What does nowthen do?
We help startups build brand moats. We work at the intersection of strategy, branding, product, and web to create companies that are easier to understand, harder to ignore, and impossible to mistake for anyone else. Whether we're defining a company's positioning, designing its identity, improving its product experience, or building its digital presence, every decision is made with the same goal: creating a brand that compounds in value over time. In a world where products can be copied faster than ever, we help founders build the one advantage that's hardest to replicate—a brand people remember, trust, and choose.
Who do you work with?
We work primarily with ambitious Seed to Series B startups that have moved beyond the idea stage and are preparing for their next phase of growth. Most of our clients have found product-market fit, are expanding into new markets, raising capital, hiring quickly, or launching new products. More importantly, we look for founders who are open to being challenged, care deeply about quality, and see branding as a strategic investment rather than a cosmetic exercise. The best partnerships happen when we're treated as a thought partner, not just a design vendor.
What makes nowthen different from other studios and agencies?
nowthen was built specifically for startups. Unlike traditional agencies that work across industries and company sizes, we focus almost exclusively on ambitious Seed to Series B companies navigating moments of rapid change—whether that's fundraising, international expansion, or finding their place in an increasingly competitive market.
Being based in Tokyo also shapes our work. Japanese design culture has a deep appreciation for intention, elegance, and craft, while the city's radical creativity constantly challenges convention and inspires new ideas. Combined with backgrounds spanning strategy, branding, copywriting, product design, and entrepreneurship, we bring together disciplines that are too often treated separately, helping founders build businesses where every customer touchpoint works together as one coherent experience.
What's your approach to branding?
We believe strong brands are strategic brands. Their job isn't just to look great—it's to move the business forward. The strongest brands connect with people on a deeper level by tapping into motivations, aspirations, and emotions that customers often struggle to articulate themselves.
At the same time, they create meaningful distinction in a world that's becoming increasingly noisy and homogeneous. As AI makes it easier than ever to build products, technology alone becomes less of a competitive advantage. Distribution gets harder, attention becomes scarcer, and brand becomes one of the few enduring competitive advantages a company can build. That's why our process begins by understanding what makes a company genuinely different before expressing it through messaging, design, product, and digital experiences.
What's your process?
Every project follows the same four-stage framework: Discover, Define, Design, and Deploy. We begin by uncovering what makes a company genuinely different and worth remembering, then shape a clear strategic direction around that insight. From there, we translate strategy into tangible outcomes—from identity and messaging to product experiences and websites. Finally, we help bring everything to life through practical assets, systems, and guidance, ensuring the brand remains consistent long after the project is complete.
What's the time commitment on my end?
Our process is designed to fit around the realities of running a startup. Founders are most involved during workshops, key reviews, and decision-making moments, while we handle the heavy lifting between sessions. On average, clients spend a few hours each week collaborating with us, giving feedback, and aligning on strategic decisions. The more engaged the founding team is, the stronger the outcome tends to be.
Where's your office?
Our headquarters are in Tokyo, but we're a remote-first studio. Most of our team is based in Japan, while others work across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. We collaborate remotely by default, bringing together the right people for each project regardless of location. When it makes sense, we're also happy to work in person with clients in Tokyo or elsewhere.
Do you only work with Japanese startups?
No. While our headquarters are in Tokyo and we have deep experience working with Japanese companies, we work with startups around the world. Many of our clients are based across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, and we've built our process to work seamlessly across time zones and cultures. Whether a company is headquartered in Tokyo, Paris, Singapore, or San Francisco, our goal is the same: to help ambitious teams build brands that resonate globally.
What to expect after working with nowthen?
Success isn't measured by a new logo or a polished website—it's measured by clarity, confidence, and momentum. We want founders to leave with a stronger story, a more differentiated position, and a brand that supports the company's ambitions. That often translates into better fundraising conversations, stronger customer engagement, more effective hiring, higher conversion, and a team that's aligned around a shared vision for where the business is going.
