Outward repositioned as the 'anti-hype' venture capital firm

Ahead of the launch of its second fund, London-based Outward VC turned to Zag for a new brand positioning and visual identity. The independent growth consultancy leaned on Outward’s primary ambition of helping founders break through, ultimately allowing the brand to appeal to the right entrepreneurs in the fintech space and beyond.

After an inclusive research phase that saw workshops conducted with Outward’s employees and interviews undertaken with founders backed by the firm, Zag realised the brand’s differentiating factor was its ability to deliver on its ‘human capital’ as well as venture capital.

Lucia Vera, associate creative director at Zag, says, “The general aesthetic of the VC category is either very macho or very corporate. Spending time with Outward let us know who they are – warm, welcoming, fiercely intelligent, disarmingly human. We wanted to capture this essence in the visual identity that made founders feel at ease and confident that Outward is the right partner for them.” 

The design itself retained the ‘Outward Arrow’ – a strong device that already underlined Outward’s values of progress and a pioneering sense of direction. Beyond that, the brand’s icons, colour palette, typography, photography and tone of voice were all altered.

Outward VC’s head of platform, D’Arcy Martin, adds, “Zag helped us codify and clarify who we are as a business, boldly pushing the narrative and visual identity beyond the confines of Outward’s sector focus. We stand confidently on these renewed foundations, excited to share it with the world, and energised to put it to work across its many touchpoints.”