From IYKYK to F*ck Yeah.
Rebranding Seedcamp – Europe’s leading early-stage VC.
Some WhatsApp messages hit different. And one from Dan Greene – the creative force behind Greene & Sons and my partner-in-crime from Wolff Olins days – telling me he’d landed Seedcamp as a client and wanted to collaborate was certainly not left on read. Work with one of the best designers to rebrand one of Europe’s top seed funds? Absolutely.
Being jazzed to work with Dan is a given, but I’m not even exaggerating about my excitement to work with the team at Seedcamp too. Having defined the brand strategy for numerous start-ups and scale-ups over the years, Seedcamp had long been on my radar as a hot-bed for emerging talent and innovative new ventures. But given its relative maturity in the fast-paced world of venture capitalism (the company was founded 2007), I could easily imagine the brief before we even saw it – some re-positioning here, some tightening up on messaging there, all wrapped up with a compelling new identity that planted them squarely on the map in the minds of ambitious founders. And I wasn’t wrong. Kicking off with stakeholder interviews, Dan and I got into it with leaders across the business and quickly uncovered a humility and reticence that was masking the wide-ranging influence and commanding expertise that they had in spades.
“We want a narrative that feels credible but also pushes us beyond being everyone’s friend. We want people to say, “Fuck yeah, we need Seedcamp!”
So, the ambition was crystal clear. But the market in which this brand would need to stand out… not so much. Dan and I audited around 30 other VC firms globally and found them collectively steeped in bravado, hubris, and trope after trope after trope. Everyone offered a “founder-centric” and “hands-on” approach, everyone had a “global perspective”, everyone championed “boldness” and “audacity”, everyone was looking for a long-term partnership with “visionary” founders. It was buzzword bingo amped up on Jack Dorsey’s longevity diet. How could Seedcamp - who also offered and aimed for all these things – possibly get noticed and heard? How could we talk about what Seedcamp does and what makes it special without sounding exactly like everyone else?
Well, this is where the “maths” of industry experience and strategic tools meets the “magic” of intuition and creative inspiration. During the day, Dan and I were hearing from Seedcamp leaders who talked about the grit and determination they looked for in the founders they funded, and the straight-talk and tough-love they gave them once on board. But in the evenings, we were keeping up with the latest from the Paris Olympics – seeing what it took to become a world-class athlete and, crucially for us, observing their trainers and coaches standing on the sidelines but “in it” with them mentally and emotionally. This is where the idea for Seedcamp as “The OG Coach” was born and, with it, the role of being the “Day Ones” for Europe’s most exceptional entrepreneurs and their teams.
Our client – the masterful Natasha Lytton – got it immediately and gave Dan and me the green light to explore what being The OG could mean for the visual and verbal identity.
From a verbal standpoint, defining an OG tone of voice was fun but a bit of a balancing act. Dial it up too far and things get shouty and arrogant, tone it down and you’re back to bland. Ultimately we landed on three supporting principles designed to help anyone using the new TOV strike the perfect note, and gave them a bunch of different messaging examples to show how the brand could speak in a range of contexts.
“We're your toughest critics and your fiercest advocates, transforming raw potential into refined performance."
Over in Figma, Dan was similarly focused on creating a distinctive identity that was nevertheless grounded in their day-to-day reality.
“We wanted to give them permission to be confident. In order to do that we created a system that is both practical and aspirational. Each asset works as hard as possible to be distinctive without creating something that is difficult to work with. Where we got to was a system that is bold in its simplicity.
The visual and verbal identity comes together in a brand that feels as confident as it should, given Seedcamp's epic track record. And what delicious irony there is in helping a company that spots potential in others to finally realise its own! But more than that, it's become a brand that feels real – no buzzwords, no chest-beating, just straight talk and swift action from Europe's original seed fund.
Looking at the work now it’s launched, I can see that this project reinforced something I've long suspected: the best rebrands don't come from trying to out-shout the competition. They come from finding that sweet spot between what you actually are and what the market actually needs. For Seedcamp, that meant embracing their role as the tough-but-fair coach who's been there, done that, and isn't afraid to tell it like it is.
And for anyone about to embark on their own rebrand? Here's a sign to ditch the jargon and tropes. To skip the "visionary" founders and "passionate" teams. To create something that feels true rather than trendy. Just make sure to slide into Dan and I’s DM’s first!
Credits:
Dan Greene for Greene & Sons
Will Morris and his team at Alchemy Digital
Natasha Lytton and her team at Seedcamp
With special thanks to Reshma, Carlos and Tom for their input and guidance throughout the process.
Hey Camilla, really enjoyed this post. It's nice to see a deep dive into how the project evolved. I particularly liked the The OG Coach idea. Also, "Your toughest critics and your fiercest advocates" is a killer line.