Best Koto Alternatives for Startups (2026)

The short answer

Koto is a strong choice when a large or fast-growing company needs a brand built by a global studio. If you want an agency like Koto with a different fit, the best Koto alternatives for startups are Studio Huncho, Ragged Edge, Red Antler, COLLINS, Focus Lab and Ramotion. Pick by what you need most: brand, website and launch film from one team (Studio Huncho), a bold brand with a campaign to launch it (Ragged Edge), branding and advertising under one roof (Red Antler), a brand that reframes the whole business (COLLINS), a B2B specialist (Focus Lab) or brand, website and product UI together (Ramotion).

About Koto

Koto calls itself an international creative agency. It has five studios on three continents: Los Angeles, New York, London, Berlin and Sydney. Its services cover strategy, visual, motion, verbal and sonic identity, digital product and website design, and campaigns. Its software work includes a brand refresh for Workday and a rebrand of Stack Overflow.

Founders who look for agencies like Koto usually want the same level of craft with a different fit on one of four things:

• Scope: the brand plus the website build, product UI or launch film from the same team.
• Size: a smaller team for a seed or Series A identity.
• Speed: a raise or launch that is weeks away.
• Focus: a studio that works mainly with AI and B2B software.

How we picked

We've included ourselves. Every other agency here was checked on its own website and had to meet three tests:

• Brand work on show. Named identity projects, not only websites.
• Tech or startup clients. Software, AI or venture-backed companies in the public work.
• A clear difference. A real reason to choose them over Koto, whether scope, size, speed or focus.

The list isn't ranked. Each entry says who the agency is best for.

The alternatives

1. Studio Huncho (Bengaluru, India)

Best for: funded AI and B2B SaaS startups that want brand, website and launch film from one team, timed to a raise or launch.

That's us. We are a creative studio that designs brand identities, websites and product UI, builds in Webflow and Framer and makes launch films, for companies from seed stage to IPO. Our work includes the brand and website rebuild for Sprinto around its $20M Series B, Refold AI's rebrand from Cobalt in 45 days, and the brand, website and motion behind Further AI before its $25M Series A led by a16z. We are also the motion design partner of Pine Labs.

Worth knowing: 250+ projects across 16 countries and 5.0 on Clutch. Brand projects usually take 4 to 6 weeks and most websites 2 to 6. We work remotely with founders in the US, the UK and Europe.

2. Ragged Edge (London, UK)

Best for: AI and software brands in crowded categories that want a bold identity and a campaign to launch it.

Ragged Edge is a London brand company working since 2007 on brand strategy, identity systems, rebrands and campaigns. It led the full rebrand and relaunch of Granola, the AI notepad, including brand campaigns in San Francisco, New York and London, and rebranded Wise across 175 countries.

Worth knowing: it is brand-led, so confirm whether the website build and product UI are part of the scope.

3. Red Antler (New York, USA)

Best for: startups that want brand strategy, identity and advertising from one New York agency.

Red Antler is a branding agency founded in 2007 that says it works with startups and established businesses. Its services run from brand strategy, naming and visual identity to campaigns and brand films. Clients shown on its site include Ramp, Chime, Hinge, AllTrails, Cotopaxi and Knix.

Worth knowing: many of the clients it shows are consumer brands, so ask for B2B software examples. See our Red Antler alternatives too.

4. COLLINS

Best for: later-stage companies where the brand has to reframe the whole business, for example before an IPO or a move into new markets.

COLLINS lists eight Agency of the Year titles from Ad Age and D&AD. It sells its work as eleven programmes, including Brand Refresh, Reposition, Scale-Up and Exit (IPO/Sale). Case studies on its site include Robinhood, Figma, Dropbox, Mailchimp, Spotify and Twitch.

Worth knowing: it says it is built to move companies upmarket. For a seed-stage identity it is usually more than you need.

5. Focus Lab (remote, USA)

Best for: B2B software companies that want brand strategy and identity from a specialist.

Focus Lab is a fully remote B2B brand agency founded in 2010 that says it has built more than 600 brands across B2B tech and manufacturing. It covers brand strategy, visual and verbal identity and web design. Its clients include PolyAI, Braze, LaunchDarkly and Customer.io.

Worth knowing: it publishes its pricing, which is rare for a branding agency. It is brand-led, so ask who builds the website. See our Focus Lab alternatives.

6. Ramotion (San Francisco, USA)

Best for: SaaS and developer-tool companies that want the brand, the marketing website and the product UI from one US agency.

Ramotion is a product and brand design agency with more than 15 years in the industry, headquartered in San Francisco. It covers brand identity, marketing websites, UI/UX design and web app development. Its SaaS work includes brand identity and website for Descript, branding and website for Flatfile and Streamlit, and a rebrand for Cypress.

Worth knowing: it also works with large companies, so ask who will be on your project. See our Ramotion alternatives.

Koto vs the alternatives at a glance

• Koto: brand, strategy and campaigns from five studios on three continents.
• Studio Huncho: brand, website, product UI and launch film for AI and B2B SaaS startups, Bengaluru, working remotely.
• Ragged Edge: bold brands and launch campaigns, London.
• Red Antler: branding and advertising, New York.
• COLLINS: brand programmes for companies moving upmarket.
• Focus Lab: B2B brand specialist, fully remote.
• Ramotion: brand, web and product design, San Francisco.

How to choose an agency like Koto

• Decide what the brand has to ship with. If the website, the product UI and a launch film have to land on the same day, pick a team that does all of them.
• Match the agency to your stage. A seed identity and a pre-IPO repositioning are different jobs. Ask each agency for work at your stage.
• Start from your date. Ask what would be live on the day you announce. Our guide on whether to rebrand before or after a fundraise helps with timing.
• Meet the team. Talk to the people who will design your brand, not only the people who pitch it.

For a wider list, see the best SaaS branding agencies.

We wrote this list and included ourselves. Every other agency was checked on its own website. Last checked: 11 November 2026.

Related reading: Best Pentagram alternatives · Best COLLINS alternatives · How to choose a branding agency

FAQ

What does Koto do?

Koto is an international creative agency with studios in Los Angeles, New York, London, Berlin and Sydney. It works on brand strategy, identity, digital design and campaigns, including a brand refresh for Workday and a rebrand of Stack Overflow.

What are the best agencies like Koto?

Ragged Edge, Red Antler and COLLINS are the closest on brand craft. Focus Lab suits B2B software companies, Ramotion suits teams that want brand, website and product together, and Studio Huncho suits funded AI and B2B SaaS startups that need brand, website and launch film from one team.

Which Koto alternative is best for AI startups?

Studio Huncho works mainly with funded AI and B2B SaaS startups, including Further AI, Refold AI and SimpliSmart. Ragged Edge rebranded Granola, the AI notepad, and Focus Lab works with PolyAI.

How long does a brand project take?

For us, brand projects usually take 4 to 6 weeks and most websites 2 to 6. Larger programmes at global agencies usually run for months, so ask each agency for a dated plan.

Comparing Koto with a few others? Send us your brief and your date and we'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit.

Three brand projects from our own work

We put ourselves on this list, so here is the work behind that. Each of these brands was built around a raise or a launch.

Sprinto is a GRC and compliance automation platform backed by Accel. We rebuilt the brand and website around its $20M Series B and the launch of Sprinto AI. Read the Sprinto case study.

Refold AI replaces traditional middleware with AI agents. We took the company from Cobalt to Refold, with a new brand and website in 45 days, ahead of its $6.5M raise. Read the Refold AI case study.

Sookti AI builds autonomous agents for SAP lifecycle work. We designed the brand, website and launch materials in eight weeks, ahead of its Peak XV announcement. Read the Sookti AI case study.

When Koto is still the right choice

• You are a large or late-stage company going through a big shift. A new category, a new audience or a merged portfolio is the kind of work it shows.
• You need teams in several regions. It has five studios on three continents.
• You want strategy, verbal and sonic identity and campaigns in one programme. Its services cover all of them.

Who we left out, and why

• Global brand consultancies. Pentagram and Wolff Olins do exceptional identity work, mostly as large programmes for established brands. We cover them in our Pentagram alternatives.
• Design subscriptions. A subscription can produce assets from a brand. It is not built to create one. We compare that model in our Superside alternatives guide.
• Logo marketplaces and contests. A logo is one output of a brand project, not the project.

How much does Koto cost?

Koto does not publish prices on its website, so you will need a quote. Among the agencies on this list, Focus Lab is the one that publishes pricing. We scope each project after a short call.

Can a studio outside the US or UK run a brand project for us?

Yes. Most brand projects run over video calls, shared Figma files and written updates. Studio Huncho is based in Bengaluru and has delivered 250+ projects across 16 countries.