# SBS Comms

> SBS Comms is a San Francisco-founded, remote public relations agency that translates complex technology into stories for business and tech media. Founded as Strange Brew Strategies in 2017, it serves companies from early-stage startups to established names including Cursor, Ramp, GitHub, Vimeo, Glean and Cloudflare. Its distinctive move was OnBoard, a lower-friction startup service introduced at $5,000 per month and run largely through Slack; the company later reported that OnBoard client volume grew nearly 95% and revenue grew 180% from 2023 to 2024.

- **Founded:** 2017
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, United States
- **Founders:** John O’Brien (Founder)
- **Team size:** Approximately 50-80 employees; SBS said it added 23 people during 2024.
- **Products:** Full-service strategic communications, OnBoard, Briefing Notes, Fellowship and media mentorship
- **Notable:** Named a Top 5 Most Innovative Company in PR and Brand Strategies by Fast Company in 2024., Revenue grew 27% year over year to more than $9 million in 2023 while the agency won 30 new clients, according to Fast Company., OnBoard grew client volume nearly 95% and revenue 180% from 2023 to 2024, according to SBS.

## Products & services

- **Full-service strategic communications** — Narrative development, earned media relations, executive thought leadership, media training, funding and product launches, analyst relations and crisis counsel for technology companies.
- **OnBoard** — A streamlined program for early-stage companies. It launched with a $5,000 monthly Foundation tier for messaging, media training and introductory pitching; a $10,000 Accelerated Support tier was later documented for companies further along.
- **Briefing Notes** — SBS Comms' newsletter on technology, media and communications, mixing agency advice with interviews of reporters and operators.
- **Fellowship and media mentorship** — Training programs for early-career PR professionals and internal development in media-strategy fundamentals.

## Achievements

- Named a Top 5 Most Innovative Company in PR and Brand Strategies by Fast Company in 2024.
- Revenue grew 27% year over year to more than $9 million in 2023 while the agency won 30 new clients, according to Fast Company.
- OnBoard grew client volume nearly 95% and revenue 180% from 2023 to 2024, according to SBS.
- Added 23 employees and nearly 20 new clients in 2024, according to SBS.
- The fellowship program launched in 2020 had resulted in 11 full-time hires by July 2023.
- Publicly showcased client coverage includes 60 Minutes, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Fortune, Forbes and TIME.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Published its 2026 predictions report card, continuing the agency's public commentary on media and technology.
- **2026-07** — Founder John O’Brien and president Claudia Traverso argued that conventional RFPs poorly test the judgment, chemistry and adaptability required by modern communications.
- **2026-05** — Published rapid-response guidance on shorter pitches, quality-over-volume measurement, new media distribution and fast crisis holding statements.
- **2025-12** — Forecast that 2026 technology coverage would reward proof, operational scale and utility over novelty.
- **2025-01** — Announced a sister-agency partnership with 829 Studios after adding 23 people and nearly 20 clients during 2024.
- **2024-03** — Fast Company named SBS Comms a Top 5 Most Innovative Company in PR and Brand Strategies.

## Links

- Website: https://sbscomms.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sbscomms/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/sbs_comms
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sbscomms/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/sbs-comms
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-16