(MENAFN- PRovoke) LONDON - Strategic communications firm Commplicated, which specialises in the deeptech sector, has expanded to the Nordics with the launch of Commplicated, through a partnership with Copenhagen design studio Heavy.

The agency, founded by former tech investor Hailey Eustace, has been working with Heavy for around 18 months and is now formalising the relationship by rebranding the studio as Commplicated. The move brings brand, design and communications strategy under one roof for deeptech start-ups.

Deeptech refers to companies and innovations built on advanced scientific research or engineering breakthroughs such as artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, biotechnology, or new materials. Unlike start-ups focused on software or consumer apps, deeptech ventures work on problems that require years of R&D but can ultimately transform entire industries.

Eustace told PRovoke Media that the expansion comes as deeptech continues to grow as one of Europe's fastest-emerging investment and innovation sectors, with founders increasingly seeking specialist brand and communications support to connect commercial, investor and technical audiences.

“Deeptech founders often face the challenge of explaining highly complex technology to audiences who think commercially,” she said.“The brand and the visual identity are part of that challenge. How a company looks, feels and communicates are all connected. With Commplicated, we're helping founders translate technical depth into investor-ready narratives, supported by design that makes those stories tangible and memorable. This expansion, and the incredible growth we've seen over the past year, are reflections of how deeply our approach is resonating with the deeptech community.”

Heavy co-founder Robert Daniel Nagy added:“We've always believed design is a way to make complexity understandable. By becoming Commplicated, we're strengthening that belief - aligning our work in branding and visual identity with Commplicated's strategy to help founders and investors communicate deeptech more effectively.”

Commplicated has also made two senior hires: Paul Southall joins as portfolio director after working at agencies including Ballou and Zeno, and Gabrielle Dunbar joins as director after eight years at B2B tech specialist Champion Communications, where she was most recently managing partner.

Dunbar said:“I was really interested in the deeptech focus - it hasn't had much attention in the comms world, and working with founders to create something together was super appealing after my background in B2B tech. And Hailey is a huge inspiration. From our early conversations she stood out as a leader.”

Eustace began her career as an investor in the US, managing a $485 million deeptech fund before moving into communications.“I took on comms as part of my role and started paying attention to it in a way I wouldn't have otherwise,” she said.“I saw all these decks and brilliant founders come through, but even the fund itself struggled to tell its own story. The inability to translate what you're doing into clear messaging has a huge bottom-line effect – you can lose millions of dollars in funding.”

That experience shaped her belief that communications is a strategic business function:“PR has serious business implications and doesn't get the respect it deserves. I don't know anyone else who's gone from investment to comms – it's hard to translate strategy into effective messaging, but that's exactly what deeptech founders need.”

After moving from Texas to the UK, Eustace worked in start-ups and at Weber Shandwick before going in-house at a Cambridge deeptech start-up, helping it scale from pre-seed to Series B. During that time she with B2B agency Fight or Flight – one of PRovoke Media's UK agencies of the year – founded by her former Weber Shandwick colleagues Joe Walton, Charlie Meredith-Hardy and David Woodward, who were among the first to encourage her to start her own business.

“Joe was incredibly supportive,” said Eustace.“Working with Fight or Flight was a real turning point. It showed me that there was space for a highly specialist deeptech agency that understood both the technical and commercial sides of communications.”

Drawing on her in-house and agency experience, Eustace founded Commplicated with a hybrid model tailored for early-stage companies:“Early-stage deeptechs don't necessarily need a full-time in-house comms person,” she said.“Deeptech is what I know and love - it's very niche, and that focus has been key to our success. We know exactly what we're doing, and our reputation has grown because we understand the space so well.”

Eustace added that communications in deeptech demands a very different rhythm from other sectors.“It's a different skillset to fintech or software. Deeptech often involves hardware that takes five years to develop, so it's hard to build a comms plan over that kind of timeline. Marketers used to fast news cycles can struggle with the long development process and the complexity of translating it into something relevant for broader audiences.”

Investor relations also play a central role in Commplicated's approach.“We specialise in investor work,” she said.“I understand what investors are looking for, just as agencies founded by journalists know what journalists need. It's a different mindset, and we can pre-empt a lot of questions through messaging, content and media outreach. We approach comms in a holistic way – not just customers and talent, but also investors – to create a unified narrative.”

As for her ambitions for the business, Eustace said:“We want to be the best at what we do in Europe. But we will stay boutique - our clients need to be technically oriented and creative with us, and they need to value communications. We don't want to compromise that.”

MENAFN22102025000219011063ID1110229985