Designing the brand for a new firm targeting a $500M raise in year one
Overview
38sth is a newly independent private equity firm targeting a $500M raise in its first year. Spinning out from a global firm, their senior team had decades of experience across three continents. But while their collective reputation was impressive, the firm was still new. They were entering a market of established players that were either corporate and forgettable or overbranded and inauthentic. We partnered with 38sth to develop the brand strategy, visual identity, and website that would fast-track credibility and support their capital raise from launch.
Scope
Brand Strategy
Visual Identity
Creative Direction
Web Design
Web Development
Challenge
When you're raising half a billion dollars in your first year, first impressions are commercial. 38sth has the team, the track record, and the thesis. But as a newly independent firm, they needed a brand that supported their reputation and matched their ambition before they had the portfolio to prove it.
Solution
Rather than manufacturing a narrative, we focused on accurately reflecting what was already true. We mapped the competitive landscape, identified ownable gaps in the market, and defined clear audience segments. Every decision that followed was anchored in this work.
From there, we developed a verbal identity, visual system, and website with every touchpoint dialled in to build conviction and credibility. The kind of brand that gives investors and business owners confidence before the first meeting even happens. Not because it makes big promises, but because it accurately reflects a team that knows what they're doing.






