Bonds Investment Group

“Bonds Investment Group (formerly Opt Ventures)” is a select group of venture capitalists who provide investment support to startups. The company culture promotes individual freedom and discretion in working. However, the members are not accustomed to discussing the company among themselves, which has resulted in a lack of external awareness of the company’s image.

The project began with a request to change the company name and rebrand it. The first step was to articulate their own “uniqueness.”

The first workshop was attended by all members, and it began with ice-breaking questions related to self-image, such as “If your company were an animal, what would it be?” and “What kind of animal would you like to become?” Strong animal images such as eagles and elephants emerged. The strengths that emerged were “calm yet bold,” “ambitious,” and “mutual support.”

One of the essential elements in considering the personality of a company is “what the company takes pride in.” After the workshop, each member was interviewed about what they considered important.

When asked about their proudest work experience or when they feel a sense of accomplishment, a common theme emerged. Most investment members began to talk about their experience creating their own business.

Next, members were gathered to discuss “what kind of business owners they have invested in or not invested in before” (DO’s/DON’T’s). As they listed the characteristics of business owners who they considered investing in but ultimately decided not to, common traits also emerged. The decision of which companies to not to invest reflected their “uniqueness” even more strongly.

From these interviews, we articulated what we believed to be their guiding philosophy. Ultimately, we settled on three principles: sincerity, having a greater purpose, and creativity. In addition to the three principles, we also put focus on being a “business person, not an investor,” and solving social issues. We then design a new company name, corporate logo, mission, and values around these three principles.

Regarding the new company name, the project team came up with over 100 ideas. The final name we chose was “Bonds Investment Group,” with “Bonds” representing “connections.”

For the logo, we studied 30 patterns based on key concepts such as “sincerity,” “steadfastness,” “calmness and boldness.” We chose the “Futura” font, which originated at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

The mission is “together, we challenge and create.” However, even if we can articulate what we aspire to be, it is meaningless unless we align our actions with our words. That is why we discussed “brand actions” that embody the mission and “rituals” to help spread the mission within the company. We also considered the investment philosophy and investment guidelines, as well as how investment committee discussions would be conducted.

We designed a comprehensive system that links the company name, logo, mission, website, and investment philosophy and guidelines to make their “essence” come alive through action.