Naming for tech startups

The name of your tech startup will very often drive first impressions. Hence, it needs to be easy to remember, easy to find, should somehow relate to your business, and should not convey any negative connotations. Your startup name also needs to fit your overall brand strategy and position your business strategically in the market without limiting your growth possibilities. First and foremost, it needs to be unique in your business sector, not only because of your recognizability but also due to legal and trademark reasons. Learn more in our guide for a successful startup name.

The cost of naming for tech startups can vary greatly depending on the complexity, market, and specific needs of the startup. Also, it depends on the number of naming proposals, checks, and additional services such as trademarking. On average, costs range from $7k to $30k. Our naming prices start at $7k. Reach out to us for a more accurate quote based on your requirements.

Usually, the best practice is to have your exact company name as the domain, as it will be easy to remember for users. The majority of companies use the most common .com. Therefore, the disponibility of these domains is reduced, but not impossible to get. Thus, .ai, .io, and .co are also common amongst tech startups, providing more naming and URL possibilities. With regard to your website, also keep in mind how your startup name will sound in combination with the domain suffix (e.g .com) you are striving for.

Your company's name is often the first thing potential customers, investors, and partners encounter. A memorable and meaningful name can make a strong first impression, helping you stand out. Names that are unique, easy to pronounce, and spell often become "sticky" in customers’ minds. Your startup’s name can also impact how easy it is to market your business online. A name that is SEO-friendly and available as a domain name can give you a competitive edge in search engine rankings.

If your startup has pivoted or expanded into new markets, your original name might no longer make sense. For example, if you started out offering a single product but now have a wider range, a new name can better reflect your evolving business. Also, if people frequently mispronounce, misspell, or misunderstand your company name, it might be worth changing. Having said that, renaming a company is a significant decision, so it’s important to ensure that the new name aligns with your brand’s mission, values, and future goals. We as a startup branding agency have experience in working with startups and know what it takes to find a successful name.

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First of all, your name should be unique: You want to avoid confusion and steer clear of any potential legal issues related to trademarks. Also, your startup’s online presence is essential, so check for the availability of your chosen name as a website domain, preferably with a .com extension. In order to make prospects recall your name, it should be simple and easy to spell, which increases the chances of your business being found online. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, a great name should give people a hint about your product, service, or mission. It doesn’t need to be 100% obvious, but ideally, there is a relation to your offering or industry.

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During our naming process for tech startups, we come up with more than 140 initial ideas on average. 80 to 90% of these are discarded after giving them a second thought. The ones that survive need to run through extensive research. From experience, we have learned that is best practice to provide our clients with 5 naming suggestions to ensure a seamless naming process. However, we are happy to provide you with more options if you want to explore further possibilities.