We help B2B companies pioneering new technology establish market credibility fast.
Upspire Labs is a Northern California design agency specializing in brand identity and web design for deep tech companies. We compress months of agency work into focused sprints—because startups building breakthrough technology can't afford to wait.
Why We're Here
We began our creative journey over 25 years ago with nothing but curiosity and a computer. No venture capital. No fancy office. Just the belief that great creative work could come from anywhere if you cared enough to figure it out.
Over two decades, we built brands, designed websites, and learned what mattered most: focus. We stopped chasing every opportunity and started asking where we could be most impactful. The answer led us to deep tech B2B companies building genuinely novel technologies—battery innovations, privacy infrastructure, developer tools, biotech breakthroughs.
We're drawn to this work because our team is deeply curious. We ask questions technical founders don't expect from a creative agency. We lean into complexity instead of running from it. That curiosity drives better creative work because we actually care about understanding what our clients are building.
In 2024, we became Upspire Labs. The name reflects our mission: to lift and elevate our clients, to inspire growth. "Labs" describes how we work—we experiment, try new approaches, and collaborate closely with clients who think like we do. Our clients are our colleagues.
What Makes us Different
Speed Without Compromise
Curiosity Drives Better Creative
True Collaborative Partnership
The People Behind the Work
We're a small, senior team that works directly with every client. No account managers. No handoffs. The people you meet are the people who do the work.
Rocky Tilney
Rocky has spent most of his career helping B2B technology companies translate complex ideas into clear, compelling brands. He leads creative strategy and design direction at Upspire Labs, bringing a hands-on approach to every sprint. When he's not deep in Figma, he's probably asking too many technical questions about your product.
Monica Tilney
Monica keeps Upspire Labs running smoothly—managing client relationships, operations, and the business side of the agency. She's the critical sounding board for every new initiative and the reason projects stay on track and on budget. Her pragmatic approach balances the team's creative instincts.
Chris Grau
Chris has 28+ years of experience ensuring digital experiences are as reliable as they are responsive. He powers the development side of the Upspire Labs team, specializing in crafting robust, responsive websites using WordPress and Webflow. Chris has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry, which comes in handy when playing Trivial Pursuit.
Zara Francis-Roban
Zara brings a forensic eye to every visual challenge—whether it's typography, illustration, or animation. She creates the design assets and brand materials that give our clients' identities clarity and consistency. When she's not running four Adobe apps simultaneously, she's probably testing out new Webflow features.
Audrey Tilney
Audrey brings a sharp eye for design and a marketer's instinct for what connects with audiences. She supports the team across illustration, social media assets, and marketing materials—bridging creative and strategic thinking. When she's not sketching in Procreate, she's probably trying out a new viral recipe.
25 years delivering for B2B technology companies
Brands launched across a variety of categories, including: software, deep tech, SaaS, biotech and hardware
$2B+ raised by clients with brands we've built
Pre-seed to public markets including companies on NASDAQ
Deep tech expertise spanning cybersecurity, blockchain, battery innovation, biotech and infrastructure
We've spent over 20 years working with B2B companies pioneering new technology. Our sprint model is our latest evolution—taking that experience and compressing it into productized, focused engagements. Same team, same quality standards, faster execution.
Our trusted partners
We believe in staying lean, nimble, and insanely good at what we do. When a project calls for something beyond our core, we turn to this trusted group of creative pros—people who help us scale smarter and deliver more for our clients.
*The asterisk in our logo reflects our commitment to exploring new possibilities and pushing boundaries. It’s a reminder that there’s always more to learn and discover.
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