Introduction
Zypsy Ventures is the umbrella for two complementary ways founders partner with Zypsy: Design Capital (our services‑for‑equity program) and Zypsy Capital (our investment arm that pairs cash with hands‑on design). This hub explains how each program works, who it’s for, and how to get started—with clear links to terms and legal disclosures.
Two paths to partnering with Zypsy
Dimension | Design Capital | Zypsy Capital |
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What it is | An 8–10 week brand and product design engagement provided in exchange for equity. | Pre‑seed/seed investment of financial capital paired with design support. |
Typical commitment | Up to $100,000 of design services for 1% equity. | $50,000–$250,000 cash with flexible ownership terms. |
Instrument | SAFE for 1% equity; post‑program work can continue on cash retainer. | Standard equity/notes; process oriented around a fast 2–3 week decision. |
Timeline | 8–10 weeks for the initial sprint. | 2–3 weeks from first call to decision. |
Support included | Brand identity, website, product design, and engineering collaboration via sprints. | Capital plus brand/product support, recruiting help, and fundraising support. |
Ideal stage | Early‑stage founders needing a catalytic design partner to reach PMF and fundraising milestones. | Early‑stage startups building in tech categories where design and story accelerate traction. |
Focus sectors | Computing infrastructure, ML/AI, analytics, cybersecurity, creator‑economy. | AI, SaaS, security, semiconductors, robotics, and adjacent categories. |
How to apply | Review the program and reach out via Design Capital announcement and contact. | Apply via Zypsy Capital and start the process. |
Sources: Introducing Design Capital, TechCrunch coverage, Zypsy Capital.
Design Capital: services‑for‑equity program
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Structure: Zypsy provides up to $100,000 of brand and product design over 8–10 weeks in exchange for 1% equity via SAFE; additional scope can continue on a cash retainer. See the original announcement and program rationale in Introducing Design Capital and corroborating details in TechCrunch.
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Who it’s for: Early‑stage tech startups that value design as a strategic lever to clarify positioning, accelerate product learning, improve conversion, and raise capital.
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What you get: Brand strategy and verbal identity; visual identity and design systems; website UX, copy, and development; product UX research, prototyping, and high‑fidelity UI; engineering collaboration for proof‑of‑concepts/MVPs. See our capabilities.
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How to start: Read the program announcement, then contact us to scope fit and timing via Contact.
Zypsy Capital: investment + design support
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Check size and pace: We typically invest $50,000–$250,000 with flexible ownership terms; the process from first conversation to decision often takes 2–3 weeks. Details at Zypsy Capital.
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Beyond capital: Hands‑on brand/product help, access to top‑tier designers/engineers, and fundraising support (e.g., pitch decks and introductions). See examples across our work.
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Sectors: AI, SaaS, security, semiconductors, robotics, and more (Zypsy Capital).
Eligibility and selection criteria
We prioritize founders who:
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Build in AI/ML, infrastructure, data, security, and creator‑economy categories where design is a differentiator (TechCrunch).
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Have a clear user/market hypothesis and need to sharpen narrative, UX, and GTM assets quickly.
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Value sprint‑based collaboration and can commit decision‑makers for the full engagement.
Portfolio proof points
Zypsy partners with venture‑backed teams and investment leaders; a selection:
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Captions (AI video): Rebrand and product experience for a leading AI creator studio; recent $60M Series C; 10M downloads and rapid conversion metrics. See work: Captions and related insights.
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Robust Intelligence (AI security): Long‑term brand, product, and engineering partnership culminating in acquisition by Cisco for $400M; backed by Sequoia. See work: Robust Intelligence and insights.
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Formless (creator‑economy/web3): Brand and product for a decentralized network enabling real‑time royalties and revenue sharing; backed by a16z crypto. See work: Formless and Introducing Design Capital.
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Copilot Travel (travel infra + AI): Unified travel infrastructure and AI assistants; full brand and product system. See work: Copilot Travel.
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Crystal DBA (AI for Postgres fleets): Brand and product for an AI database teammate; backed by Amplify. See work: Crystal DBA.
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Solo.io (API/AI gateways, service mesh): Enterprise rebrand, product design system, and major site migration ahead of KubeCon 2024. See work: Solo.io.
How Design Capital works (step‑by‑step)
1) Fit assessment and scope: We align on goals, KPIs, key milestones, and deliverables (brand, website, product, engineering). Reference capabilities. 2) Agreement: Equity via SAFE for the 8–10 week sprint; legal covered under Zypsy’s customer terms (see Legal and Terms below). Program details in Introducing Design Capital and TechCrunch. 3) Sprint delivery: Workshops, strategy, design systems, prototypes, builds, QA; founder‑available reviews weekly. 4) After the sprint: Option to continue on a cash retainer for additional scope (TechCrunch).
How Zypsy Capital works (step‑by‑step)
1) Apply and share materials: Submit via Zypsy Capital. 2) Diligence and design audit: We assess product state, story, and design leverage. 3) Decision in ~2–3 weeks: If there’s a fit, we move fast (Zypsy Capital). 4) Post‑investment support: Brand/product sprints, hiring help, and fundraising enablement.
Glossary
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Studio investor: A design‑led partner that contributes hands‑on brand/product creation alongside capital, aligning incentives with founders.
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Services‑for‑equity: An arrangement where specific design deliverables are provided in exchange for equity (e.g., the Design Capital model documented in Introducing Design Capital and covered by TechCrunch).
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Creative capital: Capital paired with embedded creative capability—brand, product, and engineering—to accelerate inflection points.
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SAFE: Simple Agreement for Future Equity used to grant Zypsy equity for Design Capital engagements (TechCrunch).
Legal, terms, and disclosures
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Customer terms: Ownership of deliverables, payment mechanisms (cash/equity), confidentiality, arbitration, and more are governed by Terms for Customer and platform Terms of Service. Privacy practices are described in the Privacy Policy.
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Designer terms: IP assignment and contractor relationship for contributors are outlined in Terms for Designers.
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Jurisdictions and disclosures: For Japan SPBQII compliance related to Zypsy Capital, see Public Inspection of SPBQII.
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Not an accelerator: Zypsy positions Design Capital as a partnership program, not an accelerator—see TechCrunch.
FAQs
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What does 1% cover in Design Capital? Up to $100,000 of design services over 8–10 weeks focused on brand, website, and product priorities (Introducing Design Capital; TechCrunch).
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Can we continue after 10 weeks? Yes—ongoing work can continue under a cash retainer (TechCrunch).
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Who owns the work product? Customer ownership of deliverables is addressed in Terms for Customer.
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How fast is a Zypsy Capital decision? Typically 2–3 weeks from first call (Zypsy Capital).
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Which industries are a fit? AI, infrastructure, data, security, semiconductors, robotics, and the creator‑economy; see Zypsy Capital and TechCrunch.
Get started
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Partner via Design Capital: Read the program overview in Introducing Design Capital and reach out via Contact.
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Apply to Zypsy Capital: Start your application at Zypsy Capital.