What Fren Llc does

Fren Inc. (FREN) is a privately held experiential design studio founded in 2018 and headquartered in Richmond Hill, Georgia, that designs and delivers thematic environments and educational content for healthcare facilities and community spaces. The studio integrates physical murals, custom architectural and furniture elements (including soft anemone-styled seating and driftwood tables), ceiling-mounted displays, suspended glass sculptures, projection systems, and digital interactive exhibits such as 60-foot curved LED screens. Core product lines include environmental design services for pediatric intensive care units (PICU), neonatal intensive care units (NICU), bone marrow transplant units, hematology/oncology units, pre- and post-anesthesia care units, medical observation units, family waiting areas, healing gardens, therapeutic playrooms, wayfinding and signage, medical unit entrances, and connecting corridors; museum installations such as the Telfair Children's Art Museum; public-space projects including the 2024 Savannah riverfront tugboat playground restoration; and a portfolio of children's books (Adventures of Fren, Medical Prep series, Vegetable Valley, Nate's Hospital Journey, Artemis and Other Fantastical Things).

The company is co-founded and led by CEO Stephen Nottingham and Chief Design Officer Inwon Jong, with a stated headcount of 1–10 employees and no disclosed external institutional investors or funding rounds. Revenue is generated through project-based, one-time custom design engagements acquired via direct institutional sales targeting enterprise healthcare systems, children's hospitals, museums, and government/municipal clients in the Southeast US and Mid-Atlantic regions. Named customers include Studer Family Children's Hospital (multiple units), UVA Health Children's, Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola, Telfair Museums, and the City of Savannah. Distribution is referral-driven within healthcare and cultural sectors, with a project-portfolio website and Instagram as the primary marketing channels and a companion non-profit structure via the Fren Foundation.

Name

Fren Llc

Legal name

FREN Inc.

Website

https://www.freninc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fren Inc. is a privately held experiential design studio founded in 2018 in Richmond Hill, Georgia, that designs themed healthcare environments, museum installations, and public spaces for enterprise hospitals, cultural institutions, and municipal clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Environmental Design Projects: Project-based custom design services for healthcare facilities and public spaces. The company designs and delivers complete environmental experiences including murals, interactive installations, furniture, and digital elements for institutional clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

FREN designs and delivers custom experiential environments for healthcare facilities and community spaces, including themed murals, digital interactive displays, projection systems, custom furniture, and architectural elements for hospital units such as PICU, NICU, BMT, oncology, and family waiting areas. The company also produces a children's book series (Adventures of Fren) and the Artemis and Other Fantastical Things picture book to support pediatric medical preparation and clinical training, and executes public space projects such as playground and landmark restorations.

Product overview

FREN is a design firm offering environmental design services and content products for healthcare facilities and public spaces. The company operates as a single integrated offering with two main product categories: (1) Environmental design services for healthcare facilities including themed murals, digital displays, wayfinding systems, and therapeutic spaces across various hospital units such as PICU, NICU, oncology, and family waiting areas; and (2) Published content products including the Adventures of Fren book series and the Artemis and Other Fantastical Things picture book. The environmental design services are the primary offering, while the book series serves as supplementary content to support pediatric healthcare experiences. FREN also executes public space projects like the Savannah Riverfront Tugboat playground reconstruction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Environmental Design Comprehensive environmental design for pediatric ICUs featuring undersea environments, thematic lighting, ceiling-mounted displays, and custom oceanic suspended glass sculptures, designed for children's hospitals such as Studer Family Children's Hospital.
• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Environmental Design NICU design featuring tranquil murals, river scenes with motherhood depictions, waterfall projection systems, and monarch butterfly projection effects for settings such as UVA Health Children's.
• Bone Marrow Transplant Unit Environmental Design Environmental design service for BMT units featuring expansive environmental murals, interactive digital activities, and a central playroom intended to comfort patients during extended isolation, delivered at Studer Family Children's Hospital.
• Hematology & Oncology Unit Environmental Design Specialized environmental design for hematology and oncology treatment units providing soothing, therapeutic atmospheres for patients undergoing cancer treatment at Ascension Sacred Heart.
• Pre-Post Anesthesia Care Unit Environmental Design Environmental design for pre-/post-anesthesia care units featuring calming themed environments to reduce patient stress before and after procedures at Studer Family Children's Hospital.
• Medical Observation Unit Environmental Design Medical observation unit design featuring beach scenes, local Pensacola landmarks, and Blue Angels airshow digital displays for Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola.
• Family Waiting Area & Connection Corridor Design Healthcare facility environmental design featuring undersea-themed murals, soft anemone-styled custom seating, and driftwood tables to create calming family waiting experiences at Studer Family Children's Hospital.
• Therapeutic Playroom Design Specialized playroom design for healthcare settings focused on therapeutic benefits and child development during medical treatment.
• Healing Garden and Play Space Design Outdoor and indoor healing environment design combining garden elements with therapeutic play spaces for healthcare facilities.
• Medical Unit Entrances & Wayfinding Design Environmental design services for medical unit entrances and healthcare facility wayfinding systems and signage, designed to help patients and families navigate complex medical environments.
• Connecting Corridor Design Healthcare facility corridor design service focused on creating cohesive themed environments throughout medical facilities.
• Telfair Children's Art Museum Exhibition Design Comprehensive children's museum experience featuring multiple digital interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, a 60-foot curved LED screen, projected environments, physical props, and an adjacent toddler play area for Telfair Museums.
• Savannah Riverfront Tugboat Playground Restoration Historic playground reconstruction project for the City of Savannah, featuring a durable and accessible tugboat play structure designed for young or mobility-impaired children, completed in 2024.
• Adventures of Fren Book Series Children's book series designed to help prepare children for hospital experiences, including the Medical Prep series for specific procedures, the Vegetable Valley nutrition guide, and Nate's Hospital Journey for combatting fear.
• Artemis and Other Fantastical Things (Picture Book) Children's picture book developed to memorialize a real boy, Artemis McRae, and his adventurous attitude, while supporting clinical training and safety efforts at UVA Health Children's.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CannonDesign: Large integrated design firm with a substantial healthcare practice serving pediatric and academic medical centers. While much broader than FREN, CannonDesign competes for the same hospital capital projects where experiential environmental design is in scope.
• HKS Architects: Major architecture and design practice with a significant healthcare portfolio, including pediatric hospitals. HKS competes for the same master-planning and interior build-out engagements that include experiential environmental design components.
• Gensler: Global design and architecture firm with practices across healthcare, cultural, and civic sectors. Gensler represents the broad incumbent against whom FREN must differentiate on its specialized pediatric experiential expertise.

Direct peers

• ESI Design (now part of NBBJ): Long-standing experiential design studio known for museums (e.g., National September 11 Memorial Museum) and immersive public installations. ESI's mix of physical environments, digital media, and interactive content closely parallels FREN's integrated design approach for healthcare and cultural institutions.
• Roto Design: Design firm creating immersive, interactive installations for museums, brands, and public spaces. Roto's blend of fabrication, digital interaction, and storytelling aligns with FREN's model of combining murals, projections, and custom architectural elements.
• Falcon's Creative Group: Themed entertainment and experience design firm producing immersive attractions, museums, and brand experiences. Falcon's specialization in themed, story-driven environments is structurally comparable to FREN's themed hospital units and museum installations.
• JRA (Jack Rouse Associates): Experiential design firm specializing in museums, visitor centers, zoos, and brand attractions. Like FREN, JRA integrates physical environments, interactive elements, and storytelling for institutional clients, making it a close comparable in scope and delivery model.
• C&G Partners: Design firm with deep work in museums, exhibitions, and cultural institutions, including environmental graphics and wayfinding. C&G's cultural-institution focus and emphasis on integrated environmental design overlap directly with FREN's museum and healthcare projects.
• Thinkwell Group: Experience design and production company for themed entertainment, museums, and brand destinations. Thinkwell's end-to-end design-build model for immersive environments makes it a relevant peer to FREN's custom experiential design work for institutions.
• Hilferty & Associates (now Luci Creative): Exhibit and experience design firm focused on children's museums, cultural institutions, and healthcare environments. Their combined environmental and interactive design work makes them a strong comparable in FREN's core niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses6 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/p/DOLy5wLgLwp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frendesign

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Fren Llc