The name of the game... is the name.
I have a Volkswagen Polo. It’s 16 years old, has sun-bleached racing stripes (don’t ask), and the electric windows rarely work. Which means that every time I pull up to a parking gate, I have to open the door halfway and awkwardly shimmy out my arm, while pressing down on the clutch and brake to grab the ticket. It’s ridiculous really.
But I love my car. To me, it’s not an it - it’s a she. An individual with a very peculiar personality. Her name is Paula.
Why is this relevant? Because it tells you exactly why we name something. Children. Pets. Cars. Sometimes even questionable body parts. We name the things we care about. The things we have a relationship with. Because they are unique to us, they have meaning.
Names give identity. They create connection. And business names are no different.
Naming in business: more than personal taste.
In a business context, naming isn’t just about what you like. It’s about what works—for your audience, for your goals, and for the world you operate in.
A good name needs to:
Make sense to the people you’re trying to reach.
Feel different from your competitors—without trying too hard.
Be specific enough to mean something, but open enough to grow with you.
Trigger the right associations—not confusion.
Sound right in the context where it will show up (spoken aloud, written on a deck, printed on a badge, shared at an event).
And of course: you need to be able to register it as a trademark protecting the exclusive use of the name!
That’s not about trends. It’s about fit. And when you get the fit right, the name stops being a name. It becomes something people remember, use, repeat, and start to care about.
Just like Paula.
Naming for venture client units.
Venture client units sit within large corporations—but their names still matter. They need to signal innovation without confusing internal stakeholders or alienating the core brand. Most importantly: the name needs to feel distinct, but not disconnected.
You’re not naming a startup. You’re naming a business capability inside a legacy structure. That balance is key.
Unlike startups, most venture client units don’t need a trademark, since they operate under the corporate brand umbrella. That gives you room to be creative—just make sure the name still works in hallway conversations, email signatures, and executive presentations. And ideally: make it sound like something people want to be part of.
Take BMW Startup Garage, Open Bosch, or Holcim MAQER. They each follow a slightly different logic:
BMW Startup Garage is practical and descriptive. It uses automotive language that makes sense internally and externally—and hints at a physical space, which BMW turned into reality: an actual office, event space, and business unit under one clear, tangible name.
Open Bosch plays with tone and mindset. It positions the brand as accessible, collaborative, and future-facing. The name also acts like a call to action: open Bosch to new ideas—making it active and memorable.
Holcim MAQER Ventures builds symbolic identity. It doesn’t just name a unit—it names a type of person, a “MAQER.” It creates a community you want to belong to, fostering internal culture and connection.
The key here is fit and function. These names don’t need to win a trademark battle across five industries. They need to fit the corporate tone, align with internal stakeholders, and resonate enough to build identity within a broader brand architecture.
So: when naming a venture client unit, you're not building a standalone brand—you’re naming a capability. Think clarity, alignment, and purpose over pure creativity.
Naming for B2B startups.
Here’s where things get trickier. You’re not just trying to stand out—you’re trying to survive legally.
The biggest challenge for naming a B2B startup today? Getting the trademark. The Nice Classification system that governs trademark classes was written in a world before tech exploded. Which means Class 9 (hardware) and Class 42 (software) are absolutely packed.
We’ve known startups who’ve had to rename themselves twice, even three times, after facing legal challenges. That’s not just annoying—it’s expensive and disruptive to growth.
A good startup name in 2025 needs to:
Clear legal checks for relevant markets.
Be unique enough to survive the search bar.
Work across languages if you’re thinking globally.
Avoid obvious tech clichés (looking at you, “X.ai” and “Somethingly”).
Still sound like something people want to buy from.
It’s not easy. But if your name’s going to sit on a product, a deck, a domain, and a term sheet—you want it to last.
Practical tips:
Check trademarks early. Like, before you buy the domain.
Avoid overly short or generic names. They’re already taken.
Be ready with a backup. If your first idea is legally impossible, don’t force it.
Balance cleverness with clarity. A name that makes sense is better than one that makes you sound cool but unclear.
The real win? A name you can own—legally, linguistically, and emotionally.
Naming in the venture client ecosystem.
The venture client ecosystem is broad—spanning solution providers, consultancies, startup conferences, accelerators, and other support programs. Depending on the type of organization, your naming needs will vary.
Most ecosystem players use names that signal energy and movement: Spark, Scale, Track, Hub, Rise. It works—because the goal is to create momentum, not to explain everything in one word.
That said, if you’re launching a new product, software solution, event format, or even an entirely new business, the name needs more weight. It has to be clear, credible, and built to grow.
A few practical tips:
Don’t overreach—your name doesn’t have to say everything, just enough.
Avoid overlaps with existing tools in innovation, venture building, or procurement.
Check domain availability (.com, .io) early—before you get attached.
Think about how the name fits into your broader brand architecture.
In short: naming in the ecosystem might seem lower stakes than naming a startup, but when you’re building something new, it’s worth doing it thoughtfully—and getting it right the first time.
And in case you were wondering…
Will, Helm & Tell represents our three core competencies:
Will for strategic marketing — because you need a clear will before you can make your way.
Helm for branding — a nod to the brand steering wheel, a classic tool in brand management.
Tell for storytelling — naturally.
And yes, it’s also a play on the Swiss folk hero Wilhelm Tell (and no, we’re not Swiss—though some of our first clients were).
The name sticks. People remember it. They comment on it.
And that’s exactly the point.
Also: it’s officially registered in the relevant trademark classes since December 2024.
So yes—it’s ours. And we’re happy with it.