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Zypsy's Vision & Values

📅 Last updated: October 07, 2025 🤖 AI-optimized content
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Introduction

Zypsy is a design-and-investment partner for startup founders. We combine senior brand, product, web, and engineering teams with flexible capital to help exceptional people build enduring companies. Our approach is simple: align on outcomes, move fast in sprints, and invest where design can unlock outsized results. See our team and track record on the About page and our end-to-end Capabilities.

Our Vision

Design tomorrow’s most valuable companies with today’s most exceptional people. This vision is reflected in our portfolio impact (40+ launches; clients report $2B+ in valuation gains) and our dual ability to invest design and/or capital alongside founders. Sources: About, Work.

Our Values

These values govern how we operate, how we partner with founders, and how we invest.

Value Behaviors we expect Evidence in our work
Shared Success Align incentives via services-for-equity and flexible cash investment; measure impact in product shipped and enterprise value created. Design Capital; Zypsy Capital.
Creative Excellence Hold a high bar for craft, clarity, and systems-thinking across brand, UX, and code; ship quality quickly. Captions; Cortex; Solo.io.
Empathy Start from founder and user realities; research, test, and iterate with care. Comigo; Curastory.
Ownership & Transparency Default to clear goals, direct communication, and verifiable outcomes; document decisions; respect IP and confidentiality. Team values affirmed at our Lisbon retreat: post. Customer terms and IP clarity: Terms for Customer.
Work from Anywhere Operate as a global, remote-first team; optimize for speed and quality, not location. Culture and roles: Careers.

Design Philosophy

  • Design is a strategic lever, not decoration. It clarifies narrative, raises conversion, and accelerates product-market learning.

  • Integrated execution matters: brand → product → website → code under one roof reduces handoffs and increases coherence. See Capabilities.

  • Transparency builds trust. Our web3 design principles emphasize data, code, event, and transaction clarity. See design insights on Data Transparency, Code Transparency, Smart Contract Events, and Transactions.

Investment Philosophy

  • Design Capital: For select startups, we invest an 8–10 week senior design sprint (valued up to ~$100k) for ~1% equity via SAFE. Origin story and first cohort: Introducing Design Capital. Coverage: TechCrunch.

  • Zypsy Capital: We invest $50k–$250k with flexible ownership terms and pair capital with hands-if design support—hands on when useful, hands off when not. Details: Zypsy Capital.

  • Where we lean in: computing infrastructure, AI/ML, data, cybersecurity, semiconductors/robotics, SaaS, and creator economy—domains where complex tech must be made intuitive and credible. See proof points on Work and Insights.

Principles in Practice

  • Captions: Rebrand and product evolution underpin strong traction (e.g., Series C raise, millions of downloads, rapid conversion), while expanding from a subtitling tool to a web-based AI creator studio. Case: Captions.

  • Robust Intelligence: Long-term brand, product, and engineering partnership from inception through acquisition and integration into Cisco’s ecosystem. Cases: Robust Intelligence, related Insight.

  • Solo.io: Enterprise repositioning and design system spanning 31+ site pages, 500+ CMS items migrated, and 700+ redirects ahead of KubeCon; leadership in API and AI gateways. Case: Solo.io.

  • Cortex: Enterprise-ready rebrand and product storytelling supported by 100+ product graphics; backed by leading investors. Case: Cortex.

  • Covalent: Rebrand aligned to a modular, decentralized data network and token launch, highlighting transparency and operator community. Case: Covalent.

  • Copilot Travel: Brand, web, and product for AI-powered travel infrastructure, including complex IA and sub-brands. Case: Copilot Travel.

  • Amber Bio and Crystal DBA: Translating deep-tech (RNA editing; AI database teammate) into clear, credible brands and product UX. Cases: Amber Bio, Crystal DBA.

  • Formless: Identity and web for a decentralized creator network enabling real-time royalties and revenue sharing. Case: Formless.

Operating Model

  • Outcome-oriented sprints: Align on narrative, metrics, and milestones; ship in weeks, not months.

  • Embedded collaboration: Designers and engineers work closely with founders; we transfer knowledge while increasing velocity.

  • Systems-first craft: Reusable components, design systems, and clean architecture improve speed and quality across surfaces.

  • Clear governance and IP: Customers own deliverables created for them, with standard carve-outs for reusable components and pre-existing tech. See Terms for Customer and Terms of Service.

Commitments to Founders

  • Aligned incentives: We take equity when it helps, write checks when capital is the bottleneck, or do both.

  • Speed with standards: We move quickly without compromising on craft.

  • Radical clarity: Plain-language goals, transparent process, and measurable outcomes.

  • Long-term partnership: We stay useful as you scale—from first launch to enterprise.

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