Choosing a name for a company is no small task. It’s a decision that shapes perception, encapsulates your mission, and stays with you as you grow. For us at Verdigris, the journey to our name was as intentional as it was serendipitous—a blend of brainstorming, metaphor, and just a touch of luck.
It all began in a San Francisco apartment, where our co-founders Mark, Jon, and Thomas were talking about their vision for the future. The idea was ambitious: to make electricity visible, understandable, and actionable. Electricity is one of the world’s most critical resources, but it often operates invisibly, its flow and patterns hidden from view. They wanted a name that reflected this goal—a way to expose and reveal something fundamental, like flipping a switch on the unseen.
They drew inspiration from copper, the element that conducts nearly all the electricity that powers our lives. Copper is a perfect symbol of connectivity and energy, but when left exposed to the elements, it undergoes a transformation: it develops a green patina called verdigris. This process of exposure and change felt like the perfect metaphor for what the company aimed to do. Verdigris would take the hidden world of electricity and make it visible, exposing its patterns and potential to help drive smarter, more sustainable decisions.
The connection to sustainability was an unexpected but meaningful bonus. The green patina of verdigris, while not directly intended, resonates with our long-term mission to help create a greener, more efficient future.
What began as a late-night brainstorming session became a name that encapsulates the very essence of our work. At Verdigris, we’re proud of our name, not just for its uniqueness but for the story it tells about transformation, visibility, and the power of making the invisible actionable.
So, the next time you hear the name Verdigris, think about copper turning green. Think about transformation, exposure, and the potential for change. And most importantly, think about the electrical intelligence we’re all working to uncover and harness for a better tomorrow.
