New brand name for Oxidane, fusing water and technology
Founded in 2020, Oxidane invests in the intersection between water and high technology. Together they build pioneering companies of tomorrow. Proxy created a name that perfectly captures the intersection of water and technology. Proxy is one of few specialised brand naming practices in Europe.
When Oxidane set out in 2020, the company required a sharp focus and a strong brand to stand out among the many technology investors in the Nordics. Speaking at length with the team, and looking at their investment pipeline, we concluded that water is the perfect focus for the brand and name.
The company backs driven, experienced entrepreneurs addressing the biggest ocean megatrends with high technology. Water seemed like a differentiated focus among the many sustainability focused investors — and a focus incredibly relevant for Norgwegians, who have a millennia of history in making the most out of water around them.
The Naming Process
At Proxy, our approach to brand naming involves establishing storytelling and phonetic goals. For Oxidane, we started to search the name using the following springboards :
- Water: We wanted the name to have a strong association with water, to differentiate from the many sustainability-focused investors
- Technology: It was essential that the name was a good fit for a company focused on high technology
We created a long list of dozens of names. The shortlisted names were then thoroughly researched and scored, and uniquely we recommended a single name - Oxidane.
The Naming Decision
Several factors led us to recommend ‘Oxidane:
- Water: The chemical name for water is ‘oxidane’.
- Technology: The letter ‘X’ alludes to technological advancement.
- Science: The literal interpretation, ‘binary hydrogen compound’, beautifully combines oxide and ane.
- Intersection: The interplay of soft and hard syllables in 'o-xi-dane' mirrors Oxidane's fusion of water and technology.
- Distinction: Oxidane was widely available within the category, including the domain www.oxidane.vc.
Rolling it out
Post-name selection, we crafted a comprehensive brand identity system reflecting the synergy of water and technology. Today, Oxidane's team and board offer an ocean of experience in various domains, from finance and marketing to seafood and tech. The result is a vast network of innovators and investors steering the future of ocean-related technologies.
Proxy enjoys a trusted partnership with Oxidane, creating brand names and identities for many of its portfolio companies as well.
