What Hot Type does

Hot Type is a Croatian type foundry and design studio that designs, produces, licenses, and sells both retail and custom typefaces. The company operates under the legal entity AGEMA centar d.o.o., registered in Varaždin, Croatia, with a small team (1-10 employees) led by Type Designer and Management Board member Marko Hrastovec alongside co-board-member Snježana Kolarek. Its retail catalog comprises nine original typeface families — Shear (brutalist headline, 20 styles), Exat (modernist, 21 styles, 430+ languages), Nyck (versatile serif with optical sizing, 24 styles), Noga (geometric-humanist, 10 styles), Crumbs, Hot Sans, Punta, Stroy Grotesk, and Stroy Mono — distributed globally through the company's e-commerce storefront at hottype.co via one-time perpetual licenses tiered by company size and use case (Desktop, Web, App, Social Media, plus custom Video/Logo/Game licensing). The studio's underlying technology relies on variable font axes, optical sizing (S/M/L), extensive OpenType features (stylistic sets, ligatures, case-sensitive forms), and multi-script coverage (Latin + Cyrillic with up to 1,715 glyphs per style), enabling premium enterprise-grade deployment.

Beyond retail licensing, Hot Type generates revenue from bespoke custom typeface design, logo/wordmark design, lettering, consulting, and font modification services, priced under non-exclusive, partially-exclusive, or fully-exclusive licensing structures with a 50% project deposit. This custom segment has produced work for tier-one global brands and institutions including the Louvre Museum (visual identity refresh), Nike (custom typeface for the AIR footwear platform rebrand), L'Oréal Group, Calvin Klein, Fifth Third Bank, Sofascore (a 23M-MAU sports app), Podravka, Yazio, Kit, and Air Up, often in collaboration with international design studios such as Koto, Design Studio London, Mother Design, and Dream On Paris. Customer segments span enterprise brands seeking bespoke identity work, design professionals licensing retail families, agencies needing headline typography, and design students (with a 50% discount). Distribution is fully direct — own e-commerce for retail, direct inquiry for custom — with payment processing via Mollie. The company holds no external funding, has no parent company, and is founder/management-controlled, with no disclosed revenue.

Name

Hot Type

Legal name

AGEMA centar d.o.o.

Website

https://hottype.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hot Type is a Croatian type foundry that designs, produces, licenses, and creates custom typefaces, serving global enterprise brands and design professionals through direct retail licensing and bespoke typeface commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

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 Typeface Licensing: Hot Type designs and produces original retail typefaces (Shear, Exat, Nyck, Noga, Crumbs, Hot Sans, Punta, Stroy Grotesk, Stroy Mono) which are licensed to customers for use in desktop, web, app, and social media applications. Fonts are sold with various licensing tiers based on company size and use case.
2. Custom Typeface Design Services: Hot Type offers custom typeface design, logo/wordmark design, lettering, and consulting services for clients. They've successfully delivered such work for major clients including Louvre Museum, L'Oréal Group, Nike, Fifth Third Bank, and Calvin Klein. Pricing depends on license type (non-exclusive, partially-exclusive, or exclusive) and design complexity.
3. Font Modifications: Additional services include modifying existing retail typefaces - creating additional characters, styles, weights, or renaming fonts for easier client integration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hot Type is an independent type foundry that designs, produces, and licenses original retail typeface families (Shear, Exat, Nyck, Noga, Crumbs, Hot Sans, Punta, Stroy Grotesk, Stroy Mono) for desktop, web, app, and social media use, alongside bespoke custom typeface design, logo/wordmark, lettering, and typographic consulting services delivered to enterprise brands worldwide.

Product overview

Hot Type is a type and graphic design company offering a portfolio of retail typeface families alongside custom typeface design services. The retail collection includes Shear (brutalist headline type with 20 styles), Exat (modernist typeface with 21 styles), Nyck (versatile serif with 24 styles), and Noga (geometric-humanist with 10 styles), among others. Beyond selling pre-designed fonts, the company provides bespoke custom typeface design, logo/wordmark design, lettering, and consulting services, having served clients including the Louvre Museum, Nike, L'Oréal, and Sofascore. Licensing options span Desktop, Web, App, and Social Media use cases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shear Brutalist headline typeface family with 20 styles, designed for impactful display use and aggressive typographic statements.
• Exat Modernist typeface inspired by EXAT 51 with 21 styles and extensive language coverage, designed for both editorial and display applications.
• Nyck

Quantifiable outcome

• 23 million monthly active users served through Sofascore Sans typeface
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• KotocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hot Type partnered with Koto design studio to create Kit Sans typeface for Kit brand rebrand, and collaborated on Yazio Sans for the nutrition app's headline typeface with logo design. Both projects involved joint type design efforts with creative direction from Koto.
• MVA – Mikelić Vreš ArhitektimajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborated with architectural firm MVA for the Re-Generator Center of Urban Culture project in Zabok, Croatia. Hot Type designed signage, custom numerals, tailored typeface, and bespoke icon set that blends with architectural design.
• Node WayfindingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hot Type and Node Wayfinding collaborated on wayfinding system design for the Re-Generator cultural center project, incorporating industrial heritage elements and local craftsmanship.
• Design Studio (London)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Invited by London's Design Studio to partner with Sofascore team for designing and developing Sofascore Sans variable typeface family for the sports app rebranding.
• Mother DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMother Design provided branding creative direction for Air Up, while Hot Type handled type design for Air Up Sans typeface featuring bubbly geometric letterforms.
• Dream On, PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDream On (Paris) provided creative direction for Louvre Museum typeface project, with art direction by Sandro Dujmenović (Beton) and photography by Elliott Amblard.
• Bruketa&Žinić&GreycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgency responsible for Podravka rebrand where Hot Type designed custom Podravka Sans typeface. Led by Creative Director Davor Bruketa with art direction by Igor Manasteriotti.
• Size StudiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerSize Studio designed cover image and campaign for Exat typeface launch, including Exat B1 poster silkscreened in 8 bright colors.
• Igino MarinicoreTechnology or IntegrationSpacing and kerning specialist who worked on Sofascore Sans typeface for optimal typographic performance, and later on Podravka Sans.
• Beton (Sandro Dujmenović)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt direction for Louvre Museum typeface project by Sandro Dujmenović of Beton design studio.
• FoundryCorecoreTechnology or IntegrationFoundryCore crafted the Hot Type website, enabling the digital storefront and typeface showcase.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Monotype: Monotype is the largest global type and technology company, owning Linotype, ITC, Bitstream and a vast library of retail and custom typefaces. It is the broad incumbent whose brand identity, licensing platform, and scale dominate the same market Hot Type targets with both retail and custom work.

Direct peers

• Klim Type Foundry: Klim is a New Zealand-based independent foundry selling retail typefaces and offering custom services, with strong emphasis on contemporary aesthetics and craftsmanship. It is a direct peer to Hot Type in boutique retail licensing and high-quality bespoke work.
• Hoefler & Co: Hoefler & Co is a premium independent type foundry selling retail typefaces and offering custom type design for major brands. It is a direct peer to Hot Type in both the bespoke enterprise typeface business and the curated retail licensing catalog.
• Grilli Type: Grilli Type is an independent Swiss foundry selling retail typefaces and offering custom typography to brands and agencies. It directly competes with Hot Type in the curated retail catalog and high-end custom identity projects.
• Typotheque: Typotheque is a Netherlands-based independent foundry selling retail typefaces with strong multi-script and OpenType feature expertise and providing custom design services. It is a direct peer to Hot Type on technical depth, multi-language support, and bespoke identity work.
• Production Type: Production Type is an independent type foundry based in Paris selling retail and custom typefaces with a contemporary editorial style. It is a direct peer in boutique retail licensing and in custom enterprise identity work, especially for European brand clients.
• Commercial Type: Commercial Type is a well-known type foundry that sells retail typefaces and provides custom typography to global brands and publications. It competes with Hot Type on the same enterprise custom and curated retail axes, particularly for editorial and brand-identity clients.
• Pangram Pangram: Pangram Pangram is an independent type foundry offering retail typefaces favored by brand and product designers, with growing custom work. It targets the same designer and brand-customer base as Hot Type and competes for shelf-share on retail licenses.
• Dinamo Typefaces: Dinamo is an independent foundry offering retail typefaces and bespoke type design for global brands, known for variable fonts and contemporary aesthetics. It is a direct peer to Hot Type in both retail licensing and custom identity commissions.

Emerging players

• Type Network: Type Network is a foundry collective/aggregator that distributes retail typefaces from independent designers and offers licensing infrastructure. It overlaps with Hot Type's retail catalog model while providing scale, distribution, and licensing tools that an independent foundry would otherwise have to build itself.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/hottypeco
• Facebookfacebook.com/hottype
• Instagraminstagram.com/hottypeco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hot-typefaces

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 Hot Type