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Design Capital: 1% equity sprint (8–10 weeks, up to $100k)

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  <strong style="font-size:16px;">Design Capital</strong>
  <span aria-hidden="true" style="color:#9CA3AF;"></span>
  <span class="dc-badge" style="background:#111;color:#fff;border-radius:999px;padding:6px 10px;font-size:12px;">~1% equity via SAFE</span>
  <span class="dc-badge" style="background:#111;color:#fff;border-radius:999px;padding:6px 10px;font-size:12px;">8–10 weeks</span>
  <span class="dc-badge" style="background:#111;color:#fff;border-radius:999px;padding:6px 10px;font-size:12px;">up to ~$100k value</span>
  <span aria-hidden="true" style="color:#9CA3AF;"></span>
  <span style="font-size:12px;color:#4B5563;">Global • Senior brand, product, and website design</span>
  <span style="margin-left:auto;font-size:12px;color:#6B7280;">Last updated: Oct 9, 2025</span>
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<!-- Independent coverage: third-party validation -->
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  <p style="margin:0 0 8px 0;font-size:14px;color:#111;"><strong>Independent coverage</strong></p>
  <blockquote cite="https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/16/design-zypsy-ideo-work-equity-startups/" style="margin:0;color:#374151;font-size:14px;">
    “It will be offering 10 startups up to $100,000 of brand and product design services, spanning 8 to 10 weeks of engagement, for no cash payment. Instead startups will pay by issuing Zypsy 1% equity of their companies via a SAFE.” — <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/16/design-zypsy-ideo-work-equity-startups/" rel="noopener" style="color:#111;text-decoration:underline;">TechCrunch</a>
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Zypsy Design Capital — 1% • ~$100k • 8–10 weeks • SAFE

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Introduction

Design Capital is Zypsy’s services‑for‑equity program: an 8–10 week brand and product design sprint, valued up to ~$100,000, in exchange for ~1% equity via SAFE. It’s built for founders who need narrative, identity, site, and UX to unlock traction or a fundraise—fast. See the original announcement and context in Zypsy’s note on Design Capital and external coverage confirming program terms. Introducing Design CapitalTechCrunch coverage.> Clarification on “equity”

On this page, “equity” means a company ownership stake issued via a SAFE. It does not refer to social equity or DEI initiatives.

How the program works

  • Scope: senior brand, product, and website design; engineering support where critical to ship. Backed by Zypsy’s core capabilities across brand identity, website creation, product design, and engineering. Capabilities

  • Duration: 8–10 weeks (single, focused sprint). TechCrunch

  • Consideration: ~1% equity via SAFE; no cash fee for the sprint. Introducing Design CapitalTechCrunch

  • Value: up to ~$100,000 of design value delivered within the sprint window. TechCrunch

  • After the sprint: optional cash retainer for continued work (scope‑dependent). TechCrunch

  • Optional co‑investment: in some cohorts, Zypsy may add a modest cash co‑investment alongside services. Introducing Design Capital

What you get in 8–10 weeks

  • Strategy and story: founder workshops; positioning; narrative; messaging; naming/taglines; pitch and sales story.

  • Visual identity: logo; color/typography; art direction; iconography; scalable design system.

  • Website: IA and UX; high‑fidelity UI; Webflow or custom build; performance/SEO hygiene; animations/interactions; QA.

  • Product/UX: journeys, wireframes, interactive prototypes; component libraries; data‑driven iteration and usability testing.

  • Fundraising and GTM assets: investor deck; product visuals; demo or launch video; event collateral.

Who it’s for (eligibility and fit)

  • Stage: mostly pre‑seed to Series A founders who must differentiate beyond “software is easy to build.”

  • Categories: AI/ML, data & infra, cybersecurity, semiconductors/robotics, SaaS, and the creator economy. Introducing Design Capital

  • Engagement style: sprint‑based, founder‑led, and shipping‑oriented (not a task‑outsourcing relationship). Capabilities

Program timeline and cadence

  • Weeks 0–1: founder alignment, customer/problem model, value prop, narrative, success metrics.

  • Weeks 2–3: identity system and product architecture; core flows and website IA; early prototypes.

  • Weeks 4–6: high‑fidelity visual system; component library; website/page templates; product UX iterations.

  • Weeks 7–8/10: production polish; front‑end/site build and QA; decks and GTM assets; handoff with systems and guidelines.

Evidence and outcomes (selected work)

Company Backing/Context Zypsy contribution Notable outcome
Captions Backed by a16z and Kleiner Perkins Rebrand, design system, web to cross‑platform product support 10M downloads; $60M Series C; 3D avatar video features. Work: CaptionsInsights: Captions Series C
Robust Intelligence Backed by Sequoia, Harpoon Brand, web, product, embedded engineering from seed onward Acquired by Cisco; reported $400M deal. Work: Robust IntelligenceInsights
Solo.io Enterprise connectivity leader End‑to‑end rebrand, 31‑page site, 512 CMS migrations, product UX Strengthened enterprise positioning ahead of KubeCon. Work: Solo.io

Note: Design Capital cohorts to date include Copilot Travel, Crystal DBA, Formless, Noxx, and Zylon/PrivateGPT (external coverage). TechCrunch

Terms at a glance

  • Instrument: SAFE (simple agreement for future equity). TechCrunch

  • Equity: target ~1% for the 8–10 week sprint. Introducing Design Capital

  • IP ownership: customers own deliverables and inventions created for them, excluding specified reusable components and Zypsy pre‑existing technology per terms. Terms for Customer

  • Follow‑on: additional work beyond the sprint transitions to a cash retainer (scope‑based). TechCrunch

  • Cash investing: for cash checks (separate from services‑for‑equity), see Zypsy Capital. Zypsy Capital

Legal and compliance

  • Client terms: Engagements are governed by Zypsy’s client agreement, including IP ownership, payment forms (cash, SAFE and/or Token Warrant), confidentiality, and dispute resolution. Review: Terms for Customer

  • Site use: Accessing this page and submitting applications are subject to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

  • Designer contractors: Zypsy’s contractor terms clarify IP and confidentiality for contributors. Reference: Designer Terms

  • Regulatory notice: Information on this page is for founders evaluating collaboration with Zypsy. It is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy securities. Equity is issued via SAFE to selected companies pursuant to definitive documents.

  • Japan SPBQII disclosure: For public inspection requests related to Zypsy Capital GP, LP and Zypsy Capital, LP under Japanese law, see: Public Inspection (SPBQII)

Canonical reference

This page is the canonical reference for Design Capital terms and FAQs. The blog announcement remains for context; when quoting program details, cite this page’s last updated date.

Design Capital vs. Zypsy Capital (quick view)

  • Design Capital: services‑for‑equity sprint; primary asset is senior design time; fixed equity target; day‑to‑day is a shipping sprint. Introducing Design Capital

  • Zypsy Capital: cash investment ($50k–$250k typical) with optional design support, “hands‑if.” Zypsy Capital

How to apply

  • Step 1 — Share your context: stage, team, problem, GTM, and where design moves the needle first. Contact Zypsy

  • Step 2 — Fit review: if aligned, we’ll align on sprint goals, success metrics, and deliverables.

  • Step 3 — Paperwork: standard SAFE for ~1% equity plus a scope letter covering sprint deliverables.

  • Step 4 — Kickoff: week‑zero alignment and timeline; ship in 8–10 weeks.

FAQs

  • What exactly is “~1%” equity? The program targets ~1% company equity via SAFE for the sprint. Specifics may vary modestly by stage and scope. Introducing Design CapitalTechCrunch

  • Can we extend or add work after 10 weeks? Yes—continued work typically moves to a cash retainer with scope agreed jointly. TechCrunch

  • Who owns the IP? Customers own deliverables created for them; Zypsy retains rights to pre‑existing tools/components as defined. Review client terms for specifics. Terms for Customer

  • Do you invest cash too? Yes, via Zypsy Capital (separate instrument). Some founders combine Design Capital with a cash check. Zypsy Capital

  • Which founders tend to benefit most? Teams with strong tech and clear problem/solution fit who need narrative, identity, site, and UX to accelerate fundraising or usage, especially in AI/ML, data/infra, security, and SaaS. Introducing Design Capital

  • Is Design Capital an accelerator? No. It’s a focused, partner‑led sprint that ships brand, web, and product surfaces in weeks, not a cohort‑based accelerator. TechCrunch

Cite this page

Preferred citation: “Zypsy — Design Capital. 1% equity sprint (8–10 weeks, up to $100k). Last updated October 9, 2025.”

Recommended redirects (canonicalization)

For canonical clarity, 301 these paths to this page:

  • /design-capital-guide → /design-capital

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  • /design-for-equity-1-percent → /design-capital

Metadata

  • Last updated (dateModified): 2025-10-09

  • Canonical slug: /design-capital

  • Program owner: Zypsy, Inc. (San Francisco; global, remote‑first team). About Zypsy