Clean energy investors comparing portfolio candidates are assessing brand strategy quality as a leading indicator of whether the founding team understands its market. Enterprise buyers evaluating clean tech or climate technology companies are comparing your market positioning against competitors who may have clearer differentiation language. Strategic partners considering a long-term relationship are reading your brand strategy for evidence that you know exactly who you are for and what you are competing against. We build brand strategies for clean energy and climate technology companies designed to speak to each of those audiences, doing the competitive research and positioning work that makes your company legible in markets where clarity is rare.
From market positioning and competitive analysis to visual identity and digital experience, here is how we help climate tech and clean energy companies build brands that hold up.
When your technology is genuinely novel, explaining it to investors and buyers who do not share your technical background is one of the hardest things to get right. We work with your team through structured stakeholder sessions and competitive research to find positioning that is both accurate and understood by the people you are trying to reach.
Your visual identity is often what a potential investor or enterprise buyer encounters before they read a single word. We build identity systems, including logos, color, and typography, that hold up consistently across every context your brand appears in, from pitch decks to product interfaces.
As your team grows and more people touch your brand, consistency gets harder to maintain without a clear reference point. We create brand guidelines that actually get used: clear rules, practical examples, and an asset library that makes it straightforward for anyone on your team to stay on-brand.
Your website is doing a lot of work at once. Investors, enterprise buyers, and potential hires all land on the same pages with very different questions. We design site architectures and content hierarchies that guide each type of visitor to the right information without losing the others along the way.
A technically capable product loses deals when the experience creates confusion. We map user journeys, identify friction points, and build prototypes that help your team validate the right decisions before development begins.
A logo that works on a pitch deck but breaks on a website, or reads clearly at full size but disappears as a favicon, creates compounding problems over time. We design logo systems built for every context you will actually need them in, from app icons to conference materials.
Brand strategy in climate tech is not just about looking credible. It is about making complex technology legible to the people who need to fund it, buy it, or partner with it. We go beyond surface-level design work to understand how your market actually operates, who your buyers are, and what genuinely sets you apart from the competition. That means stakeholder alignment sessions, competitive analysis, and a clear positioning framework before a single visual element is designed, so that every creative decision is grounded in something real and not just aesthetic preference.
We have helped climate tech startups and clean energy companies sharpen their positioning, build their identities, and show up credibly in front of the investors and buyers that matter most.
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The team at What if Design was nimble, thoughtful and flexible. Their design process forced us to reflect and rethink our corporate strategy. They brought the company messaging to the forefront and accurately translated our vision to creatively visualize our deeply scientific work."
"What If’s team did a great job learning our technology on a razor-tight deadline. They helped transform our complex interconnection process into clear, resonant visuals and messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences."
"What if Design's leadership on our brand redesign was a dream. Their team worked as an extension of our mission, embodied our values, and then expanded upon our vision with ease. Our static, version 101 website was transformed into a full brand identity - professional, creative, and human."
"Before What If, we were relying on developers for design work — it was slow and clunky. From day one, the What If team understood exactly what we were building and came with proactive ideas to improve the user flow and features, not just execute on a brief. The ease..."
"They spoke our language from day one, delivered on every commitment, and never missed a deadline. Web traffic quintupled in our first week after launch, but more than the numbers, we went from a website we wanted to hide to one we're genuinely proud to show every new stakeholder. What..."
"Working with What If Design felt like a true collaboration — flexible, responsive, and always ready to meet us where we were. Even with our ideas that weren't fully formed, they delivered a strong brand and pitch deck to show up confidently with investors and partners. That kind of adaptability..."
"I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years: brand, web, comms, you name it. Every project has its own vibe, its own momentum (or lack thereof), and its own set of hurdles.But it’s rare to find a team that just gets it... the tech, the market, the nuance...while..."
"Working with the What if Design team has been an exceptional experience. Their attention to detail and creativity exceeded our expectations. Their expert guidance was comprehensive through every aspect of the project, from aesthetics to crafting compelling copy. Their efficiency and professionalism were evident in every interaction and team's kind..."
"As a team of one, I needed partners who could match our pace. What If delivered on that completely. The speed of turnaround, the quick review cycles, the ability to iterate in near real time — that's what made the difference. Highly recommended if you're looking to move fast and..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"The old website confused people about what we actually do, but post-launch, that sort of negative feedback has completely stopped. We received a lot of positive feedback on the professionalism and the design. Our previous contact page received maybe one or two hits per week, if that. After the launch..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"We went from people saying "I have no idea what you're doing" to immediately feeling credible and put together. What If took what was in our heads and made it real, even when we couldn't fully articulate it ourselves."
"We knew it was time to reset, sharpen our focus, and build a foundation for the next stage of growth. The new website was a big part of that. What If understood the vision, spoke our design language, and actually delivered. Anyone working with them should know it's a great..."
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The team at What if Design was nimble, thoughtful and flexible. Their design process forced us to reflect and rethink our corporate strategy. They brought the company messaging to the forefront and accurately translated our vision to creatively visualize our deeply scientific work."
"What If’s team did a great job learning our technology on a razor-tight deadline. They helped transform our complex interconnection process into clear, resonant visuals and messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences."
"What if Design's leadership on our brand redesign was a dream. Their team worked as an extension of our mission, embodied our values, and then expanded upon our vision with ease. Our static, version 101 website was transformed into a full brand identity - professional, creative, and human."
"Before What If, we were relying on developers for design work — it was slow and clunky. From day one, the What If team understood exactly what we were building and came with proactive ideas to improve the user flow and features, not just execute on a brief. The ease..."
"They spoke our language from day one, delivered on every commitment, and never missed a deadline. Web traffic quintupled in our first week after launch, but more than the numbers, we went from a website we wanted to hide to one we're genuinely proud to show every new stakeholder. What..."
"Working with What If Design felt like a true collaboration — flexible, responsive, and always ready to meet us where we were. Even with our ideas that weren't fully formed, they delivered a strong brand and pitch deck to show up confidently with investors and partners. That kind of adaptability..."
"I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years: brand, web, comms, you name it. Every project has its own vibe, its own momentum (or lack thereof), and its own set of hurdles.But it’s rare to find a team that just gets it... the tech, the market, the nuance...while..."
"Working with the What if Design team has been an exceptional experience. Their attention to detail and creativity exceeded our expectations. Their expert guidance was comprehensive through every aspect of the project, from aesthetics to crafting compelling copy. Their efficiency and professionalism were evident in every interaction and team's kind..."
"As a team of one, I needed partners who could match our pace. What If delivered on that completely. The speed of turnaround, the quick review cycles, the ability to iterate in near real time — that's what made the difference. Highly recommended if you're looking to move fast and..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"The old website confused people about what we actually do, but post-launch, that sort of negative feedback has completely stopped. We received a lot of positive feedback on the professionalism and the design. Our previous contact page received maybe one or two hits per week, if that. After the launch..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"We went from people saying "I have no idea what you're doing" to immediately feeling credible and put together. What If took what was in our heads and made it real, even when we couldn't fully articulate it ourselves."
"We knew it was time to reset, sharpen our focus, and build a foundation for the next stage of growth. The new website was a big part of that. What If understood the vision, spoke our design language, and actually delivered. Anyone working with them should know it's a great..."
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The team at What if Design was nimble, thoughtful and flexible. Their design process forced us to reflect and rethink our corporate strategy. They brought the company messaging to the forefront and accurately translated our vision to creatively visualize our deeply scientific work."
"What If’s team did a great job learning our technology on a razor-tight deadline. They helped transform our complex interconnection process into clear, resonant visuals and messaging for both technical and non-technical audiences."
"What if Design's leadership on our brand redesign was a dream. Their team worked as an extension of our mission, embodied our values, and then expanded upon our vision with ease. Our static, version 101 website was transformed into a full brand identity - professional, creative, and human."
"Before What If, we were relying on developers for design work — it was slow and clunky. From day one, the What If team understood exactly what we were building and came with proactive ideas to improve the user flow and features, not just execute on a brief. The ease..."
"They spoke our language from day one, delivered on every commitment, and never missed a deadline. Web traffic quintupled in our first week after launch, but more than the numbers, we went from a website we wanted to hide to one we're genuinely proud to show every new stakeholder. What..."
"Working with What If Design felt like a true collaboration — flexible, responsive, and always ready to meet us where we were. Even with our ideas that weren't fully formed, they delivered a strong brand and pitch deck to show up confidently with investors and partners. That kind of adaptability..."
"I’ve worked with a lot of agencies over the years: brand, web, comms, you name it. Every project has its own vibe, its own momentum (or lack thereof), and its own set of hurdles.But it’s rare to find a team that just gets it... the tech, the market, the nuance...while..."
"Working with the What if Design team has been an exceptional experience. Their attention to detail and creativity exceeded our expectations. Their expert guidance was comprehensive through every aspect of the project, from aesthetics to crafting compelling copy. Their efficiency and professionalism were evident in every interaction and team's kind..."
"As a team of one, I needed partners who could match our pace. What If delivered on that completely. The speed of turnaround, the quick review cycles, the ability to iterate in near real time — that's what made the difference. Highly recommended if you're looking to move fast and..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"The old website confused people about what we actually do, but post-launch, that sort of negative feedback has completely stopped. We received a lot of positive feedback on the professionalism and the design. Our previous contact page received maybe one or two hits per week, if that. After the launch..."
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"We went from people saying "I have no idea what you're doing" to immediately feeling credible and put together. What If took what was in our heads and made it real, even when we couldn't fully articulate it ourselves."
"We knew it was time to reset, sharpen our focus, and build a foundation for the next stage of growth. The new website was a big part of that. What If understood the vision, spoke our design language, and actually delivered. Anyone working with them should know it's a great..."
Here is what working with us looks like in practice, and why climate tech founders come back.
We work primarily in climate tech and clean energy, which means we already understand the buyer dynamics, funding timelines, and competitive landscape specific to your space. We are not applying a generic B2B framework and hoping it fits your market.
You get experienced strategists and designers working directly on your project, without the overhead of building an in-house brand team at a stage where that investment does not make sense yet.
Every positioning recommendation we make is grounded in stakeholder interviews, competitive research, and audience validation. We do not lead with aesthetics and work backward to justify the decisions.
We build brand systems designed to absorb growth without needing a full rebuild at each funding milestone. The positioning and identity work we do at seed stage is structured to still hold at Series B and when you enter new markets.
The founders of What If Design bring together strategic design and business growth expertise, with hands-on experience in climate tech, architecture, and market expansion.
Akhila is the co-founder and lead strategist at What if Design. She helps climate tech companies turn complex science into brands and websites that close funding and partnerships. She has worked with teams backed by the US Department of Energy, ARPA-E, leading climate VCs across carbon capture, grid interconnection, and green hydrogen, contributing to over $105M raised. Founders trust her because she learns the science and market before designing, and translates what they build visually for effective communication.
Tejas is the co-founder and product UX lead at What if Design. He leads product and UX for software companies, designing for adoption, retention, and the metrics that drive growth. His work spans battery management systems, fleet platforms, and ESG tools, plus enterprise software for the Ministry of Health of Saudi Arabia. Founders trust him because he treats every screen as a business decision, not just a design problem.
Brand strategy covers the foundational decisions that shape how your company is understood in the market. For us, that means running stakeholder alignment sessions, conducting competitive research, and developing positioning frameworks that clarify who you are for, what you do, and why it matters. We also create the visual systems and messaging hierarchies that carry that strategy consistently across your website, pitch materials, product, and every other place your brand shows up.
Tell us about your project and we will help you figure out what kind of brand strategy work makes the most sense for where you are right now.
Tell us where you are and what you are working toward and we will be in touch.
You can also send us a quick email at team@whatifdesign.in.
You can also send us a quick email at team@whatifdesign.in.
