The founders of UpwardFi set out to reinvent and simplify both sides of the bill pay equation with a platform that automatically pays bills—from personal loans and credit cards to rent and utilities—directly from payroll. This new approach means fewer missed payments and credit losses and a larger customer pool for billers and expanded credit options and financial peace of mind for wage earners with poor credit. Unfortunately, the company’s name was not legally available, so they turned to Catchword.
We identified the brand messaging, developed thousands of name candidates, and conducted availability prescreening, and domain name availability screening. Highline communicates how the company’s solutions offer a direct path up to financial wellness for consumers and growth opportunities for billers yet remains open-ended enough to encompass the company’s vision of becoming a hub for billers’ customer employment and income data. The name recalls the High Line elevated park in Manhattan—created on a former NY Central Railroad line—which adds sophistication and subtly reinforces the idea of redirecting existing resources to create something new and alive. The rebrand launched in 2022 with a Series A round of $13.5M.
