HubSpot Ventures

Establishing Credibility Through a Sophisticated Brand

Brand Development, Content Creation

HubSpot Ventures needed a brand to shine like the proven venture fund it is.

In the competitive world of venture capital, a strong brand identity ensures a fund’s visual presence matches its track record and investment thesis. But the branding for HubSpot Ventures—the venture capital arm of the marketing automation giant HubSpot—needed a visual identity that better reflected the caliber of the fund, which had backed such high-profile companies as Clay and ClickUp. To help them level up, we undertook a full rebrand to convey their caliber and credibility.

To usher in a new era, we started back at the beginning.

Before diving in, we pondered the essence of the HubSpot Ventures brand, reflecting on the word “venture” itself. A venture is an undertaking that involves risk—an unknown journey starting at one point and ending at another. This core image of the transformative journey became the ethos of the rebrand, inspiring the imagery and storytelling for every single component.

A fresh logo brought the “journey” to life.

To create a sense of connection and excitement between the beginning and end of any journey, we designed a unique logo that interconnects the two letters H and V with a thin line, representing the path forward. To capture the transformation that happens along that journey, each letter is outlined in a unique shape. The H sits inside of a neat square, while the V sits inside of a smooth circle. The sharp square evolves into the round circle by the end of the line, a direct nod to the ways a journey can shape you.

Color created cohesion between brands.

One of the key challenges was balancing differentiation and cohesion with the larger HubSpot brand, which was also midway through a brand refresh of its own. Fortunately, that rebrand allowed for an expanded color palette, which helped communicate our vision for HubSpot Ventures’ future. We handpicked the powerful pairing of dark green, maroon, and white from HubSpot’s secondary palette, allowing HubSpot Ventures to stand out on its own while maintaining a connection to the larger brand ecosystem. These colors felt appropriate for the venture space—sophisticated and confident—but distinct from HubSpot’s primary orange branding.

From print to digital, the new brand made a splash.

The brand officially launched through both in-person and online channels. At the HubSpot Ventures party (hosted during the HubSpot INBOUND conference), branded materials and signage reintroduced the brand to the industry. A fresh microsite also featured updated interactivity and imagery (including new brand shapes pulled from HubSpot’s rebrand), capturing the brand’s personality and ushering in a new era for HubSpot Ventures. We also built a custom backend CMS solution on Hubspot, featuring a modular mix-and-match system that allows the team to easily adjust layouts and keep content fresh without needing a developer—a huge efficiency boost.

The result? A venture fund that looks and feels like it belongs in the big leagues.

Whether they’re meeting founders to consider a new investment, telling their story across digital properties, hosting an event, or attracting new employees, HubSpot Ventures now has a flexible brand system that can grow with the brand as it continues to ascend to an authoritative perch in the venture space.

“Our brand is often the first impression founders have of us. Column Five helped us create an identity that communicates both our connection to HubSpot and our unique perspective as a venture fund. The new brand system feels elevated, cohesive, and true to our mission.”

—Adam Coccari
Managing Director, HubSpot Ventures

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