Companies we've backed
Most began as Zypsy design engagements and came to us through our pipeline. See the companies on our work and in the full client directory.
The work comes first
Most of the founders we back are people we've already worked with. A design engagement often grows into a real relationship, and along the way we come to understand how a founder thinks and builds, and whether we're genuinely aligned with where they're headed. When we believe in them, we invest. Some founders come to us, and sometimes we reach out. The conviction comes from the work, not a pitch.
More than an agency, more than a VC
Most design agencies optimize for fees, more projects and more billing. Most venture funds meet a founder from the outside and pattern-match on a pitch. Zypsy does the work first and invests where the work has built real conviction, which is why our incentives sit with the company's long-term value, not a single invoice.
There when you need us, out of the way when you don't
After we invest, we stay close but out of the way. The founders we back don't need managing, so we don't manage them. We show up when it helps, on brand, product, or a hard call, and step back when it doesn't. The founder stays in charge.
Is this unique?
It is rare. Most design firms are not structured to invest, and most investors do not do embedded design work. TechCrunch covered the shift in April 2024, naming Zypsy alongside IDEO and Work & Co as design firms rethinking the client relationship through equity.
