Prototype tested in 23 days. Why teams choose Humbleteam over Proxy
Proxy is a London branding agency that builds brands from scratch for startups and investors. We design the product those brands live in, apps and platforms tested with users early, with 56 fintechs and 30+ banks behind us.
Facts about Proxy from their own site and LinkedIn · October 7, 2026
How each company describes itself
Proxy
Proxy’s site headline reads “We build multibillion brands from scratch.” Its about page describes a global branding and strategy agency founded in London in 2013, originally to build brands for Proxy Ventures’ portfolio, and says it built the Supercell and Oura brands.
Proxy lists studios in London and Moorea, French Polynesia, and says it runs one team for every client, adding commissioned experts per project. Services run from strategy and naming to identity, website and app design, and pitch decks. On LinkedIn, Proxy shows 2–10 employees in the United Kingdom.
Humbleteam
A brand earns its value on the screens people use, and that is where we do our deepest work. ING’s small-business banking prototype was designed and user-tested in 23 days, and an ING B2B MVP reached a tested product in 5 days.
We are 49 people in Prague and Dubai who have designed for 56 fintechs and 30+ major banks and studied 30+ healthtech platforms. Since 2017 we have run 200+ projects, and 70% of clients come back for a second one.
Three reasons startups pick us over Proxy
Each one is about the product, where users spend their time.
User-tested before it is built
We put prototypes in front of real users early. ING’s small-business banking prototype went through design and user tests in 23 days, and an AI text-to-video prototype took 15 days. Briefs average 2 weeks to a first clickable prototype, and AI skills make our work 20–40% faster.
Regulated products, designed in depth
56 fintechs and 30+ major banks have given us patterns for KYC, limits, card states, and disputes, and 5 YC-backed fintechs keep our designers inside their in-house team. In health we studied 30+ platforms and designed Luna Ring’s app and Eko Health’s regulated device states.
49 people who stay on the work
Our team of 49 covers research, UX/UI, brand, and design systems in house. Senior designers average 9 years of experience, and the people on the first call do the work. Since 2017 that has added up to 200+ projects, 80+ design awards, and 4.9 on Clutch across 35 reviews.
Humbleteam vs Proxy, side by side
Every Proxy fact here is from their own site or LinkedIn page. Where they publish nothing, the row says so.
| Compared on | Humbleteam | Proxy |
|---|---|---|
| Time to a tested prototype | 23 days to a user-tested banking prototype for ING | Not published on their site |
| Brief to first clickable prototype | 2 weeks on average | Not published on their site |
| Product UX and user testing | Research, UX/UI, user testing, and design systems for apps and platforms | App design listed under brand delivery; user testing not described |
| Fintech and regulated depth | 56 fintechs and 30+ major banks | Not named as a practice on their site |
| Who does the work | 49 in-house people; the senior designers from the first call | A core team of six named on their site, plus experts commissioned per project |
| AI in delivery | AI agents installed in your design team; our own work runs 20–40% faster | Not described on the pages we read |
| How fast you can start | Reply within 24 hours, start as soon as next week | Not published on their site |
When Proxy is the better call
Two situations where their model fits better.
A brand from a studio that invests
Proxy was founded to brand Proxy Ventures’ portfolio companies, and it describes thinking like investors. A founder who wants brand work from a team with a venture arm alongside it gets that combination there.
Naming a company from zero
Their projects include the Supercell, Oura, and Iceye brands, and naming sits at the top of their services. If the company does not have a name yet and the brand is the whole brief, that is their specialty.
What the product side gets from us
Three numbers on testing and depth.
23 days
to a user-tested prototype
small-business banking for ING
56
fintechs designed for
plus 30+ major banks
70%
of clients come back
for a second project
Products you can open
Three cases where the brand had to work inside an app.
Put us on the shortlist.
Send your product and the decision you are trying to make. We reply with the cases closest to it, a timeline and an estimate — and we will say so if the other option is the better fit.
Questions?
Is Humbleteam a good alternative to Proxy?
Yes, when the brief includes the product, the app or platform people use daily. A banking prototype for ING was designed and user-tested in 23 days, and 56 fintechs and 30+ banks have hired us. Proxy is a London branding and strategy agency that builds brands from scratch, including Supercell and Oura, so it suits a naming and identity brief.
Humbleteam or Proxy: who delivers faster?
We publish our timelines, and Proxy’s site does not publish theirs. Our record: 5 days to a tested banking MVP, 23 days to a user-tested banking prototype, 15 days to an AI platform prototype, and 4 weeks to put Logitech’s app into production. On average, a brief turns into a first clickable prototype in 2 weeks.
We’re a funded startup that needs a brand and an app. Who covers both?
We do, in one team. We design identities and the product that carries them, from onboarding to empty states, and our 18 published cases include both, such as Tally and Chuck. Proxy lists app design among its brand delivery services, and its site centers on strategy, naming, and identity for startups and investors.
How big is each team, and who does the work?
We are 49 people in Prague and Dubai; the senior designers on your first call, with 9 years of experience on average, carry the work. Proxy names a core team of six, says it has no B or C team, and commissions experts for each project. On LinkedIn, Proxy shows 2–10 employees in the United Kingdom.
How much does each cost, and how soon can we start?
Neither company publishes prices. Our formats: a fixed-price audit, scoped implementation, or a monthly retainer, and the first call brings an estimate. Our reply comes within 24 hours, and work can start the week after. Proxy says most new projects come through referrals, lists info@proxy.vc for contact, and does not publish pricing.
Other comparisons
Same structure, same sourcing rules, one page per shortlist we keep meeting.
What we checked, and when
Everything stated about Proxy on this page comes from their own public pages, read onOctober 7, 2026. We describe what they are strong at, not what they are bad at. If something here is out of date or wrong, write to hi@humbleteam.com and we will fix the page.
- proxy.vc — home · read October 7, 2026
- proxy.vc — about · read October 7, 2026
- LinkedIn — Proxy company page · read October 7, 2026
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