Creating a new sphere of influence in climate investing

 

The Challenge

Third Sphere—formerly known as Urban Us—had been successfully changing the way investors think about climate solutions since 2013. With three unicorns and five exits, they had already proven that they not only know how to get at the problem of climate change from new angles, they can also find business success in the process.

But they were hitting a ceiling with that success at a time when the investing world is being greenwashed with other players. So, they partnered with us to help sharpen their climate thesis and expand their brand story. That way they can not only win with founders, but they can inspire investors and pioneer climate solutions that will have lasting impact on the planet.

The Solution

We worked together to expand Third Sphere’s climate thesis starting with a rigorous strategy phase to redefine their purpose, which set the foundation for a new brand identity, including a toolkit that could be used by non-designers.

The Process

  • Third Sphere’s evolved investment thesis and new brand story needed to be more than a soundbyte. It began deep in commercial and brand strategy work, where we sized the opportunity for change. And surfaced the foundational elements that set them apart from other VCs aiming to solve climate through capital. The unlock for the strategy was that they are more than their unique portfolio—they’re also their network, coaching service, and their engineering-minded perspective on climate solutions.

    That focus gave us what we needed to develop an active purpose that expanded Third Sphere’s ambition. And to shift them internally and externally from funding startups in cities, to forging new paths for those reimagining global systems.

  • Their expansive new purpose, rooted in systems, gave us the platform we needed to transform their identity. We landed on their new name, Third Sphere—a reference to the position of the earth from the sun. But also a name that gives them a way to talk about spheres of influence: public, private, and a whole new sphere where reversing the effects of climate change is possible.

    Their new name is a storytelling tool in and of itself. And it inspires an active brand identity that taps into their engineering roots. Bringing to life the idea of taking climate change work from theory into action. And giving them a flexible suite of math-inspired system elements that allow them to show up across sectors so they can live their purpose in a way that’s authentically them.

  • A strategy and identity are only as good as they are actionable. So, we provided Third Sphere with playbooks, not rulebooks, that include guidance on how to baseline impact metrics, allowing them to see quantifiable change in the world, not just in the capital.

    The playbook also has a voice and messaging guide so they could shift the conversation around climate and stay authentic to their voice. Canva and deck templates, complete with a plug-and-play asset library, effectively turning the engineers and VC innovators of Third Sphere into expert brand practitioners.

The Outputs

These tools helped Third Sphere launch the brand quickly and see a 2x sustained increase in interest from founders and investors.

  • Research

    Commercial and brand strategy synthesized perceptions of the brand and experience, audited climate these statements, and provided a case for change.

  • Active Purpose

    Brand strategy was supported by commercial insights and verbal design to shape the lens that activates the brand and opens the aperture for 
a new perspective on the business.

  • Network Ecosystem

    Brand strategy was supported by insights from commercial strategy to expand Third Sphere’s network of founders and investors.

  • Climate Investment Thesis

    Verbal design was supported by the strategy teams to craft messaging for a new climate thesis that was grounded in commercial rigor.

  • Brand Architecture

    Brand strategy crafted architecture scenarios that were informed by commercial realities and bolstered by linguistic thinking from verbal design.

  • Name

    Verbal design led a naming process that integrated strategic grounding and legal rigor to get to a name that activated their new identity.

  • Brand Identity

    Brand design created a brand identity that connected to Third Sphere’s active purpose and brought their personality to the forefront.

  • Brand Activation Toolkit

    Brand design built a suite of tools that turned engineers and finance thinkers into brand practitioners.

“Amazed at the work that you have done. I don't want to say I’m surprised as I tend to take Saneel at his word when he says he has the best team in the world.”

“Thank you for the wonderful results, and we will try to make you proud by getting us to a post-climate world where we are not just trying to preserve the status quo.”

- Shaun Abrahamson, CEO, Third Sphere

The Brand Work

Alternate Logos

Third Sphere is uniquely positioned to support a wide variety of industries. We created sector logos to represent that variety as part of their visual identity.

Iconography

Third Sphere x Onewheel Promotion

Third Sphere x Ecomo Promotion

 

Typography

Voice Principles

 

How we use our voice

Nonconformist
Visionary
Provocative

Our voice is designed to reflect and communicate who we are as a brand because the way we write informs how the world sees us. When we use our voice principles everywhere we go, they help us sound consistent, authentic, and distinct. So, no matter the piece or place, when someone reads what we write, it sounds like the same Third Sphere.

 

Canva tool

For a brand to be functional, the process of making it has to be understood. We built a generative tool of pre-made templates and designs so their team could amplify their story however they need. Effectively turning engineers into brand practitioners.

Notional team animations

Notional conference booklet

Notional campaign promotion

Notional presentation branding

Notional swag

Third Sphere product QR Codes

 

“I also enjoy the reference to spheres from an intimacy perspective — the first sphere being your home and your family. The second sphere is the public sphere — the media, the discourse that happens in politics. What happens when you have a global conversation? Would that be the third sphere? Very clever.”

— Haje Jan Kamps, “VC firm Urban US rebrands to Third Sphere, doubles down on climate focus,” Tech Crunch, March 1, 2022.