, and AI capabilities into an integrated offering for clients seeking end-to-end design partnership.
Quantifiable outcome
- Projects from simple adjustments to full DXP and Design System setups
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Garupa
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Garupa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature1 record
Garupa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Garupa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IDEO: Globally recognized boutique design consultancy offering strategy, research, and UX/UI services. Closely comparable to Garupa in its emphasis on design thinking, research-driven design, and operating as an extension of client teams.
- Huge: Digital design agency offering UX research, product design, and design systems to enterprise clients. Comparable to Garupa's DaaS/co-sourcing model and full-funnel design suite for large enterprise engagements.
- Frog Design: Premium design consultancy with a similar service suite spanning strategy, innovation, and product/UX design. Comparable to Garupa in methodology (Design Thinking-led) and enterprise client orientation, though at larger scale and now part of Capgemini.
- Ustwo: Boutique digital product studio with studios in multiple regions, offering co-sourced design and product engineering. Comparable to Garupa in studio model, senior-led design, and emphasis on multi-disciplinary co-sourcing rather than pure agency services.
- Work & Co: Boutique digital product design and engineering firm that operates as an embedded extension of enterprise teams. Closely aligned with Garupa's DaaS co-sourcing positioning and full-lifecycle digital product delivery.
Regional players
- CI&T: Brazilian-origin digital transformation and design consultancy with global delivery. Closest Brazilian-market comparable to Garupa in service mix (UX, product design, AI integration) and enterprise client base, but at substantially larger scale.
- MJV Technology & Innovation: Brazilian innovation and design consultancy serving enterprise clients across LATAM. Comparable to Garupa in boutique scale, Brazilian roots, and blend of design thinking with emerging-tech (data, AI) consulting.
- Questto: Brazilian product and design studio with embedded/co-sourcing engagements for enterprise and scale-up clients. Comparable to Garupa in regional positioning, boutique structure, and product-design-led service suite.
Broad incumbents
- Fjord (Accenture Song): Global design and innovation consultancy within Accenture Song. Overlaps heavily with Garupa's design suite but operates at far larger scale with broader service lines and stronger enterprise distribution.
- R/GA: Global digital design and advertising agency serving enterprise clients across product, brand, and commerce. Comparable to Garupa in its UX/product design depth and enterprise client base, but with broader capabilities and global footprint.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Garupa social profiles
Digital presenceGarupa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Garupa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Garupa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Garupa 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 Garupa
What does Garupa do?
Garupa is a People Studio based in Florianópolis, Brazil, that provides dedicated design talent and project-based design services to enterprise clients. The studio combines human designers with AI tools to deliver UX research, product design, and visual design work through three service models: a subscription-based dedicated designer offering, on-demand project engagements, and a comprehensive design suite spanning strategy, research, innovation, UX/UI, and AI.
Is Garupa a public or private company?
Garupa is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Garupa founded?
Garupa was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Garupa based?
Garupa is headquartered in Florianópolis, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Garupa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Design-as-a-Service (DaaS) is the primary driver. The others are design-on-Demand (DesOn).
Who are Garupa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IDEO, Huge, Frog Design, Ustwo and Work & Co. Regional players are CI&T, MJV Technology & Innovation and Questto. Broad incumbents are Fjord (Accenture Song) and R/GA.
Does Garupa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Garupa.
What industry is Garupa in?
Garupa's product category is UX/UI Design Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAD, Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX). Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 8742.