[
  {
    "name": "thoughtbot",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://thoughtbot.com",
    "hq": "Boston, MA, USA (founded there 2003; now fully distributed, US + UK phone lines)",
    "offices": [
      "Distributed — teammates across the Americas, Europe, West Asia, and Africa (own site)"
    ],
    "founded": 2003,
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available on site; claims 1,000+ client engagements",
    "type": "custom software consultancy — onshore-led (US/UK), globally distributed",
    "services": "Ruby on Rails / Hotwire development, AI/ML, mobile development, maintenance; UX/UI/product design, design systems, design sprints ('Shaping Sprints'); MVP builds, product management, accessibility; team augmentation and fractional leadership",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Chad Pytel — Founder & CEO",
      "Jon Yurek — Co-founder"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "1,000+ engagements across regulated industries and mission-driven orgs (provider-claimed)",
      "Open-source track record: factory_bot, shoulda, paperclip, plus the public thoughtbot Playbook (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "MoMA",
      "Harvard Business Review",
      "Vimeo",
      "DigitalOcean",
      "Planned Parenthood",
      "Everlane",
      "Hilton",
      "Kickstarter",
      "Disney",
      "Postmates"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "listed_on_clutch": "yes (clutch.co/profile/thoughtbot)",
    "sources": [
      "https://thoughtbot.com (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://thoughtbot.com/about (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170301006017/en/ — Chad Pytel founder/CEO (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://clutch.co/profile/thoughtbot — Clutch listing exists (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Big Human",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.bighuman.com",
    "hq": "New York, NY, USA (51 E 12th St, 9th Fl)",
    "offices": [
      "San Francisco, CA",
      "Los Angeles, CA",
      "Chicago, IL"
    ],
    "founded": "2010 (own About page; some directories say 2006-2008)",
    "team_size_signal": "'small but mighty team' (own site); headcount not published",
    "type": "product development studio — onshore",
    "services": "Digital/product strategy, UX/UI and web design, branding (strategy, positioning, logo, copywriting), web/mobile/full-stack development, Web3, CMS, Apple Vision Pro design, growth marketing (SEO, content, paid)",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Rus Yusupov — Founder & CEO (co-founder of Vine and HQ Trivia)"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Incubated Vine in-house; sold to Twitter for $30M within months of launch (provider-claimed origin, sale confirmed by Wikipedia)",
      "Built and launched HQ Trivia and Subdial as own products (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Whistle",
      "Rockefeller Center",
      "Gemini",
      "Netflix",
      "Time.com",
      "Urban Dictionary",
      "Fortune"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.bighuman.com/about (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rus_Yusupov (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_(service) — Vine founding/sale (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "Founding-year discrepancy across sources (2006/2008/2010); own About page says 2010 — used that"
  },
  {
    "name": "MetaLab",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.metalab.com",
    "hq": "Victoria, BC, Canada (remote-first, globally distributed)",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": 2006,
    "team_size_signal": "distributed across 18+ countries (third-party profiles); headcount not published",
    "type": "product design & development studio — nearshore-to-US (Canada HQ, remote-first global team)",
    "services": "Product design, interface design, product development — 'design, build, and ship' digital products for startups and established brands; strong AI-native product work per recent industry coverage",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Andrew Wilkinson — Founder (now co-founder of owner Tiny; MetaLab has own operating leadership, names not published on site)"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Designed Slack's earliest interface (provider-claimed, echoed by owner Tiny)",
      "Designed Coinbase's first consumer app and Uber's early rider experience (provider-claimed via Tiny)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Slack",
      "Coinbase",
      "Uber",
      "Google",
      "Walmart"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.metalab.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://tiny.com/companies/metalab — ownership, client history, Beam group (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://tympanus.net/codrops/2026/02/16/inside-metalab-silicon-valleys-best-kept-design-secret/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "M&A flag: owned by Tiny (public holding co), operated inside Tiny's 'Beam' services group; profitability historically funded Tiny's acquisitions"
  },
  {
    "name": "Work & Co",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://work.co",
    "hq": "Brooklyn (Dumbo), NY, USA",
    "offices": [
      "Portland, OR",
      "Los Angeles, CA",
      "Atlanta, GA",
      "São Paulo, Brazil",
      "Rio de Janeiro, Brazil",
      "Copenhagen, Denmark",
      "Belgrade, Serbia"
    ],
    "founded": 2013,
    "team_size_signal": "~500 employees per Wikipedia; ~400 joined Accenture Song at acquisition",
    "type": "digital product agency — onshore-led with global delivery; now part of Accenture Song",
    "services": "Digital product design and development: websites, e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, AI tools/chatbots, retail/kiosk experiences for enterprise and nonprofit clients",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Gene Liebel — Co-founder",
      "Felipe Memoria — Co-founder",
      "Joe Stewart — Co-founder",
      "Mohan Ramaswamy — Co-founder",
      "Marcelo Eduardo — Co-founder"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "NYC MTA Live Subway Map — Cannes Lions Gold, one of Time's 100 Best Inventions 2021 (provider-claimed, independently reported)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Apple",
      "Google",
      "Nike",
      "IKEA",
      "Gatorade",
      "Mercedes-Benz",
      "T-Mobile",
      "Planned Parenthood"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_&_Co (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/2024/accenture-completes-acquisition-of-global-digital-product-company-work-and-co (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://work.co — brand still live under own domain (accessed 2026-08-31)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "M&A flag: acquired by Accenture (announced 2024-01-09, completed 2024-01-22); brand retained inside Accenture Song. No longer independent — matters for buyers wanting boutique accountability"
  },
  {
    "name": "Atomic Object",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://atomicobject.com",
    "hq": "Grand Rapids, MI, USA",
    "offices": [
      "Ann Arbor, MI",
      "Chicago, IL",
      "Raleigh/Durham, NC"
    ],
    "founded": 2001,
    "team_size_signal": "~95 employees, 4 offices (Wikipedia/third-party, 2026); employee-owned",
    "type": "product development studio — onshore (US Midwest + NC)",
    "services": "Custom software design & development: AI software development, new product development, product enhancement and modernization; web, mobile, IoT, desktop, cloud; healthcare, financial services, education, insurance focus",
    "pricing": "published guidance on own site: typical projects 3-18+ months, budgets $50,000 to $1M+",
    "min_engagement": "~$50,000 implied by published project-budget floor",
    "practitioners": [
      "Shawn Crowley — Co-CEO",
      "Mike Marsiglia — Co-CEO"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Cleveland Clinic sleep app work (provider-claimed)",
      "Healthy Minds Innovations, Biggby Coffee, 86 Repairs product builds (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Ford",
      "Cleveland Clinic",
      "Corewell Health",
      "Priority Health",
      "Qualcomm",
      "Johnson & Johnson",
      "Bosch",
      "Amway",
      "Fairlife"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "listed_on_clutch": "yes (clutch.co/profile/atomic-object); displays '2025 Clutch #1 Software Development Firm Worldwide' award on own homepage",
    "sources": [
      "https://atomicobject.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_Object (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://clutch.co/profile/atomic-object (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "One of the few dev shops with any published budget range — rare rate transparency signal in this category"
  },
  {
    "name": "DockYard",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://dockyard.com",
    "hq": "Boston, MA, USA origin; now fully remote/distributed",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": "2010 (per Elixir Hub / LinkedIn profiles; not stated on own site)",
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available",
    "type": "product development studio — onshore (US remote consultancy)",
    "services": "Elixir/Phoenix custom software engineering, product strategy & discovery, product design & delivery, engineering consulting & staffing, native mobile; maintains LiveView Native and Beacon CMS open-source projects",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Brian Cardarella — Founder & CEO"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Kamana: doubled user base and annual recurring revenue (provider-claimed)",
      "Veeps: scaled booming livestream startup with enterprise engineering (provider-claimed)",
      "iAsk: launched AI subscription model (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Netflix",
      "Apple",
      "Nasdaq",
      "Adobe",
      "McGraw Hill",
      "Live Nation",
      "Constant Contact",
      "CollegeVine"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://dockyard.com/why-dockyard (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://dockyard.com/capabilities/elixir-consulting (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://elixir-hub.com/companies/dockyard — founding year (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "Deep niche play (dominant Elixir consultancy) — differentiates it from generalist Clutch competition"
  },
  {
    "name": "Test Double",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://testdouble.com",
    "hq": "Columbus/Westerville, OH, USA origin; fully remote across US and Canada since founding",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": 2011,
    "team_size_signal": "~100+ consultants ('Agent #00100' hire announced); 100% employee-owned (ESOP)",
    "type": "product development studio — onshore (US/Canada remote)",
    "services": "Embedded senior consulting: software delivery acceleration, product management & strategy, legacy modernization, pragmatic AI, DevOps/infrastructure, Rails upgrades, technical assessments and recruiting support",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Todd Kaufman — Co-founder & CEO",
      "Justin Searls — Co-founder"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "50+ client engagements across tech, finance, healthcare, nonprofit; consultants average 15 years (software) / 12 years (product) experience (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "GitHub",
      "Gusto",
      "New Relic",
      "Zendesk",
      "Root Insurance",
      "Betterment",
      "CockroachDB",
      "Angi"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "listed_on_clutch": "yes (clutch.co/profile/test-double)",
    "sources": [
      "https://testdouble.com/about (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://testdouble.com/news-and-awards/test-double-hires-milestone-agent-00100 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://clutch.co/profile/test-double (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "HappyFunCorp",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://happyfuncorp.com",
    "hq": "Brooklyn, NY, USA",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": "2009 (third-party directories; not confirmed on own site this pass)",
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available",
    "type": "product development studio — onshore (Brooklyn)",
    "services": "Web and mobile app engineering, product development for startups and enterprises",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "not publicly verified this pass"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Built apps for Twitter, Amazon and other major tech companies (provider-claimed, echoed by TechCrunch acquisition coverage)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Twitter",
      "Amazon"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/03/tiny-acquires-happyfuncorp-the-prolific-firm-thats-built-apps-for-twitter-amazon-and-more-for-30m/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/85854-34 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium",
    "note": "M&A flag: acquired by Tiny for $30M (July 2023, cash + shares); continues operating from Brooklyn. Second Tiny-owned shop in this dataset alongside MetaLab"
  },
  {
    "name": "BairesDev",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.bairesdev.com",
    "hq": "San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA (Mountain View per CB Insights; founded in Buenos Aires)",
    "offices": [
      "Delivery across Latin America (50+ countries talent pool claimed)"
    ],
    "founded": 2009,
    "team_size_signal": "~3,100-3,445 employees (Revelio Labs / third-party, 2026); ~$800M revenue (GetLatka estimate)",
    "type": "product development studio — nearshore (LatAm delivery, US HQ); largest player in the segment",
    "services": "Nearshore staff augmentation, dedicated teams, custom software development, QA/testing, AI & data science, mobile, UX/UI design — 'top 1% of LatAm tech talent' positioning",
    "pricing": "not publicly available (engagement-model pages published, no rates)",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Nacho De Marco — Co-founder & CEO",
      "Paul Azorin — Co-founder & Managing Partner Europe"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Partners with Fortune 500s and startups across 100+ industries; bootstrapped to unicorn scale with no outside funding (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Fortune 500 roster claimed; named logos not verified this pass"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none verified this pass (heavy content-marketing operation; likely publishes rankings — flag for follow-up)",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.bairesdev.com/about/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.cbinsights.com/company/bairesdev (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.reveliolabs.com/companies/bairesdev/employees/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://pulse2.com/bairesdev-nacho-de-marco-profile/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "Homepage blocks automated fetch (403) — core facts sourced via press and data providers"
  },
  {
    "name": "Dualboot Partners",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.dualbootpartners.com",
    "hq": "Charlotte, NC, USA",
    "offices": [
      "Nearshore engineering in Colombia (plus wider LatAm)"
    ],
    "founded": 2018,
    "team_size_signal": "400+ team members (LinkedIn/own materials)",
    "type": "product development studio — nearshore (US product leadership + LatAm engineering)",
    "services": "Product strategy, UX/UI design, web and mobile development, DevOps, QA; launched DB90 AI development ecosystem (planning→deployment) January 2026",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Ben Gilman — Co-founder & CEO/CTO",
      "Todd Buelow — Co-founder & President"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Charlotte Business Journal Fast 50 (#49, 2024) (provider-claimed/local press)",
      "DB90 claims reduced manual dev work and faster delivery (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "not publicly verified this pass"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "listed_on_clutch": "yes (appears in Clutch Charlotte rankings)",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.linkedin.com/company/dualbootpartners (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://builtincharlotte.com/articles/dualboot-partners-db90-launch-20260105 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/dualboot-partners (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium",
    "note": "Own site blocks automated fetch (403); founder roster varies slightly across directories (Gilman/Buelow consistent)"
  },
  {
    "name": "Qubika",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://qubika.com",
    "hq": "Austin, TX, USA (Montevideo, Uruguay roots — Moove IT founded there 2005)",
    "offices": [
      "San Francisco, CA",
      "New York, NY",
      "Houston, TX",
      "Nashville, TN",
      "Chicago, IL",
      "Montevideo, Uruguay (delivery)",
      "Cali, Colombia (delivery)"
    ],
    "founded": "2023 as Qubika (merger of Moove IT, founded 2005, and December Labs); PE-backed by Recognize",
    "team_size_signal": "~1,100 employees (own site)",
    "type": "product development studio — nearshore (Uruguay/Colombia delivery + US offices)",
    "services": "AI services (AccelerateAI, Agentic Factory, Data Foundation), product design studio, data engineering (Databricks Gold Tier, 250+ certified engineers claimed), app development, cloud/SRE/DevOps, QA, embedded, blockchain",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "not publicly listed on About page fetched"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Databricks Gold Tier partnership with 250+ certified engineers (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Shopify",
      "Google",
      "Ripple",
      "Pluralsight",
      "Verifone",
      "IDB"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://qubika.com/about-us/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230517005355/en/ — merger formation (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/535517-02 — Nitra Security deal 2025-05, Tryolabs combination announced 2026-08 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "M&A flag: product of 2023 Moove IT + December Labs merger; Recognize (PE) portfolio; acquired Nitra Security (May 2025) and combined with applied-AI firm Tryolabs (announced Aug 2026) — actively consolidating"
  },
  {
    "name": "Gorilla Logic",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://gorillalogic.com",
    "hq": "Boulder, CO, USA",
    "offices": [
      "Costa Rica (delivery center)",
      "Colombia (delivery center)",
      "Mexico (delivery)"
    ],
    "founded": 2002,
    "team_size_signal": "500+ employees (third-party profiles)",
    "type": "product development studio — nearshore (Costa Rica/Colombia/Mexico, US-aligned time zones)",
    "services": "AI-enabled product engineering, platform engineering/DevOps/SRE, intelligent quality engineering, nearshore staff augmentation; 'Gorilla Logic Construct' modular AI-agent delivery workflows (claims 30-80% engineering-effort reduction)",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Stu Stern — Co-founder (ex-Sun Java Center founding VP)",
      "Daniel Berg — CEO (named 2019; current CEO listing varies by directory — not confirmed this pass)"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Construct workflows claimed to cut engineering effort 30-80% (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "not publicly verified this pass"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://gorillalogic.com/about-us (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://sverica.com/portfolio-2/gorilla-logic/ — PE ownership (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://nearshoreamericas.com/gorilla-logic-names-daniel-berg-new-ceo/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gorilla-logic-has-acquired-modernist-studio-301360643.html (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium",
    "note": "M&A flags: Sverica Capital (PE) investment 2019; acquired design firm Modernist Studio Aug 2021. Current CEO identity inconsistent across sources — verify before publishing practitioner scores"
  },
  {
    "name": "Focus Lab",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.focuslab.agency",
    "hq": "Savannah, GA, USA origin; remote-first global team",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": 2009,
    "team_size_signal": "~40+ team members listed on own About page",
    "type": "B2B brand & web design studio (the category-defining B2B brand specialist)",
    "services": "Brand strategy, verbal/visual identity, web design and UI, brand activation, brand workshops; early-stage startup branding via sub-brand Odi (odibrand.agency)",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Bill Kenney — Partner & CEO",
      "Erik Reagan — Partner & Chief Innovation Officer",
      "Will Straughn — President"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Salesloft rebrand (provider-claimed)",
      "Zuora brand work (provider-claimed)",
      "Own 2024 rebrand documented as public case study (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Salesloft",
      "Zuora",
      "Fabricators & Manufacturers Association"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.focuslab.agency/about (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.focuslab.agency/about/bill-kenney (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://odibrand.agency/ — sub-brand live (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://thecreativecoast.org/savannahs-focus-lab-a-coveted-company-to-work-for/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "Runs two-brand strategy: Focus Lab (established B2B) + Odi (pre-seed/seed startups) — both active as of this pass"
  },
  {
    "name": "Ramotion",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.ramotion.com",
    "hq": "San Francisco, CA, USA",
    "offices": [
      "Los Angeles, CA",
      "New York, NY"
    ],
    "founded": "not publicly stated on site (directory profiles vary)",
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available",
    "type": "B2B brand & web design studio (brand identity + digital product for tech companies)",
    "services": "Brand strategy and identity, rebranding, web design, UI/UX and app design, design systems, web app development — startups through Fortune 500 tech",
    "pricing": "not on own site; third-party comparisons cite $12k-$150k+ projects, $25k-$50k minimums, ~$100-149/hr (unverified third-party estimates)",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available on own site",
    "practitioners": [
      "not publicly listed on agency page fetched"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Firefox brand system contribution (provider-claimed)",
      "Design systems for Salesforce, Adobe, Okta engagements (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Netflix",
      "Stripe",
      "Mozilla Firefox",
      "Salesforce",
      "Adobe",
      "Okta",
      "Citrix",
      "Xero",
      "Descript",
      "Clearbit",
      "Streamlit"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "yes — publishes 'Top Branding Agencies in 2026' on own blog: https://www.ramotion.com/blog/top-branding-agencies/ (self-inclusion not verified this pass)",
    "listed_on_clutch": "yes (clutch.co/profile/ramotion)",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.ramotion.com/agency/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.ramotion.com/blog/top-branding-agencies/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://clutch.co/profile/ramotion (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://greenfroglabs.com/blog/branding-agencies — third-party pricing estimate (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Clay",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://clay.global",
    "hq": "San Francisco, CA, USA (300 Broadway, Suite 23)",
    "offices": [
      "New York, NY",
      "Austin, TX",
      "Denver, CO",
      "Lisbon, Portugal",
      "Belgrade, Serbia"
    ],
    "founded": "2016 (Crunchbase and own copyright) — but own About claims '529 projects over 16 years in business'; founding lineage ambiguous",
    "team_size_signal": "78 global team members (own About page)",
    "type": "B2B brand & web design studio (UI/UX, branding, websites for B2B/SaaS/AI/fintech)",
    "services": "Brand strategy and visual identity, UX/UI and digital product design, design systems, marketing websites (strategy/design/development/CMS), motion/3D content, development consulting",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Anton Zykin — Co-founder (per Crunchbase; co-founders lead client teams per own site)"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "529 projects completed (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Meta",
      "Google",
      "Slack",
      "Snapchat",
      "Coinbase",
      "Amazon",
      "Marqeta",
      "T-Mobile",
      "Uber",
      "TeamViewer",
      "Samsung"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://clay.global/about (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://clay.global/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/clay-f826 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium",
    "note": "Founding-date inconsistency on own site (2016 copyright vs '16 years in business' claim) — flag for buyer-facing longevity claims"
  },
  {
    "name": "Koto",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://koto.com",
    "hq": "London, UK (US-serving studios in Los Angeles and New York)",
    "offices": [
      "Los Angeles, CA",
      "New York, NY",
      "Berlin, Germany",
      "Sydney, Australia"
    ],
    "founded": 2015,
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available (5 studios operating 'as one')",
    "type": "B2B brand & web design studio (tech/SaaS brand identity systems, built to live inside product UI)",
    "services": "Brand strategy, verbal and visual identity, wordmark/typography (own foundry CcType), brand systems for tech platforms; related ventures OFF.Brand newsletter and Seasoned",
    "pricing": "not on own site; third-party roundups cite ~$60k to $150k+ per identity program (unverified third-party estimates)",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available on own site",
    "practitioners": [
      "James Greenfield — CEO",
      "Damian Borchok — APAC Managing Director"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Microsoft Copilot+PC brand work (provider-claimed)",
      "Fitbit (Google) brand work (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Instagram",
      "Amazon",
      "Microsoft",
      "Google Fitbit",
      "Tripadvisor",
      "Robinhood",
      "Revolut",
      "Asana"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://koto.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31; koto.studio 301s here)",
      "https://blockclub.co/blog/best-saas-branding-agency/ — third-party pricing estimate (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://thebranx.com/blog/best-tech-branding-agencies-in-2026-for-ai-and-saas-startups (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "UK-HQ'd but LA/NY studios make it a live option for US B2B buyers; Robinhood/Revolut/Asana attributions come from third-party roundups, not own-site case pages fetched this pass"
  },
  {
    "name": "Motto",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://wearemotto.com",
    "hq": "New York, NY, USA",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": 2005,
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available (small independent; ~$8M revenue per third-party estimate, unverified)",
    "type": "B2B brand & web design studio (brand creation and transformation for growth-stage companies)",
    "services": "Brand strategy, brand creation and transformation, identity, positioning; founders keynote/advise on vision and leadership (book: 'Rare Breed')",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Sunny Bonnell — Co-founder & CEO (Thinkers50 Radar)",
      "Ashleigh Hansberger — Co-founder"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Media features on Bloomberg, Inc., Fast Company, WSJ (provider-claimed press page)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "not publicly verified this pass"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass (publishes educational 'what is a branding agency' content, not self-ranking lists per pages seen)",
    "sources": [
      "https://wearemotto.com/about (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://wearemotto.com/press (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnybonnell/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Fantasy",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://fantasy.co",
    "hq": "New York, NY, USA (80 Franklin St per directory listings; multi-city historically)",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": 1999,
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available",
    "type": "B2B brand & product design studio — repositioned as 'AI-Native Digital Product Design Agency'",
    "services": "AI strategy & execution, product innovation, brand & identity; AI-powered content strategy, custom pre-trained models, NLP applications, AI-enabled user insights, creative R&D",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "David Martin — Founder & CEO (per third-party profiles; not named on current site pages fetched)"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "LIV Golf digital platform (provider-claimed, featured on homepage)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Meta",
      "Google",
      "Samsung",
      "Spotify",
      "LG",
      "MasterClass",
      "Ford",
      "Mercedes-Benz",
      "Netflix"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://fantasy.co/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://ai.fantasy.co/about (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.topinteractiveagencies.com/digital/agency/profile/north-america/united-states/west-coast/fi-fantasy-interactive/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium",
    "note": "26-year survivor of the interactive-agency era; full pivot to AI-native positioning — verify office footprint before any city-page use"
  },
  {
    "name": "Instrument",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.instrument.com",
    "hq": "Portland, OR, USA",
    "offices": [
      "New York, NY",
      "Remote (US)"
    ],
    "founded": "2005 ('more than 20 years' per own About, 2026)",
    "team_size_signal": "350+ employees (own site, 2026) — down from 400+ cited at 2022 acquisition close",
    "type": "B2B brand & digital experience studio (brand, marketing, product) — Stagwell-owned",
    "services": "Brand, marketing, and product design/build; integrated teams ('designers who code, developers who design')",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "Laurel Burton — CEO",
      "Jack De Caluwé — Chief Creative Officer",
      "Coryna Sorin — COO"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Long-running Google engagement (provider-claimed; cited in acquisition press)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Google",
      "Nike",
      "Salesforce",
      "ServiceNow",
      "Spotify",
      "Electronic Arts",
      "Uber",
      "ŌURA",
      "Epic Games"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.instrument.com/about/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.stagwellglobal.com/stagwell-stgw-completes-acquisition-of-instrument-fast-growing-digital-transformation-company/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.campaignlive.com/article/stagwell-buys-digital-agency-instrument-160-million/1736754 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high",
    "note": "M&A flag: MDC/Stagwell took 51% in 2018; Stagwell bought remaining 49% Jan 2022 (~$160M total). Headcount 400+ (2022) → 350+ (2026 own site)"
  },
  {
    "name": "Webstacks",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.webstacks.com",
    "hq": "San Diego, CA, USA (remote-first)",
    "offices": [],
    "founded": "~2020 (directory data conflicts: 2011 vs 2020; not stated on site pages fetched)",
    "team_size_signal": "46 employees (third-party, Apr 2026)",
    "type": "B2B brand & web design studio (composable B2B SaaS marketing websites)",
    "services": "Website design/development for B2B SaaS and AI companies, design systems, SEO/AEO strategy, CRO, technical migrations, ongoing 'website product team' retainers; Next.js/Sanity/Storyblok/Webflow stack",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available (project or retainer engagement models published, no floors)",
    "practitioners": [
      "not publicly verified this pass"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Claims 12% of Forbes Cloud 100 as clients (provider-claimed)",
      "ServiceTitan, Snowflake, Calendly site work (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "ServiceTitan",
      "Calendly",
      "Gong",
      "Snowflake",
      "Circle",
      "Fireworks AI",
      "Cribl",
      "Motive",
      "Cockroach Labs"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.webstacks.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.webstacks.com/about (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.linkedin.com/company/webstacks (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium",
    "note": "Closest analogue to an 'AEO-aware' web shop in this set — lists AEO alongside SEO in services"
  },
  {
    "name": "Bop Design",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "full",
    "website": "https://www.bopdesign.com",
    "hq": "San Diego, CA, USA (401 W A Street, Suite 200)",
    "offices": [
      "Irvine, CA",
      "Los Angeles, CA",
      "New York, NY"
    ],
    "founded": "not stated on About page fetched",
    "team_size_signal": "not publicly available",
    "type": "B2B brand & web design studio (B2B web design + content marketing for mid-market)",
    "services": "B2B website design (UI/UX, WordPress development), content marketing (blog, email, social, SEO — and GEO listed as a service), branding (logo, guidelines, collateral)",
    "pricing": "not publicly available",
    "min_engagement": "not publicly available",
    "practitioners": [
      "not publicly verified this pass"
    ],
    "case_studies": [
      "Client testimonials from Perr&Knight, MediKeeper, IVEMSA executives (provider-claimed)"
    ],
    "clients": [
      "Perr&Knight",
      "MediKeeper",
      "IVEMSA"
    ],
    "self_listicle": "none found in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.bopdesign.com/about/ (accessed 2026-08-31)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium",
    "note": "Notable: already sells 'GEO' as a line item alongside SEO — mid-market B2B web shops are absorbing the AEO/GEO vocabulary"
  },
  {
    "name": "Pentagram",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.pentagram.com",
    "hq": "London, UK + New York, NY (also San Francisco, Berlin, Austin)",
    "status": "active — 'the world's largest independent design consultancy', owned and run by 19 partners",
    "why_stub": "Likely out of scope for typical B2B SaaS buyers: premium partner-led model, cultural/institutional client mix, pricing far above category norms; include only as a reference point",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.pentagram.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "BASIC/DEPT (now DEPT)",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.deptagency.com",
    "hq": "Amsterdam, NL (BASIC was San Diego, CA)",
    "status": "merged — San Diego design agency BASIC acquired by DEPT Nov 2020; BASIC/DEPT co-brand since absorbed into the global DEPT organization",
    "why_stub": "Mortality/merger flag: buyers searching 'BASIC agency' are effectively buying DEPT, a multi-thousand-person global network — different value proposition than the boutique they may remember",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.deptagency.com/insight/digital-design-agency-basic-joins-dept/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/dept-acquires-digital-design-agency-basic/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "8th Light",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://8thlight.com",
    "hq": "Chicago, IL, USA (fully remote; optional offices Chicago + London)",
    "status": "active — employee-owned, ~140-159 people across US/UK, co-CEO Jenny Farver, ~$34M revenue (third-party estimate)",
    "why_stub": "Solid onshore craftsmanship consultancy; deprioritized for full record only due to overlap with Test Double/Atomic Object profile in this pass",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.linkedin.com/company/8th-light (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://leadiq.com/c/8th-light/5a1d98b82300005200875b43 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Viget",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.viget.com",
    "hq": "Falls Church, VA, USA (105 W Broad St; remote-friendly)",
    "status": "active — long-running independent digital agency (founded 1999), DC-metro HQ",
    "why_stub": "Straddles dev and design categories; strong onshore generalist, add full record if DC city page needs density",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.viget.com/dc-metro-hq (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.viget.com/about (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Lickability",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://lickability.com",
    "hq": "New York, NY area (fully remote US)",
    "status": "active — boutique native Apple-platform studio, CEO MB Bischoff, four-day workweek; clients incl. Tumblr, Condé Nast, Clubhouse",
    "why_stub": "Niche (iOS/Apple-only) and boutique-scale relative to sub-group scope",
    "sources": [
      "https://lickability.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.revenuecat.com/partners/agency/lickability (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "WillowTree",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.telusdigital.com",
    "hq": "Charlottesville, VA, USA (historic)",
    "status": "absorbed — acquired by TELUS International Jan 2023; 'WillowTree is now TELUS Digital' per own site — independent brand retired",
    "why_stub": "Mortality flag: one of the biggest US app-dev brands of the 2010s no longer exists as a standalone buyable agency; listicles still recommending 'WillowTree' are stale",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.telusdigital.com/willowtree-is-now-telus-digital (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230104005128/en/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Very Good Ventures",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://verygood.ventures",
    "hq": "New York / Stamford, CT, USA (distributed)",
    "status": "active — Flutter-specialist consultancy, ~152 employees across 6 continents; acquired LatAm Flutter shop CreateThrive (2023); raised $3.4M Series A extension (Celesta, 2023)",
    "why_stub": "Framework-niche specialist (Flutter); note it's a rare agency with VC funding — different incentive structure than bootstrapped peers",
    "sources": [
      "https://verygood.ventures/blog/vgv-acquires-createthrive/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/very-good-ventures-expands-series-a-with-3-4-million-from-celesta-capital-301885893.html (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Big Nerd Ranch",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://bignerdranch.com",
    "hq": "Atlanta, GA, USA (historic)",
    "status": "effectively defunct as an independent shop — sold to Amdocs (2020), folded into Stellar Elements; open-enrollment bootcamps and book publishing sunset June 2024; residual corporate training only",
    "why_stub": "Mortality flag: a 23-year institution in mobile dev training/consulting; any listicle still recommending it is recommending a wind-down",
    "sources": [
      "https://bignerdranch.com/blog/finding-new-pastures-big-nerd-ranchs-next-chapter/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://mjtsai.com/blog/2024/06/12/thank-you-big-nerd-ranch/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Netguru",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.netguru.com",
    "hq": "Poznań, Poland",
    "status": "active but contracting — 581 employees (Mar 2026), down 38% from 940 in 2023; workforce 77% Eastern Europe",
    "why_stub": "Offshore (not nearshore) for US buyers; included as delivery-model contrast and headcount-trend datapoint",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.reveliolabs.com/companies/netguru/employees (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netguru (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "10Pearls",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://10pearls.com",
    "hq": "Washington, DC metro, USA",
    "status": "active — 1,300+ professionals; blended delivery: US + nearshore (Costa Rica, Peru, Colombia) + offshore (South Asia, UK); CRN Fast Growth 150 (2022-2026)",
    "why_stub": "Blended on/near/offshore model worth a full record in a future pass; DC city-page candidate",
    "sources": [
      "https://10pearls.com/about/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://10pearls.com/locations/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Superside",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.superside.com",
    "hq": "Remote-global (Delaware-incorporated, Norwegian roots)",
    "status": "active but under pressure — subscription creative service, published pricing $15,000-$75,000+/month; laid off 60 employees March 2026 amid AI-tool pressure on design-services demand",
    "why_stub": "Productized-subscription model, not an agency engagement; the only published pricing at scale in the design sub-group — key rate-transparency benchmark",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.g2.com/products/superside/pricing (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.interviewpal.com/layoffs/superside (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Halo Lab",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.halo-lab.com",
    "hq": "Ukrainian-founded; offices Dubai + New York, NY",
    "status": "active — design + development for startups/B2B (UI/UX, branding, Webflow, web/mobile dev); US clients served with noted time-zone friction",
    "why_stub": "Offshore-origin challenger heavily dependent on review-platform visibility (Clutch/Manifest awards feature prominently in own marketing) — exemplifies the Clutch-dominance dynamic",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.halo-lab.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.halo-lab.com/blog/halo-lab-receives-top-ux-ui-design-agency-award-in-ukraine-by-clutch (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Bitovi",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.bitovi.com",
    "hq": "Chicago-rooted, remote-first (registered Libertyville, IL, USA)",
    "status": "active — onshore enterprise JavaScript/UX consultancy ('digital consultancy for hard problems' own positioning): AI, frontend, design, systems engineering, program management; annual all-company retreat in Chicago; clients incl. Yum! Brands and Coinbase (provider-claimed)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: onshore JS-specialist dev shop; promote to full if a frontend-platform niche page needs density",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.bitovi.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.bitovi.com/about/javascript-consulting-chicago (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "MojoTech",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.mojotech.com",
    "hq": "Providence, RI, USA (offices Boulder, CO; New York, NY; Boston, MA)",
    "status": "active — founded 2008, ~93 employees (PitchBook); repositioned as 'AI-native strategy, data & engineering consultancy'; appointed new CEO Jason Grimm March 2026; healthcare/finance/insurance client mix (provider-claimed)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: onshore Northeast dev shop with fresh leadership change; candidate for full record on a New England city page",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.mojotech.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/360735-58 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Infinite Red",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://infinite.red",
    "hq": "Fully remote, USA",
    "status": "active — React Native/Expo specialist consultancy founded October 2015; ~30 senior developers, 75+ RN apps shipped (provider-claimed); maintains Ignite boilerplate and Reactotron; co-produces Chain React, the flagship US React Native conference (Portland, July 2026)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: framework-niche specialist (React Native) parallel to DockYard (Elixir) and Very Good Ventures (Flutter) already in dataset",
    "sources": [
      "https://infinite.red/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://infinite.red/react-native-radio/rnr-365-chain-react-2026 (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Hashrocket",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://hashrocket.com",
    "hq": "Jacksonville Beach, FL, USA (second office Chicago, IL)",
    "status": "active — boutique Rails-era craftsmanship consultancy (Ruby on Rails, Elixir, React, iOS/Android); founder/CEO Marian Phelan; clients incl. Adobe and Vegas.com (provider-claimed)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: onshore Rails boutique, overlaps thoughtbot/Test Double profile; promote if Southeast/Florida coverage needed",
    "sources": [
      "https://hashrocket.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "http://marianphelan.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Echobind",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://echobind.com",
    "hq": "Fully remote, USA (HQ city not published)",
    "status": "active — full-service web/mobile agency (TypeScript, React, React Native); publishes an open engineering Playbook; active open-source GitHub org; services incl. team augmentation, code audits, custom training",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: remote-first onshore boutique; limited public company facts (size/founding not published) — verify before scoring",
    "sources": [
      "https://echobind.com/playbook (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://github.com/echobind (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "LaunchPad Lab",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://launchpadlab.com",
    "hq": "Chicago, IL, USA",
    "status": "active — digital product firm founded 2012; 700+ projects for 200+ organizations (provider-claimed); current positioning leads with AI software development (LLM apps, agentic workflows) alongside web/mobile builds",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: onshore Chicago dev shop (third Chicago-metro entry this pass with TXI and Bitovi) — useful for a Chicago city page",
    "sources": [
      "https://launchpadlab.com/about/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://launchpadlab.com/services/ai-software-development/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "TXI (formerly Table XI)",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://txidigital.com",
    "hq": "Chicago, IL, USA",
    "status": "active — product innovation consultancy (strategy, design, engineering, delivery); rebranded from Table XI to TXI in June 2022 after ~20 years as a software development studio",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: rename flag — listicles and directories still citing 'Table XI' point at a name that no longer exists; promote if Chicago page needs density",
    "sources": [
      "https://txidigital.com/insights/table-xi-reaffirms-commitment-to-product-innovation-changes-name-to-txi (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2022/06/02/2455356/0/en/Table-XI-Reaffirms-Commitment-to-Product-Innovation-Changes-Name-to-TXI.html (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Modus Create",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.moduscreate.com",
    "hq": "Reston, VA, USA (delivery incl. Costa Rica, France, Romania)",
    "status": "active — digital product engineering consultancy (product/platform engineering, AI/ML, modernization, DevSecOps); PE-backed (JLL Partners); new CEO Sharon Lynch succeeded co-founder Pat Sheridan; headcount reports conflict (~267 per Tracxn vs 500+ own historical claim)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: blended onshore/nearshore model with PE ownership and recent founder-to-professional-CEO transition — verify headcount before scoring",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.moduscreate.com/about (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.consulting.us/news/12502/modus-create-hires-sharon-lynch-as-ceo (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.jllpartners.com/our-companies/modus-create/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Wizeline",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.wizeline.com",
    "hq": "San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA (primary delivery Guadalajara/Mexico City, Mexico)",
    "status": "active but volatile — nearshore product-development firm; CDPQ investment (2021); layoff waves 2023-2024 with headcount bottoming ~1,214 (Q2 2024) before recovering to ~1,462 (March 2026, Revelio Labs); successive CEO transitions in 2025 and 2026",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: headcount-trend and leadership-churn datapoint for the nearshore segment — contrast with BairesDev/Qubika growth stories",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.reveliolabs.com/companies/wizeline/employees (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://builtin.com/company/wizeline/faq/stability-growth (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Encora",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.encora.com",
    "hq": "Scottsdale, AZ, USA (delivery LatAm, India, Southeast Asia)",
    "status": "absorbed — acquired by Coforge (India-listed IT services firm) at a US$2.35B enterprise value; deal announced December 2025, statutory clearances received, financials consolidated into Coforge effective 2026-05-01",
    "why_stub": "Mortality/consolidation flag: one of the largest US-HQ nearshore engineering brands is now a Coforge unit — buyers evaluating Encora are buying a ~$2.5B combined IT-services entity, not an independent firm",
    "note": "Dead-brand-risk entry: brand still operates but independence ended May 2026; listicles recommending 'Encora' as an independent nearshore partner are stale",
    "sources": [
      "https://news.coforge.com/newsroom/press-release/coforge-to-acquire-encora.-reaffirms-intent-to-be-the-leading-ai-driven-engineering-firm-for-the-new-era (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://news.coforge.com/newsroom/press-release/coforge-announces-the-successful-closure-of-the-encora-acquisition (accessed 2026-08-31)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Pivotal Labs (VMware Tanzu Labs)",
    "sub_group": "dev-shops",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivotal_Labs",
    "hq": "San Francisco, CA, USA (historic)",
    "status": "defunct — Pivotal acquired by VMware (2019), Labs rebranded VMware Tanzu Labs; after Broadcom bought VMware (Nov 2023) the Labs consulting practice was shut down in January 2025 and Pivotal Tracker was retired April 30, 2025",
    "why_stub": "Mortality flag: arguably the most influential agile/XP product-development consultancy in US history no longer exists; content still recommending Pivotal Labs/Tanzu Labs recommends a closed practice",
    "note": "Dead brand: no successor firm sells the Labs offering; ex-Labs leaders scattered to boutiques (several publicized farewells on LinkedIn)",
    "sources": [
      "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivotal_Labs (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://cleancoders.com/backstage/articles/lists/best-tanzu-labs-pivotal-labs-alternatives (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Red Antler",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.redantler.com",
    "hq": "Brooklyn, NY, USA (Manhattan relocation reported)",
    "status": "active — startup-branding heavyweight founded 2007 (Casper, Allbirds foundational brand work — provider-claimed); ~109 employees (third-party, 2026); reorganized 2024 into Red Antler Group: Red Antler (brand) + Fat Earth (performance media) + Wild Fruit (B2B/fund presentation design)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: consumer-startup skew, but Wild Fruit sub-brand targets B2B founders/funds — watch for deeper B2B push",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.redantler.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://tracxn.com/d/companies/redantler/__1ZXB0qMOr4Fng4oduuvtU5ONz5vHi2dcovHYj7OKVyM (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Upstatement",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://upstatement.com",
    "hq": "Boston, MA, USA (also New York, NY)",
    "status": "active — editorial-rooted digital brand and product studio (founders from Boston Globe/NYT design lineage); clients incl. MIT, Mozilla, ESPN (provider-claimed); listed in the official Contentful solution-partner directory",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: design-led studio with a directory-verified CMS partnership (Contentful) — bridges brand-design and headless-CMS categories",
    "sources": [
      "https://upstatement.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31)",
      "https://www.contentful.com/partners/solutions/upstatement/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search — official Contentful partner directory)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Edgar Allan",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.edgarallan.com",
    "hq": "Atlanta, GA, USA (satellite teams Argentina, Serbia, South Africa — own site)",
    "status": "active — 'brand to build' Webflow Enterprise Partner (official Webflow partner profile); most-awarded agency across Webflow Awards 2022-2025 incl. Agency of the Year 2022 and 2023; clients incl. Porsche, Duracell, Sequoia (provider-claimed)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: leading US Webflow-ecosystem shop for B2B marketing sites; publishes own data-backed ranking of Webflow agencies (self-listicle behavior — ranks itself #1)",
    "sources": [
      "https://webflow.com/@edgar-allan (accessed 2026-08-31, via search — official Webflow partner profile)",
      "https://www.edgarallan.com/blog/best-webflow-agencies-in-2026-data-backed-rankings-from-four-years-of-webflow-awards (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Ueno",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.axios.com/2021/01/06/twitter-acquires-design-agency-ueno",
    "hq": "San Francisco, CA, USA + Reykjavik, Iceland (historic)",
    "status": "defunct — acqui-hired by Twitter January 2021 (~50 employees); agency wound down remaining client projects and closed; founder Haraldur Thorleifsson later left Twitter publicly",
    "why_stub": "Mortality flag: one of the most-hyped digital brand agencies of the late 2010s; still appears in stale design-agency roundups five years after closing",
    "note": "Dead brand: no operating website or successor entity sells Ueno services",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.axios.com/2021/01/06/twitter-acquires-design-agency-ueno (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-06/twitter-acquires-design-firm-ueno-adding-about-50-employees (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Gin Lane",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.patternbrands.com/press",
    "hq": "New York, NY, USA (historic)",
    "status": "defunct as an agency — closed its client business August 2019 and relaunched as Pattern Brands, a DTC brand holding company (raised $14M from Kleiner Perkins/RRE/Primary at launch; $60M by 2021); agency-era work incl. sweetgreen and SmileDirectClub branding",
    "why_stub": "Mortality flag: canonical example of an elite agency exiting services entirely — 'agency mortality by pivot' rather than acquisition",
    "note": "Dead brand: Gin Lane sells no services; buyers finding old Gin Lane praise cannot hire the firm",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.thedrum.com/news/2019/08/06/gin-lane-changes-name-pattern-and-shifts-focus-help-people-enjoy-daily-life (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210608005378/en/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  },
  {
    "name": "Character",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://charactersf.com",
    "hq": "San Francisco, CA, USA (second studio Portland, OR)",
    "status": "active — brand identity and design agency founded 1999 (Ben Pham, Rishi Shourie, Tish Evangelista); brand launches for Peet’s, Oculus, Fitbit (provider-claimed); acquired by Dentsu Aegis Network (per dentsu news release) — operates inside the dentsu network",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: M&A flag — reads as a boutique but is holding-company-owned; same buyer-accountability caveat as Work & Co/Accenture",
    "sources": [
      "https://charactersf.com/ (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.dentsu.com/us/en/news-releases/dentsu-aegis-network-acquires-character (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "medium"
  },
  {
    "name": "Huge",
    "sub_group": "brand-design",
    "record_type": "stub",
    "website": "https://www.hugeinc.com",
    "hq": "Brooklyn, NY, USA (global offices)",
    "status": "active under new ownership — IPG sold Huge to private-equity firm AEA Investors (announced December 2024) after years of drag on IPG financials; combined with AEA’s Hero Digital; founded 1999; clients historically incl. Google, McDonald’s, Nike (press-reported)",
    "why_stub": "Breadth pass 2026-08-31: consolidation flag — the era-defining digital experience agency changed hands from holding co to PE and merged with Hero Digital; stale listicles still describe it as an IPG agency",
    "sources": [
      "https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/12/05/2992523/0/en/Interpublic-Announces-Sale-of-Huge.html (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)",
      "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/huge-announces-acquisition-by-aea-investors-and-strategic-combination-with-hero-digital-302323974.html (accessed 2026-08-31, via search)"
    ],
    "confidence": "high"
  }
]